These cranberry orange shortbread cookies are light, buttery, and packed with orange zest and chopped craisins! Not only are they delicious, but they look beautiful as well! Everyone will be impressed with these delicious and vibrant cookies no matter the occasion!
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Instructions
Using your stand mixer (or a hand mixer), cream together your room-temperature butter, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla extract until nice and smooth.
Gradually add in the all-purpose flour and mix until just combined and the dough is crumbly.
Fold in the orange zest and chopped craisins (dried cranberries) until everything is well dispersed in the dough.
Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap (or parchment paper) and roll it into a log shape.
Using the plastic wrap, tightly wrap up the dough log and then place it in your fridge. Allow the dough to chill for at least 30 minutes (but ideally 4 hours).
When your chilled dough is nice and firm, go ahead and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap it, and use a sharp knife to cut the dough log into slices that are roughly ¼-½ inch thick.
Place the slices onto a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper, leaving some space in between each cookie. Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10-12 minutes, or until the center is slightly puffy.
Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the pan. Shortbread cookies are exceptionally tender and soft and can easily break apart if you try to move them while they are still warm.
Notes
You can easily make this dough in advance and allow it to chill in the fridge (before slicing) for up to a week. Or, you can place the dough log into the freezer for up to a month.
If you use unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt to the recipe.
Don't skip out on chilling your dough. This allows the butter to firm back up, making for easy slices, even baking, and a light and flaky texture.
To store: Keep any leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or in the fridge for 10 days.
To freeze: Placed in a sealed container, these cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Simply set them on the counter and allow them to return to room temperature before serving.