Orange Cranberry Cookies (2024)

Have you been surprised by unexpected holiday guests in the past? Prepare these cookies in advance and bake them up in a hurry whenever needed. Straight from the fridge to the oven, Orange Cranberry Cookies are delicious and gorgeous! As an added bonus, they will help keep you looking like the baking genius you are!

I used to think that shortbread was shortbread, but little did I know years ago that there are many variations and flavours of shortbread. These Orange Cranberry Cookies are indeed prepared with a shortbread dough, but they have a slight citrus flavour, paired with the tartness of fresh cranberries. They are absolutely delicious!

The most common shortbreads are rolled and cut with cookie cutters and then decorated with royal icing. I’m not good with decorating cookies and cakes, so I take a simpler route. For instance,Stamped Shortbread Cookiesare beautiful and no decorating skills are needed at all! Then there’s myWhipped Shortbreadrecipe. You don’t need to roll those at all. In fact, they’re so good that they are one of my most popular Christmas recipes.

Of course, we can’t forget about flavoured shortbreads too. I love thesePeanut Butter Shortbread Cookiesand I can’t get enough of theseChocolate Drizzled Espresso Shortbread. Did you know there are also shortbread recipes that allow you to stuff them with candied fruits and cherries? Oh, yes, Dear Reader! I have just the recipe to prove it righthere! Now, finally, I’m showing you a different type. And, to be honest, in terms of ease, I think these just might be my favourite type to prepare!

‘TIS A HARD LIFE, BUT SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT!

Have you been reading my blog for any length of time? If you have, you will already be aware of what I’m about to discuss. If you haven’t, it’s important that you understand how frustrating it can be to be a food blogger at times. Food bloggers are always working ahead of schedule. When it comes to Christmas recipes, for example, we are baking cakes and cookies as early as September!

We do this so that we can test the recipes to make sure that they will work for you at home. The recipes need to be plated and styled. Photographs need to be taken. We have to write up the post and make sure we please the folks at Google, otherwise, our recipes run the risk of being buried in cyberspace somewhere. There are many other steps that I’m skipping here, but all of it is to say that we need the time to get the recipes out to you a few weeks before you need them.

Now, as a huge fan of Christmas baking – the 100+ Christmas recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen are proof of that – there’s one thing that frustrates me every single year. There’s a tremendous lack of things like fresh cranberries for many months of the year. Don’t even get me started on holiday confections like Hershey’s chocolate or candy canes! Luckily, here in Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving in October, so I was able to get my hands on the cranberries used in these cookies!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THESE COOKIES

1. Butter– I’m using salted butter. If you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt when you add in the flour. It is imperative that your butter is softened.
2. Sugar– These cookies are not super sweet, despite there being 1/2 cup of sugar present.
3. Cranberries – You will need chopped cranberries – you can do that in a food processor to speed things up!
4. Orange Zest– One orange will give you plenty enough zest.
5. Flour– I always use all-purpose flour, unless otherwise stated. I have not tested this recipe with other flour alternatives.

TIPS & TRICKS:I’m going to advocate that fresh cranberries are best for this recipe, however, you can use frozen cranberries too. Frozen cranberries will add a pink hue to the cookie dough. To lessen the amount of pink. thaw the cranberries fully. Spread them out on paper towels and gently press them dry with a top layer of paper towel before chopping them.

HOW TO MAKE ORANGE CRANBERRY COOKIES:

I love to make these cookies, not only because they are easy, but because they’re also fun to make. Why is it that rolling cookie dough into a log is so satisfying? I think it stems from a love of playing with food when I was a kid! And, as you know, I love anything with citrus zest, so that’s always a bonus. Making these could not be easier. Let me tell you how to do it!

In a mixing bowl, use a hand-held mixer to beat together the butter and sugar. Beat for 3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Next, add the flour. If you used unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt now too. With your beater on a low setting, beat the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture until well combined. Finally, add in the chopped cranberries and orange zest.

Finally, turn the dough out onto a sheet of parchment paper. Form the dough into a long log, about 45 centimetres or 18 inches in length. Roll the log in the parchment paper and then into plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Next, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone liner or with parchment paper and set it aside.

Remove the plastic wrap and parchment paper from the cookie log. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into one centimetre (3/8 inch) slices. Lay the slices onto the prepared baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottom edge of the cookies has browned. Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove and transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most cookies, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for long periods of time. Cookies will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your Orange Cranberry Cookies, you certainly can! Once they are completely cooled, pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. I usethesequite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!

You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen cookies as a gift, I would lay them out onto a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection ofChristmas Recipes right here! There are over 100 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!