Best Christmas Cranberry Orange Cookies Recipe
These Best Christmas Cranberry Orange Cookies are a delightful holiday treat combining the bright zestiness of fresh orange and the tart burst of cranberries within a buttery, soft cookie dough. Perfectly shaped into logs, chilled, and sliced for baking, these cookies offer a festive flavor and tender texture that’s sure to become a seasonal favorite.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-15 minutes per batch
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes (including chilling time)
- Yield: About 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 4 ounces (114 grams) granulated sugar
- 8 ounces (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg (50 grams), separated
- 12 ounces (340 grams) Bob’s Red Mill unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 ounces fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
Finishing
- 1 large egg white
- 1/3 cup demerara sugar
Instructions
- Prepare cranberries and eggs: Roughly chop the fresh cranberries using a food processor or a sharp knife. Separate the egg yolk into one bowl and the egg white into another bowl. Refrigerate the egg white until ready to use for baking.
- Mix sugar, orange zest, salt, and butter: Place the granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Zest the orange directly over the sugar until you have about 2 teaspoons of zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar to release the oils. Add kosher salt and room temperature butter. Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the mixture is creamy, scraping the bowl if necessary.
- Add egg yolk: Mix in the egg yolk on medium speed until fully incorporated.
- Add flour and cranberries: Add all-purpose flour and mix on medium-low speed just until the dough begins to come together in large clumps. Then fold in the chopped cranberries on low speed to distribute evenly. The dough will be clumpy and show streaks of red from the cranberries.
- Form dough disk: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently press it together into a smooth round disk.
- Divide dough: Cut the dough disk into two equal pieces, each weighing about 370 grams.
- Shape logs: Shape each half into a 7-inch long log about 1-1/2 inches in diameter by rolling it with open hands from the center to edges to create an even cylinder. Use extra flour on the surface as needed to prevent sticking.
- Wrap dough logs: Wrap each dough log lengthwise in parchment paper. Twist the ends of the paper in opposite directions to compress and smooth the dough into a uniform log, similar to tightening a sausage casing.
- Chill dough: Refrigerate the wrapped dough logs for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days before baking.
Notes
- Using fresh cranberries adds a tart freshness; make sure to chop them roughly to evenly disperse in the dough.
- Orange zest enhances the flavor with citrus brightness—use a fine grater or microplane for best results.
- Chilling the dough logs solidifies the butter for clean slicing and better shape retention during baking.
- Allow dough to rest up to 2 days to develop deeper flavors.
- Use demerara sugar and egg whites for finishing the cookies just before baking to add a crisp texture and sparkle.
Keywords: Christmas cookies, cranberry orange cookies, holiday cookies, festive cookies, soft cranberry cookies