Cranberry Orange Cookies

The absolute best cranberry orange cookies are delicious shortbread cookies with bursts of orange flavor, plus chunks of almonds and chopped cranberries. These delightful little cookies are a wonderful party addition.

I’m not sure whether to call these cranberry orange shortbread cookies, or snowballs, or by some other name. Anything you want to call them, they are absolutely delicious.

These thin, crispy cookies are the perfect holiday addition and currently, it is feeling like the holidays are right around the corner. It could be because baby number #7 is due in two weeks, which seems simultaneously like it’s sneaking up and also like an eternity away. 

Next thing I know, we will be soaking in the newborn days, snuggling a baby and having Thanksgiving. As soon as October hits, it seems as though the weeks just fly by. 

There are many family traditions that we have over the winter. Baking a variety of Christmas cookies with the kids huddled around the kitchen island is one of them.

Delicately rolling out the dough and cutting it out in a variety of holiday inspired shapes is one of our many favorite things.

Is there anything better than that?

These orange cranberry cookies will be added to that list of goodies we make every year. They are melt-in-your-mouth wonderful. Sweet, tangy, buttery, and simply delicious. Perfect for a Christmas cookie exchange or a holiday cookie tray.

Cranberry Orange Cookies Tips

• These cookies are lovely for Christmas or Thanksgiving. They are easy enough for any day, but beautiful enough for a special occasion.
• Arrowroot starch can be substituted for cornstarch if needed.
• Preferably use organic oranges when zesting, since the skin will be used.
• I chose to snip the cranberries with kitchen scissors into 2-3 pieces just to achieve smaller bits of cranberries.
• I used a cookie cutter that was 2 1⁄4 inches across, approximately the size of the rim of a 1⁄4 cup measuring cup. The cutter doesn’t have to be exact, but aim for that size.
• Kids love to help dust the cookies in powdered sugar. This is a great step for them to be involved.
• These are great cookies to include in a Christmas cookie jar for the holidays.
• The dough freezes well, so you could freeze a batch of dough to have on hand for unexpected guests.

FAQ

What is the difference between cornstarch and arrowroot powder?

They both act similarly in baking and cooking, since they both work as thickeners. Arrowroot tends to be the healthier option because it contains more fiber. Cornstarch on the other hand tends to be made with GMO corn unless you choose organic corn starch.

Can I use fresh cranberries instead of dried, in cookies?

Yes, you could. Use about half the amount. They will also be much more tart than the dried, sweetened ones. 

What is the difference between shortbread and sugar cookies?

Shortbread cookies typically do not contain eggs where sugar cookies do. Sugar cookies are usually soft cookies compared to shortbread.

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Tools you may need:

Large bowl

Measuring cups and spoons

Zester

Kitchen scissors

Baking sheet

Food processor or blender

Hand mixer or electric mixer

Ingredients you will need:

Walnuts – They will be roasted to bring out the flavors. If you are allergic to nuts, you can skip them.

All-purpose flour – Typically in most of my recipes calling for all-purpose flour, I ferment them. Not in this case. Sometimes I splurge. If you want a fermented cookie recipe, try this one.

Arrowroot starch flour or cornstarch – Sounds like a strange cookie ingredient, but it adds a lovely lightness.

Zest from two small oranges – Orange zest adds such a lovely, fresh orange flavor. If you don’t have oranges you could substitute with lemon zest.

Salt – This is an ingredient many people want to skip in dessert recipes, but don’t! Salt actually brings out all the sweetness of the dish.

Sweetened dried cranberries – Nothing says holiday more than these sweet little treats.

Unsalted butter – Allow it to soften at room temperature for at least an hour.

Powdered sugar – This is for both inside the cookie and the powdered sugar dusting.

How To Make Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies:

To prepare the dough:

Preheat the oven to 350 and roast the walnuts on a prepared baking sheet. Roast for 10-12 minutes until the walnuts smell lovely and are lightly browned on the edges. 

After they have cooled slightly, blitz the walnuts up using either a blender or a food processor. 

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, arrowroot starch, salt, ground walnuts, orange zest, and chopped cranberries.

In a separate bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer, using a hand mixer, cream the butter and icing sugar together on medium speed until thoroughly combined and the butter is light and airy. 

Add the dry ingredients slowly to the butter mixture and mix together until just combined, careful not to over mix. Scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.

Tip the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a flat round shape.

Place in the fridge to allow the dough to firm up for a minimum of an hour. (At this stage, you could choose to freeze the dough to have on hand, because you never know when you’ll need freshly baked cookies.)

Bake The Cookies

Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Lightly flour a work surface. 

Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to be approximately 1/2 inch thick. 

Cut out circles using a cookie cutter with a diameter of approximately 2 and 1⁄4 inch. This recipe makes approximately 14-16 cookies. 

Re-roll the scraps and cut out as many cookies as you can until the dough is gone.

Put the remaining 1⁄3 cup of icing sugar in a small bowl so you can coat the cookies once they’re baked.

Place cookies on baking sheets a few inches apart and bake for 10-12 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheets halfway through the bake time to achieve an even bake. They should start to turn a slight golden brown around the edges.

Allow the cookies to cool out of the oven for a few minutes and then toss the cooled cookies in icing sugar to evenly coat. Enjoy!

​Storage:

Store in an airtight container for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the shortbread dough. Thaw in the fridge and bake.

Find More Farmhouse Desserts:

• Sourdough Pumpkin Scones
• Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
• Raw Milk Ice Cream
• Sourdough Cherry Cobbler
• Toasted Coconut Cookies Recipe With Chocolate Chip
• Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Bread
• Sourdough Coffee Cake
  

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars!