Description
These Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies combine the zesty brightness of fresh orange zest and juice with the tart sweetness of dried cranberries, all nestled in a buttery, delicate shortbread. Finished with a smooth orange glaze, these cookies offer a perfect balance of citrus and sweetness, ideal for festive occasions or a delightful tea-time treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread
- 60 g caster sugar
- 1 orange, zest
- 125 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 180 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 75 g dried cranberries, finely chopped
Orange Glaze
- 120 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 30 ml orange juice
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Prepare Orange Sugar: Rub the caster sugar and orange zest together using your fingertips until the sugar becomes orange-stained and feels slightly wet, releasing the orange’s natural oils to intensify the flavor.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter and orange-stained sugar on medium speed until pale and light. Scrape down the sides and add vanilla extract, mixing again until combined.
- Incorporate Flour and Cranberries: Add the plain flour and finely chopped dried cranberries into the creamed butter mixture. Mix on low speed until combined, resulting in a slightly ragged dough texture.
- Form and Roll Dough: Gather the dough into a ball, press into a rough disc, and roll out on a lightly floured surface to about ½ cm thickness. If the dough feels too soft or sticky, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to firm up.
- Cut and Chill Cookies: Use a cookie cutter to stamp out shapes and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut additional cookies. Refrigerate the cutouts for at least 30 minutes until firm to help them retain shape during baking.
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 170°C (335°F). Bake the chilled cookies for 15 minutes or until golden around the edges. Allow cookies to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Orange Glaze: Whisk together powdered icing sugar, orange juice, and melted butter until smooth. Adjust thickness by adding more icing sugar or orange juice as needed to achieve a dip-friendly glaze consistency.
- Glaze the Cookies: Dip the top of each cooled cookie into the orange glaze, allowing excess to drip off, then place back on the wire rack to set before serving.
Notes
- Use a digital scale for accurate measuring, especially when baking.
- Yield depends on cookie cutter size; this recipe makes about 20 cookies using a 5cm (2-inch) cutter.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Undecorated cookies freeze well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight at room temperature.
- Re-roll dough scraps twice to maximize cookie yield, but watch for dryness—add a few drops of water if needed.
- Lightly flour cookie cutters to prevent sticking and maintain cookie shape.
- Chilling dough and cutouts is essential to keep cookies from spreading excessively during baking.
- Oven temperatures vary; monitor cookies closely, especially toward the end of baking time to avoid overbaking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
