One of my friends texted me over the weekend thanking me for a box of holiday cookies I had made for her by saying it 'inspired by her inner Lynn wannabe'. Two days later after she had finished an exhausting holiday cookie baking marathon she said maybe she had spoken too soon. I couldn't help but laugh at loud at both of her comments. So I ask, is it possible there is still enough time to make one more holiday cookie with only three days left before Christmas? In my world the answer to that question is an emphatic "Yes there is!". Especially if it's a shortbread cookie or any cookie involving chocolate. There is always time to make one more cookie, right? If there was ever a year where we needed to create more joy and spread more love this would be it. And baking yet another batch of beautiful, buttery cookies, while pushing past any exhaustion we may be feeling, is exactly what this year calls for. For those of you who share my goal of making this the most cookie decadent holiday ever, this Cranberry Orange Shortbread is calling your name!
But if they aren't calling to you just yet, let me try to entice you. The flavors from the dried cranberries and orange zest in this buttery Cranberry Orange Shortbread, drizzled with melted white chocolate for an added bit of decadence, are nothing short of incredible. Pair the shortbread with some coffee or a cup of your favorite tea and let the feelings of pure holiday joy consume you.
As far as cookies go, these are relatively easy to make. They can be rolled out and cut into your favorite shapes or rolled into two logs and sliced. I rolled out this batch of shortbread using a 2 1/4" cookie cutter because, well just because that's me.
This is a very easy dough to work with. While I didn't need to chill the dough out before it was rolled out and cut into these circles, a quick 15-20 chill in the refrigerator might make the rolling out process a little easier. Note: If your room temperature butter is really, really soft then you may need to give the dough some chill time.
Baking time for the shortbread ranges from 12-15 minutes. When the bottoms and edges are golden in color, your shortbread is ready to come out of the oven.
The addition of melted white chocolate on these cookies turns them into an even more extraordinary, mouthwatering delicious shortbread. You can completely dip them in chocolate, partially dip them, or use a pastry bag to give them your own unique drizzle finish.
With so many sugary, chocolatey, nutty, spiced cookies competing for attention this holiday season, this Cranberry Orange Shortbread will be the one catching the discerning shortbread cookie lover's eye.
Recipe
Cranberry Orange Shortbread
Makes 24-26 two inched sized cookies
Ingredients
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature (see Notes)
1/2 cup (60g) confectionary sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest (from one large orange)
1/2 cup (80g) dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
6 ounces (169g) white chocolate
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter for approximately one minute. Add in confectionary sugar and beat until light and fluffy (approximately 2-3 minutes).
3. Mix in the orange zest and vanilla.
4. Add in the all-purpose flour and Kosher salt. Mix just until blended but still slightly floury.
5. Add in the coarsely chopped dried cranberries. Beat until the dough sticks together and begins to slightly pull away from the sides.
6. Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4" thickness. Use a cookie cutter of choice (I used a 2 1/4" round one) to cut out the shortbread. Place cut rounds on a prepared cookie sheet. Space cookies about one inch apart.
7. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes (rotating the pan midway through the baking process) or until lightly browned on the bottom. Let the cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Allow the cookies to cool to room temperature before finishing with the melted white chocolate.
8. Roll out other half of dough and cut accordingly. Scrapes of dough can be rolled as well. Bake as directed.
9. Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in either the microwave or over a double boiler.
10. Either partially dip the cooled shortbread in the melted chocolate or use a pastry bag to create a random design. Let the chocolate completely set before serving or putting in a tightly sealed container.
Notes: (1) If you dough seems a little too sticky to roll out, chill for about 15-20 minutes. (2) Instead of rolling out the cookies you could alway form the dough into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for two hours. Then cut into generous 1/4 inch slices with a very sharp knife. Bake according to the directions above. (3) You can also make these using salted butter. But if using salted butter then omit the Kosher salt.
