These frosted cranberry cookies begin with a gloriously delicate cranberry shortbread cookie that’s topped with a candy vanilla icing and sugared cranberries. Additionally known as cranberry meltaway cookies, they’re so delicate they virtually soften in your mouth!
What makes these festive cranberry cookies so good?
- Candy and Tart: These cookies mix the candy and tart flavors of cranberry jelly and sugared craisins with delicate, buttery shortbread. You received’t have the option to withstand!
- Delicate: In case you love delicate, shortbread cookies, then these will make you swoon. The graceful, candy frosting is a pleasant added textural factor, too.
- Easy: Whereas I do advocate utilizing a hand mixer or stand mixer, even starting bakers could make this straightforward meltaway cookie recipe. You don’t even have to sit back the dough!
- Festive: The sugared cranberries and creamy icing not solely add taste, but additionally make the cookies so fairly and festive!
In case you love shortbread cookies, make sure you additionally attempt my almond meltaway cookies or this decadent millionaire’s shortbread!
What You’ll Want
To make this cranberry cookie recipe, you will want a number of primary baking components, plus some cranberry jelly or sauce. Test the recipe card on the backside of the submit for precise quantities.
- Flour: Plain all-purpose flour is ideal.
- Baking Powder: Be certain that to make use of baking powder, not baking soda.
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter: In case you use salted butter, take away the added 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Sugar: For the cookies, use common granulated sugar. For the frosting, you’ll want powdered sugar.
- Cranberry Jelly: I used canned cranberry jelly, nonetheless you should use leftover cranberry relish as nicely.
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Craisins: Roughly chopped and tossed in granulated sugar.
- Milk: To skinny the frosting to the fitting consistency.
Making cranberry cookies may be very easy, and also you don’t even need to roll them out! It is a delicate, candy drop cookie recipe that’s a breeze to whip up.
- Dry Substances: Whisk collectively the flour, baking powder, and salt. Put aside.
- Moist Substances: Beat collectively the butter and sugar till mild and fluffy. Add within the cranberry jelly, egg, and vanilla extract. Combine till mixed.
- Mix: Progressively add the flour combination, about half a cup at a time, mixing till fully blended.
- Put together: Drop rounded dough balls onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. Calmly flatten each right into a disk form with the underside of a buttered and sugared glass.
- Bake: Bake cookies for 10 minutes, take away from oven, and funky on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then switch to a cooling rack to chill fully.
- Topping: Toss the dried cranberries with the sugar, and put aside. Then in a mixing bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until clean. High every cooled cookie with icing and cranberries, and serve or retailer for later.
In case you plan on making these, make sure you take a look at these useful baking notes to ensure success!
- Cookie Doneness: These are tremendous fast to bake – solely ten minutes! Like different shortbread and sugar cookie recipes, it’s possible you’ll suppose that they’re not fairly completed by that point, however should you allow them to cool, they may agency up properly.
- Cranberry Sauce vs. Butter: Each canned and recent cranberry sauce (or jelly) will work on this recipe. In case you don’t have any available, you may simply skip it and enhance the butter to 1 cup (2 sticks). Then simply add some additional craisins to the cookie dough for that pop of taste.
- Icing: Purpose for a consistency that’s skinny sufficient to unfold and settle, however not overly runny. To thicken icing that’s too skinny, add additional powdered sugar. Alternatively, add additional milk if the icing is simply too thick.
- Sugared Craisins: Don’t skimp on the sugared craisins on prime, they actually set these cookies aside – each in taste and presentation!
- White Chocolate: If you wish to add white chocolate, skip the vanilla icing. As a substitute, dip the highest of those cookies into melted white chocolate chips earlier than including the dried cranberries.
How you can Retailer
Retailer your frosted cranberry cookies in an hermetic container with parchment paper between the cookies to stop the frosting from getting smeared and smushed. Seal the container tightly, and retailer at room temperature for every week.
Place cookies on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze till agency. Then, switch them to an hermetic container with parchment paper between to stop sticking. Frozen cookies could be saved for a number of months. Thaw to room temperature earlier than serving.
Yield: 24 Cookies
These gloriously delicate cranberry shortbread cookies have a candy vanilla icing and sugared dried cranberries on prime. Excellent for the vacations!
Substances
- 2 ¼ cups all function flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup canned cranberry jelly
- 1 massive egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cranberries:
- ½ cup craisins (dried cranberries), chopped
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk, or water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Put aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk collectively flour, baking powder and salt. Put aside.
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In a stand mixer, beat collectively the butter and sugar till mild and fluffy. Add cranberry jelly, egg and vanilla extract, mixing till mixed.
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Add flour combination 1/2 cup at a time, mixing till fully mixed.
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Utilizing a medium cookie scoop, drop one tablespoon of rounded dough onto ready pan. Calmly flatten right into a disk form with the underside of a buttered and sugared glass.
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Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies is not going to look browned or cooked, however they’re! Take away from oven and let cookies relaxation on baking sheet for five minutes. Then switch to a wire rack to chill fully.
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In a small bowl, toss collectively cranberries and sugar, put aside. In a small bowl, whisk collectively powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract – till clean.
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Utilizing a spoon, clean icing onto the highest of every cookie. Sprinkle with sugared craisins and let set for 10 minutes, or till hardened. Get pleasure from!
Notes
Freeze: Place cookies on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze till agency. Then, switch them to an hermetic container with parchment paper between to stop sticking. Frozen cookies could be saved for a number of months. Thaw to room temperature earlier than serving.
Cookie Doneness: These are tremendous fast to bake – solely ten minutes! Like different shortbread and sugar cookie recipes, it’s possible you’ll suppose that they’re not fairly completed by that point, however should you allow them to cool, they may agency up properly.
Icing: Purpose for a consistency that’s skinny sufficient to unfold and settle, however not overly runny. To thicken icing that’s too skinny, add additional powdered sugar. Alternatively, add additional milk if the icing is simply too thick.
Sugared Craisins: Don’t skimp on the sugared craisins on prime, they actually set these cookies aside – each in taste and presentation!
White Chocolate: If you wish to add white chocolate, skip the vanilla icing. As a substitute, dip the highest of those cookies into melted white chocolate chips earlier than including the dried cranberries.
Vitamin
Serving: 1 cookie, Energy: 159kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 2g, Fats: 6g, Saturated Fats: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fats: 2g, Trans Fats: 0.2g, Ldl cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 37mg, Potassium: 21mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 198IU, Vitamin C: 0.04mg, Calcium: 11mg, Iron: 1mg
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