Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies – Gemma’s Greater Bolder Baking

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Hello Daring Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Bake my delectable Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies for flippantly candy, tender shortbread that’s picture-perfect proper out of the oven! With simply 20 minutes to prep and a streamlined slice-and-bake method, you’ll have a batch of beautiful Christmas cookies very quickly!

• Indulgent taste and texture: Lushly buttery cookies chock-full of splendidly chewy dried cranberries and wealthy, crunchy nuts are a good festive deal with.






• Make-ahead ease: Combine the dough and refrigerate for as much as two days, or freeze the dough in case you want extra time earlier than baking.






• No ornament wanted! I like fairly Christmas desserts, however I’m all about no-fuss adorning! With its pink and inexperienced colours, this cranberry pistachio cookie screams Christmas with none icing or sprinkles.

Nothing says holidays like the nice and cozy, buttery style of a shortbread cookie—and these cranberry pistachio ones are merely irresistible! I selected the cranberry and salted pistachio mixture as a result of the tart fruit and salty nuts create the right stability of flavors. A chef’s tip: begin with softened butter and cream it rather well with the sugar for a melt-in-your-mouth cookie that’s gentle and tender. These cookies are particular, but so easy, making them the perfect vacation deal with that’s festive with none additional fuss.

Nothing creates vacation vibes like baking, and cranberries and pistachios are good festive elements. You’ll additionally love utilizing them in Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies, Cranberry Orange Crumb Tart, Italian Chocolate Biscuit Cake, and for a no-bake possibility, Candy and Nutty White Chocolate Bark!

Desk of Contents

What are Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies?

• Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies are constructed from a dough with a excessive ratio of butter to flour, with out eggs or leavening. This makes offers them their signature, wealthy, crumbly texture. The cookies are flavored with orange zest and studded with dried cranberries and pistachios.






• The “brief” in shortbread is an outdated English phrase for crumbly. I additionally use cornstarch in my recipe to double down on the stunning crumbliness! Baking these cranberry shortbread cookies at a low temperature retains them from getting too crisp and browned.






• Shortbread cookies originated in Scotland, and the primary recipe appeared in Mrs. McLintock’s Receipts for Cookery and Pastry Work in 1736. As a result of butter and sugar have been costly, shortbread was a vacation deal with and remains to be a traditional Christmas cookie.

Key Components and Why

Butter

• Butter provides taste, softness, and moisture to the pistachio cranberry shortbread cookies.






• Make certain to melt the butter earlier than utilizing it. You’ll know it’s on the proper temperature if you push the butter along with your finger, and your finger makes an indent, however it doesn’t simply squish proper by means of.

Powdered sugar

• Powdered sugar sweetens these shortbread cookies with pistachios and offers them a stunning melt-in-your-mouth high quality.






• Attempt our recipe and see how straightforward it’s to make your personal powdered sugar.

Orange zest

• Orange zest provides a refreshing style of citrus and an exquisite aroma.






• Zest is preferable to orange juice as a result of it offers excellent taste with out including liquid that may dilute the dough.

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour, with a protein content material of 8-11%, is good for shortbread as a result of it gained’t make these cookies too chewy or elastic.

Cornstarch

• Utilizing cornstarch instead of among the flour on this recipe reduces gluten improvement, guaranteeing a young cookie with a pleasing silkiness.






• Cornstarch additionally lightens the combination, preserving the cookies from being dense.

Dried cranberries

• Candy-tart dried cranberries add a burst of vivid taste and beautiful coloration to those pistachio shortbread cookies.






• Chewy cranberries are the right distinction to the mushy shortbread.

Shelled, salted pistachios

Find out how to Make Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

Make the cookie dough

1. Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or with an electrical hand mixer or a picket spoon), cream the butter, sugar, and orange zest at medium velocity till gentle and fluffy, about three minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and cornstarch. Add to the butter combination, and blend on low till properly mixed.
3. Fold within the cranberries and pistachios.

Chill the dough

4. Divide the dough in half.
5. Roll every half into a good log 2-inch (5 cm) diameter (8-inch 20cm lengthy).
6. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at the least 4 hours and as much as two days.

Slice and bake

7. When able to bake, preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
8. Slice the dough log into ¼ inch (6 mm) slices. Place on ready baking sheets 2 inches (5 cm) aside.
9. Bake the pistachio cranberry shortbread cookies for 15 to 17 minutes till flippantly golden on the perimeters and nonetheless pale on prime.

Gemma’s Professional Chef Ideas

• In case you don’t have a stand mixer, you possibly can combine this dough with a handheld electrical mixer or a picket spoon. In case you’re mixing by hand, make positive the butter is sort of mushy.






• In case your oven doesn’t have a convection setting, preheat it to 325°F (165°C) and bake one sheet of cookies at a time.






• When forming the dough logs, squeeze the dough firmly to take away any air pockets.






• If the dough is heat, it may possibly get a flat edge because it chills within the fridge. If this occurs, merely roll the log spherical in your work floor earlier than slicing.






• You may swap out the cranberries and pistachios for an additional fruit and nut mixture if you want. Apricots and almonds make a superb pairing, and cashews and raisins are additionally scrumptious.






• These cranberry pistachio cookies final lengthy and ship properly, making them fantastic presents to ship within the mail. For extra recommendations on transport cookies, see my put up all about packing and sending cookies!

Make Forward and Storage Directions

Make forward ideas

• You should chill the chilliness the dough logs in plastic wrap for at the least 4 hours earlier than baking. If you wish to get forward, you possibly can maintain the dough within the fridge for as much as two days.






• In case you’d wish to make the cookie dough properly prematurely, place it in a freezer bag and freeze for as much as three months. Defrost in a single day within the fridge earlier than slicing and baking.

Find out how to retailer leftovers

• These cranberry shortbread cookies will maintain in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as one week.






• You may as well freeze leftover cookies for as much as three months.

FAQs

How do I make certain my cranberry and pistachio shortbread is completely tender?

• Rigorously measure the elements. An excessive amount of flour will make the cookies too dry.






• Make certain your butter is softened earlier than utilizing it. Use my strategies to get butter to the appropriate temperature.






• Don’t overwork the dough! Extreme mixing or kneading develops the gluten, which can make the shortbread robust. Combine till simply mixed.






• Take care to not overbake these pistachio cranberry cookies. They’re prepared when flippantly golden across the edges however nonetheless pale on prime.

Is it okay to go away out the nuts?

• After all! In case you plan to omit the salted pistachios, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the cookie dough.






• Use the dried cranberries alone, add mini chocolate chips, or attempt pumpkin seeds for crunch.

Can I make these cranberry shortbread cookies gluten-free?

Can I make cut-out cookies with this dough?

• Sure! As a substitute of slice and bake cookies, you possibly can roll out this dough ¼ inch (6 mm) thick and use your favourite cutters.

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