Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

These Cranberry Shortbread Cookies are irresistibly soft, buttery, and studded with chopped dried cranberries. To make them even more delightful, they’re decorated with a drizzle of white chocolate and shimmering silver nonpareils for a festive sparkle. An ideal recipe for cookie exchange parties, holiday platters, and tea time!

Cranberry Shortbread Cookies…

These are delicious cookies! They are easy to make, chill, and slice before baking. They’re not too sweet, and everyone loves the subtle tart flavor of cranberry in every bite.

Perfect for this time of year. Ideal cookies for all the holiday festivities, especially our favorite cookie exchange parties, and even tea time!

Options to Decorate These Cookies…

There are so many ways to get creative with decorating these shortbread cookies.

• Melted white chocolate always looks the prettiest with cranberry colors.
• You can dip them in melted white chocolate, or use a fork to drizzle on top. Or “gently smear” a little white chocolate on a diagonal.
• Then sprinkle with some shimmering silver nonpareils over them to give them that sparkling, festive look. (so pretty!)
• Keep in mind, that they don’t have to be perfect, either. Just have fun with these cookies, grab a cup of your favorite coffee, and enjoy decorating them.
• And, decorate them to your heart’s desires!

Ingredients for Cranberry Shortbread Cookies:

Let’s discuss the ingredients you will need for this recipe. For this recipe, there are 6 pantry ingredients:

1. DRIED CRANBERRIES: Choose dried cranberries and use a food processor to pulse them a few times to chop them finely. Then follow the directions on the recipe card.

2. FLOUR: any unbleached, all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur’s Flour brand). And, for a “softer and lighter” texture cookie, I used an Italian flour called Caputo Chef’s “00” Flour. It is a “soft-wheat” flour used for baking and pizza, and it gives a softer texture to baked goods, especially to these shortbread cookies. But, you can use an unbleached all-purpose flour as well.

3. POWDERED SUGAR: Powdered sugar is granulated white sugar pulverized to a fine powder, making these shortbread cookies lighter in texture.

4. VANILLA EXTRACT: Choose a good quality vanilla extract when baking.

5. SALT: Choose Himalayan salt over table salt. It contains over 84 minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and iron than table salt. And, it is less processed.

6. BUTTER: Choose unsalted butter for this recipe; it is important to have it at room temperature. You will need 2 sticks or 1 cup.

TO DECORATE: White chocolate chips for melting, and shimmering silver nonpareils to sprinkle over each cookie and make them festive!

How To Make These Delicious Cookies?

Only 4-Easy-To-Follow Steps to making our cranberry shortbread cookies: (*Full recipe card below!)

STEP 1: Measure 1 cup of dried cranberries and pulse a few times, until the cranberries are finely chopped. Add the flour and pulse a few times, to mix the chopped cranberries into the flour evenly.

STEP 2: Next, add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and pulse to combine. Then add in pieces of butter and pulse until a dough is formed.

STEP 3: Place the dough on a sheet of wax paper and roll it into a log, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. NOTE: here is where you can shape it into either a“round-shaped log” (by rolling it), or “square-shaped log” by patting it flat on all 4 sides, as I did here (shown in the photo).

FINAL STEP: Wrap the cookie dough with wax or plastic wrap and tightly twist each end of the wrap. Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or more before cutting and baking.

When Ready To Bake…

1. Preheat the oven. Then remove chilled cookie dough from the fridge and remove it from its plastic wrap.

2. Next, place it on a cutting board, and slice the cookie log, into about 1/3-inch thick pieces.

3. Place them on 2 cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper.

4. Bake these cookies for about 10 to 15 minutes, (depending on the oven you use) until the edges are golden brown. Allow them to cool completely before drizzling melted chocolate and decorating them. QUICK TIP: Place the cookies into the fridge, to cool them quickly.

Ready to decorate these cookies…

To Melt White Chocolate: Melt white chocolate, in a double boiler, and stir until all the chips are completely melted. Turn off the heat.

To Decorate: Pour a tablespoon of nonpareils into a small bowl, and set it nearby. Take a fork to drizzle over each cookie or a knife to spread it on them, and as little or as much as you desire. Then dip or sprinkle with some shimmering nonpareils over them. Set them aside, until the chocolate on top completely sets.

Quick Tips for Success…

• Do we need to chill the cookie dough? Yes, it is best to “chill” the log before baking.
• Chilling the dough will make the “cutting” much easier and ensure the perfectly shaped cookie when baked.
• When melting white chocolate: For best results use a double boiler. Be careful not to get any water into the chocolate, it will ruin it and you will have to start over.
• Allow the chocolate to set on the cookies before storing them in a container.
• For Gluten-Free? Keep in mind, that you can make these cookies using GF flour, the texture may turn out slightly different.

Storing and Freezing…

These cookies are best kept in a sealed container and kept in the fridge. Keeping them chilled will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. They will freeze well also, kept in a sealed container for up to 2 months.

Additional cookie recipes to enjoy…

• Italian Lemon Cookies with Lemon Glaze
• Jasmine Tea Shortbread Cookies
• Italian “S” Cookies
•  Chocolate Crinkle Cookies 
•  Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
•  Lemon Thyme Tea Cookies
•  Easy Coconut Orange Macaroons (Gluten-Free)
•  Dulce de Leche Butter Cookies  
•  Chewy Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies