Description
These cranberry orange shortbread cookies are rich and buttery holiday cookies dotted with chewy dried cranberries and flecks of fresh orange zest, drizzled with creamy melted chocolate.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (143g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large orange, zested
- 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (120g) sweetened dried cranberries, very finely chopped
- 2–3 ounces Ghirardelli dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat until light and fluffy and well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the orange zest.
- Next, slowly add the flour ½ cup at a time until all the flour has been added. Mix at a low speed until the dough is crumbly, add the cranberries then increase the speed to medium-high and beat only until the dough starts to come off the sides of the bowl and stick together in a ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper. Divide the dough into two halves, press, and shape into a log about 1 ½ inches thick and about 6-7 inches long. Tightly wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Unwrap the dough and slice the cookies at least 1/4” -3/8″ thick. Place on the prepared baking sheet approximately 1 inch apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes or just until the edges start to brown. Cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To drizzle with chocolate, wait until the cookies have cooled completely. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt half the chocolate in 15 to 30-second intervals; stir after each interval and continue until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer the chocolate to a piping bag and drizzle over the cookies. Allow the chocolate to set.
Notes
- The cookies will spread a little bit. Cutting them thicker helps reduce the spread.
- To remove the crispy edges, right when the cookies come out of the oven, use a round cookie cutter to remove the crispy portion of the edges, all around the outside of the cookie.
- Cookies can be dipped in chocolate instead of drizzled. About 6 ounces of chocolate would be needed.
- To prevent the flat edge on the bottom of the log of dough, place the wrapped log of dough upright in a glass cup.
- Storing: Store the baked shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or the freezer for 2 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Cookie
- Calories: 122
- Sugar: 9.4 g
- Sodium: 19.4 mg
- Fat: 6.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15.3 mg