December wouldn’t feel complete without a festive twist on a classic shortbread cookie. These cranberry orange shortbread cookies are bright, buttery, and perfect for a holiday cookie platter. Tangy dried cranberries and fragrant fresh orange zest lift traditional all‑butter shortbread to something special. This recipe yields about 20 cookies.
I love this shortbread because the fluted rounds bake up with tender, melt‑in‑your‑mouth centers and lightly crisp edges. Dried cranberries add a tart sweetness and a festive pop of color. For easier chopping, toss the cranberries with a little granulated sugar before cutting them with a sharp knife.
Featured Review
These are my new favorite cookie. Edges were crispy and center was still soft. The cookie itself is not too sweet. The natural orange and cranberry flavors are nicely complimented by the touch of white chocolate drizzle.
Sherrie
Once drizzled with white chocolate and finished with a few gold sprinkles, these cut‑out shortbread rounds look as good as they taste. They’re elegant enough for a party but easy enough for a weekend bake.
Love homemade shortbread? Try lemon slice‑and‑bake or chocolate chip shortbread next for more simple, buttery cookies.
Step by Step: How to Make Cranberry Orange Shortbread
Start by combining granulated sugar and fresh orange zest in a food processor and pulse about 1 minute, until the zest is finely ground and fragrant. If you don’t have a food processor, beat the sugar and zest together in a mixer on low until evenly blended.
Beat the softened butter with the orange‑infused sugar, vanilla, and salt until soft and creamy. Turn the mixer off and add all the flour. Mix on low speed just until the dough starts to come together in large pieces, then fold in the chopped dried cranberries. The dough will be somewhat crumbly but should hold together when pressed.
Turn the dough onto plastic wrap, shape it into a disk, and wrap tightly. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 20–25 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface or on parchment, roll the chilled dough to 1/4‑inch thickness. Use a 2 1/2‑inch fluted cutter to stamp out cookies, rerolling scraps as needed to make about 20 rounds. Place the cookies on baking sheets and chill again for 20 minutes before baking.
Lightly sprinkle the tops with sugar and bake at 350°F for 14–15 minutes, rotating the pans once, until the edges are faintly golden and the centers are set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Gently melt high‑quality white chocolate until smooth and glossy. Transfer the melted chocolate to a small piping bag or use a spoon to drizzle over the cookies, then finish with gold sprinkles if desired. Allow the chocolate to set before serving.
Favorite cranberry orange recipes:
- Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Soft Cranberry Orange Scones
Buttery Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Description
Bright, buttery cranberry orange shortbread cookies drizzled with white chocolate make a festive addition to any holiday cookie plate. Dried cranberries and orange zest bring citrusy brightness to classic shortbread. This batch makes about 20 cookies.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2/3 cup (134 g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp (about 6 g) fresh orange zest
- 3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 3/4 cups (245 g) all‑purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (90 g) dried cranberries, chopped
- 1 Tbsp (13 g) granulated sugar, for sprinkling
Topping
- 4 ounces (113.5 g) white chocolate, chopped
- Gold sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Make citrus sugar: Pulse the sugar and orange zest in a food processor for about 1 minute until the zest is finely ground. Alternatively, beat together in a mixer on low.
- Make shortbread dough: Beat butter, orange‑sugar, vanilla, and salt until soft and creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed and mix in flour just until the dough forms large pieces. Fold in the chopped cranberries. The dough will be crumbly but should hold when pressed. Turn onto plastic wrap, form a disk, and wrap tightly.
- Chill: Refrigerate the dough until firm, 20–25 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Roll and cut: Roll dough to 1/4‑inch thickness on a lightly floured surface or parchment. Cut with a 2 1/2‑inch fluted cutter to make about 20 cookies. Chill the cut cookies on baking sheets for 20 minutes.
- Bake: Sprinkle with sugar and bake 14–15 minutes, rotating once, until lightly golden and set. Cool on the baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt chocolate: Gently melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or a heat‑proof bowl over simmering water until smooth and glossy.
- Decorate: Drizzle melted white chocolate over cooled cookies, add sprinkles, and allow the chocolate to set before serving.
Notes
Butter: Avoid European‑style butter with very high fat content — it can cause the cookies to spread too much.
White chocolate: Use a high‑quality white chocolate bar for a smooth melt. White chocolate chips or wafers often contain stabilizers that prevent a glossy finish.
Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container with parchment between layers. They stay fresh at room temperature for about a week and freeze well for up to 3 months when wrapped tightly.
Make ahead: After cutting, freeze the unbaked cookies on baking sheets for 1 hour, then transfer to freezer bags for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to the bake time.