Today’s cookie is number ten on our cookie countdown: Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread cookies. I was inspired to make these cookies by looking through my pantry to see what I had available to make for Christmas cookies this year. As you know, I love to bake so I already had many options before having to go out to buy ingredients. I had a bag of pistachios and dried cranberries sitting next to each other and the thought came to me of trying to find a recipe that contained both ingredients since they are natural Christmas colors. I then found a shortbread recipe that incorporated both ingredients and the results were just what I wanted.
These shortbread cookies were perfect, a light buttery cookies with punches of sweet cranberries and salty pistachios. I brought the leftover cookies to work so I wouldn’t eat them all, and they were gone within an hour of putting them out. Enjoy!
- 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat the butter until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add sugar and continues to mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Next beat in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl whisk together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to butter until just incorporated. With a spatula, fold in the chopped pistachios and dried cranberries until evenly combined.
- Divide the dough in half and roll each dough half into 14 inch logs, so that the width is the same throughout . Wrap in parchment paper and twist the ends. Place in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours but up to three days.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.
- Using a sharp knife slice the logs into ¼ thick slices. Place cookies on baking sheet space at least 1½ inches away. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cookies just start to brown on edges. Let cool on wire rack. Store in an airtight container up to three days. Freeze cookies to keep them longer (up to 3 months.)
Source- Adapted from The Grand Central Baking Book via JoyofBaking.com
