Description
Festive cranberry shortbread cookies bring delightful holiday cheer with their buttery crumb and tangy berry notes. Christmas bakers can savor these elegant treats that blend sweet richness with festive cranberry sparkle.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread Base:
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter
Cranberry Components:
- 1 cup (150g) dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup (60ml) cranberry juice
- 2 tbsp (30g) cranberry preserves
Finishing Ingredients:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (30g) powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, creating a uniform shortbread dough.
- Simmer dried cranberries in cranberry juice for 10 minutes until plump and softened, then drain and cool completely.
- Mix egg, vanilla extract, and salt into the shortbread dough until a cohesive texture forms.
- Press two-thirds of the dough into a 9×9-inch baking pan, creating an even, compact base layer.
- Spread cranberry preserves across the dough, ensuring complete and uniform coverage.
- Scatter the softened cranberries evenly over the preserve layer.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the cranberry layer, creating a rustic, textured top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes until the edges turn golden brown and the center appears set.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the pan for 1 hour.
- Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar using a fine-mesh sieve.
- Cut into squares, ensuring clean, precise edges.
- Serve at room temperature and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Prep cranberries ahead of time by soaking them in juice to enhance their plumpness and infuse extra flavor into the shortbread.
- Replace traditional butter with vegan margarine for a dairy-free version that maintains the rich, crumbly texture of classic shortbread.
- Toast nuts like chopped almonds or pecans and sprinkle them over the cranberry layer for added crunch and nutty depth to the cookies.
- Control sweetness by using unsweetened cranberry preserves or reducing sugar content in the base recipe for a more balanced dessert profile.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg