Orange Cranberry Icebox Shortbread Cookies
There’s something festive about orange cranberry icebox shortbread cookies that I love. While everyone else bakes up chocolate or fudgy treats, I like to break the mold <haha, break the cookie mold>. That’s the great thing, not only is this cookie equally as festive, but its a great contrast and pairing to all the other treats that are around, especially Christmas 😉
Don’t forget that icebox or freezer cookies are especially convenient to have around for visiting company, afternoon teas and the unanticipated moments in life when a cookie is necessary.
Taste: great zing with the orange and cranberry
Texture: crispy exterior, but still great shortbread melting on your tongue for a delicious balance
For this week’s “Christmas Goodies” theme for Supper Challenge, I finally get the chance to bake up some of my favorites like Whipped Shortbread and Chinese Coconut Buns (Gy Mei Bao) (recipe to come). I know you’re curious to see what this tastes like, bake with me!
Orange Cranberry Icebox Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Wax paper
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheets
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup salted butter softened
- ¾ cup icing/ confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
- 1 ¼ cup dried cranberries chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir flour and baking powder and set aside.
- In large bowl, combine salted butter and icing sugar.
- Using an electric mixer, mix butter and sugar on low speed for 1 minute until combined.
- Increase speed on electric mixer to medium speed for 5 minutes until butter and sugar mixture is lighter in color and fluffy in texture.
- Mix vanilla and orange zest into butter sugar mixture.
- Add flour, baking powder and dried cranberries to the butter sugar mixture.
- On electric mixer on medium speed, mix all cookie ingredients until combined. Dough will appear as small clumps unless pinched or pushed together.
- Divide dough onto 2 sheets of ~10”x10” wax paper. Push dough together into a 1.5” wide log and roll wax paper around to make a cylinder/ log shape. Place into fridge to chill dough for 2+ hours or into freezer for 20 minutes.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F.
- Remove wax paper and slice dough into ¼ to ½ inch slices and lay on parchment laid baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges begin to brown. Allow to cool on baking sheet.