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Quick Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies: Easy 20-Min Recipe

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These quick cranberry orange shortbread cookies are a love letter to a tiny Portland bakery. With a perfect crumbly texture and bright, tangy-sweet flavor, they come together in under 20 minutes without chilling the dough.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • ½ cup (60 grams) powdered sugar
  • 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (16 grams) cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (60 grams) dried cranberries, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt.
  3. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with small pea-sized pieces of butter.
  4. Stir in the powdered sugar, chopped cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Mix gently with a spatula or your hands until a dough forms. Do not overmix.
  5. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Shape it into a log about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. Wrap it tightly and twist the ends to seal.
  6. Slice the log into ¼-inch (6 mm) thick rounds using a serrated knife. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
  7. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden. The centers will still look pale and slightly soft.
  8. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Keep all ingredients cold for best texture. If dough is too sticky, chill for 5 minutes. If too dry, add another teaspoon of orange juice. Use a serrated knife for clean slices. Watch the oven closely to avoid overbaking.

Nutrition

Keywords: cranberry orange shortbread, quick shortbread cookies, easy cookie recipe, 20-minute cookies, holiday cookies, cranberry cookies, orange shortbread

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