Pistachio Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
These shortbread cookies are a perfect combination of pistachios, dried cranberries, and orange zest. The shortbread cookies are as pretty as they are delicious!
These shortbread cookies are the best, with egg yolks making them tender and pistachios and cranberries adding great texture. They’re bright, buttery, and full of festive flavor. The dough includes orange zest, which gives the cookies a hint of complementary orange flavor.
You’ll get the best texture if you chop the pistachios and cranberries by hand. A food processor is an option, but it tends to chop quite finely. Use lightly salted shelled pistachios in the recipe and your favorite dried cranberries.
They’re slice-and-bake cookies, so you can save one well-wrapped log of cookie dough for up to 3 days in the fridge or a few months in the freezer to bake another day.
What You’ll Like About This Dish
Festive flavors. Pistachios, cranberries, and orange zest create a bright, seasonal cookie.
Pretty presentation. Sparkling sugar gives the outside a decorative, bakery-style finish.
Easy slice-and-bake method. Shape the dough ahead and bake when convenient.
Perfect for gifting. The cookies hold their shape well and travel beautifully.
Ingredient Notes
- Granulated sugar + zest – Mashing the zest into the sugar releases citrus oils for deeper flavor.
- Butter – Room-temperature butter creates a smooth, tender shortbread texture.
- Confectioners’ sugar – Adds softness and helps the dough come together smoothly.
- Egg yolks – Enrich the dough; the whites are used for the sugar coating.
- Flour – All-purpose flour gives structure without making the cookies tough.
- Dried cranberries – Chop them so they distribute evenly through the dough.
- Pistachios – Lightly salted nuts enhance the flavor and add crunch and color.
- Sparkling sugar – Gives the outside edge a beautiful crunch and shimmer.
Steps to Make Pistachio Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
- Mash the granulated sugar with the orange zest until fragrant.
- Cream the butter, then add the citrus sugar, confectioners’ sugar, and salt.
- Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the flour, then fold in the chopped cranberries and pistachios.
- Divide and shape the dough into logs, wrap, and chill thoroughly.
- Brush the chilled logs with egg white and roll in sparkling sugar.
- Slice the logs into rounds and arrange on baking sheets.
- Bake until the bottoms are lightly golden and the cookies are set.
- Cool on the baking sheet briefly before transferring to racks.
Tips
- If the dough feels too soft to shape, chill it briefly before forming the logs.
- Rolling the dough logs inside a slit paper towel tube helps keep them round.
- Use a serrated knife to slice through the nuts cleanly without flattening the cookies.
- Sparkling or demerara sugar works best for a crisp, glittery edge.
Recipe Variations
- Cherry pistachio. Replace cranberries with chopped dried cherries for a richer fruit flavor.
- Cranberry orange only. Leave out the pistachios and add an extra teaspoon of zest for a nut-free cookie.
- White chocolate drizzle. Finish the cooled cookies with a thin drizzle of melted white chocolate.
- Almond twist. Swap the vanilla for almond extract and use chopped almonds instead of pistachios.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with coffee, tea, or mulled cider during the holidays.
- Pair with other slice-and-bake cookies on a Christmas tray.
- Add them to cookie tins or gift boxes.
- Offer them alongside a fruit-and-cheese board for a sweet, nutty bite.
How to Store
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Their texture stays crisp and buttery when kept sealed.
The dough can be frozen for up to 2 months. Freeze the logs tightly wrapped; thaw in the refrigerator before slicing and baking.
Baked cookies can also be frozen. Arrange in a single layer to freeze, then transfer to containers with parchment between layers.
You might also enjoy this recipe for citrus cardamom sablés or these snickerdoodle sablé cookies. And these jam-filled Jammie Dodgers are always a hit!
Pistachio Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, (100 grams)
- 2 tablespoons orange zest, finely grated , from 2 oranges
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, (226 grams)
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, (30 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs, separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, (280 grams)
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped, (80 grams)
- 3/4 cup pistachios, lightly salted, chopped, (90 grams)
Egg Coating
- 1 egg white
- 1/3 cup sparkling sugar, sanding sugar, or demerara
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar with the orange zest and mash with the back of a spoon until the zest is evenly distributed throughout the sugar.
- In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar-orange mixture, the confectioners’ sugar, and the salt and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg yolks and vanilla and beat until blended. Save and refrigerate 1 egg white—you will need it later. You can save or discard the second egg white.
- Add the flour and mix on low speed just until combined, then fold in the chopped cranberries and pistachios.
- Divide the dough into 2 portions. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on your work surface. Roughly shape one portion of the dough into a log—you may need to flour your hands lightly. Using the sheet of plastic wrap, roll it into a log about 9 inches in length and twist the ends to secure. Cut open an empty paper towel tube and wrap it around the log of dough. Secure it with a few pieces of kitchen twine. This will keep the logs nicely rounded. You can skip the paper towel tube if you don’t have any. Repeat with the remaining dough. Refrigerate the cookie dough logs for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- When it’s time to bake, heat the oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk the saved egg white. Take one log out of the fridge, unwrap it, and brush with the egg white—coat it with sparkling sugar. Cut the log into slices about 1/2-inch thick. You should have 16 to 18 slices. Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet.
- Repeat with the remaining cookie log.
- Bake the cookies for 13 to 17 minutes, or just until they are lightly browned on the bottoms. In general, baking sheets with dark bottoms take less time than lighter colored baking sheets.
- Place the baking sheet on a rack and let the cookies cool for 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to racks to cool completely.
Nutrition
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
