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Slice and Bake Cranberry Orange Cookies

December 10, 2019 by Kelly 91 Comments

Cranberry Orange Cookies - a tender, buttery shortbread slice and bake cookie loaded with tangy cranberries and zingy orange. These easy-to-make cookies melt in your mouth!

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Cranberry Orange Slice and Bake Cookies

Cranberry Orange Slice and Bake cookies are easy to make shortbread cookies filled with the festive flavors of cranberry and orange. Sprinkled with sugar before and after baking for an irresistibly, sparkly cookie.

So easy to make!

Simply mix up the dough and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Then slice and bake whenever you want a batch of fresh cookies. Perfect for guests during the busy holiday season or for wrapping up and giving as hostess gifts.

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

These Cranberry Orange Cookies are a shortbread cookie, with the addition of egg yolks. Traditionally, shortbread cookies do not contain eggs and that gives them their crisp, crumbly texture.

Adding egg yolks makes the shortbread dough sturdier and tender, with a finer texture and more defined edges. Yolks also add structure and subtle flavor.

The base of this cookie dough was adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Vanilla Ice Box Cookies which is nearly identical to Dorie Greenspan’s French Vanilla Sablés – French shortbread cookies – which she considers “the perfect butter cookie, the one all shortbread strives to equal.”

The Cook’s Illustrated recipe has ¼ cup more each of flour, sugar, and confectioner’s sugar. I used these increased amounts to make the dough sturdier for a slice and bake cookie. Dorie Greenspan calls her dough too higgledy-piggledy to turn into… anything…that’s structured. (She bakes her Sablés in muffin tins to get a perfectly round shape.)

Ingredients

Flour – all purpose
Butter – for tenderness and buttery flavor.
Sugar – granulated white sugar gives the cookies structure and a good snap
Confectioners' sugar – gives the cookies that extra tender melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Egg yolks – for a richer, tender, more attractive cookie and a less sticky cookie dough.
Dried cranberries – for their tangy, festive flavor. Fresh cranberries would release too much moisture into the dough.
Orange zest – because cranberries and orange are a match made in heaven. Zest instead of juice because that’s where all the flavor is and added liquid would have a negative effect on the texture of the cookie.
Vanilla – adds to the rich buttery flavor.
Salt – salt brings out the sweetness and enhances the flavor. Without salt, sweets taste flat.

How to make

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies are so easy to make.

Cream the butter, sugars, and zest together in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) for 1 ½ minutes. Over beating can put too much air in the dough, causing the cookies to rise or bubble.
Add the egg yolks and vanilla.
Mix in the flour and salt just until combined.
Mix in the dried cranberries.

Now we’re going to roll the dough into 2 equally sized logs, about 8 inches long and 1 ¾ inches in diameter. Wrap it up tight in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325° F. When the oven is ready, slice the cookie dough into about ⅓ inch circles. If you want a thinner cookie, slice them into ¼ inch rounds.

Use a sharp knife (serrated is helpful) and a gentle sawing motion to slice through the dough cleanly.

Put the cookies about 1 inch apart (they won’t really spread) on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle them with a little sugar. I use a coarse granulated sugar. Bake until the bottom edges are just turning golden for a crisper cookie.

For a softer cookie, pull them out when the cookies are set but not yet turning golden on the bottom edges.

I sprinkle the cookies with a little sugar again as soon as they come from the oven for extra sparkle.

Keeping Slice and Bake cookies round

Slice and bake cookies don’t get as perfectly round as cut out cookies, but that’s part of their charm. They have a more tender texture due to not being rolled, floured, and handled as much as cut out cookies.

When you put the log of cookie dough into the refrigerator to chill, it will become flat on the bottom, making a round cookie with one flat edge.

To keep Slice and Bake Cookies Round:

Cut the cardboard inner tube from a roll of paper towels lengthwise down the center. Put the dough log inside the tube and chill.
Set the dough log on a bed of rice during chilling.
If all else fails, I try to adjust the shape with my fingers or a spoon when putting them on the baking sheet.
Half way through baking, remove them from the oven and using a spoon, quickly nudge them into a little more perfect circle shapes, then finish baking.

Make in advance

Slice and bake cookies are perfect for making in advance, which is perfect during the busy holiday season. Once the dough is mixed and rolled into a log, it can chill in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When you’re ready for cookies, simply slice and bake.

You can also freeze the log of dough for 3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before slicing and baking.

The cookies will also stay fresh at room temperature, after being baked, for 3-4 days.

How to freeze

Cranberry Orange Cookies can be frozen before or after baking.

Freezing before baking:

Wrap the cookie dough logs tightly in plastic wrap. Place them in plastic freezer bags. Then place in freezer. The log of dough can be frozen, well wrapped, for 4-5 months.

Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight or sit on the counter for a few minutes before slicing and baking. The dough (especially the outside) needs to be firm before slicing. If it gets soft, put it back in the refrigerator to chill.

Freezing after baking:

Baked slice and bake cookies freeze well for up to 3 months.

MORE FAVORITE COOKIES TO LOVE:

Recipe

Cranberry Orange Cookies

Kelly

Cranberry Orange Cookies - a tender, buttery shortbread slice and bake cookie loaded with tangy cranberries and zingy orange.

5 from 23 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 2 35

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings cookies

Calories 74 kcal

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour ((scoop and level method)) 319g
½ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 227g
¾ cup granulated sugar 149g
½ cup confectioners' sugar 57g
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup chopped dried cranberries packed
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest from 2 - 3 oranges
½ cup sugar for sprinkling on cookies optional
Extra orange zest for sprinkling on cookies optional

Instructions

Whisk flour and salt together in a bowl.
Cream the butter, sugars, and zest together in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer) for 1 ½ minutes.
Mix in the egg yolks and vanilla until combined.
Mix in the flour and salt just until combined.
Mix in the dried cranberries.
Roll the dough into 2 equally sized logs, about 8 inches long and 1 ¾ inches in diameter. Wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 3-4 days.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325° F and put the rack in the middle.
When the oven is ready, slice the cookie dough into about ⅓ inch circles. Use a sharp, serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to slice through the dough cleanly.
Put the cookies about 1 inch apart (they won’t really spread) on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle them with a little sugar.
For best results, bake one sheet at a time until the bottom edges are just turning golden for a crisper cookie, about 13 minutes.
For a softer cookie, pull them out when the cookies are set but not yet turning golden on the bottom edges, about 12 minutes.
Sprinkle the cookies with a little sugar again as soon as they come from the oven for extra sparkle.
Let the cookies cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully move to a cooling rack.
I like to sprinkle them with freshly grated orange zest before serving.

Notes

If you want a thinner cookie, slice them into ¼ inch rounds. They will need less baking time.
Cut into ⅓ inch rounds, this recipe will yield about 48 cookies.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 74kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 25mgPotassium: 9mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 127IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.3mg

Keyword cranberry orange cookies, shortbread, slice and bake

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Browned Butter Pecan Cookies

December 6, 2019 by Kelly 108 Comments

Browned Butter Pecan Cookies are packed with buttered pecans, nutty browned butter, and caramely brown sugar - with crisp edges and rich, chewy centers. If a pecan praline were to turn itself into a cookie, this is exactly what it would taste like!

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Thick and chewy Butter Pecan Cookies

With crisp, caramelized edges and rich, chewy centers, these Butter Pecan Cookies are irresistible! Brown sugar and melted butter make them extra chewy.

What are butter pecans and how do you make them?

Butter pecan isn’t just an ice cream flavor – although it is one of my faves. Butter pecans can also be found in cakes and cookies.

Butter pecans are made by toasting pecans in butter, either in a skillet or roasting them in the oven.

Butter Pecan Cookies have amazing praline flavor

Butter + pecans + brown sugar + milk = pralines

Butter + pecans + brown sugar + cookie dough = the most amazing praline flavored Butter Pecan Cookie ever!

Browned butter adds nutty, toasty flavor

Browned butter adds a wonderful depth of flavor to these Butter Pecan Cookies. Because they’re not loaded with chocolate or other strong flavors, the nutty flavor of the browned butter really shines through.

Using browned butter in these Butter Pecan Cookies is perfect, because melted butter in cookie dough gives chewy, dense, and fudgy interiors.

How to brown butter

Browning butter takes only a few extra minutes than melting butter, but it adds a lot of flavor.

I like to use a light colored pan so that I can see exactly what’s happening on the bottom. It’s much harder to see the milk solids turning golden brown in a dark pan.

Melt the butter over medium-high heat and let it come to a boil, stirring occasionally. After it boils for a few minutes, you will see the milk solids on the bottom of the pan start to turn golden. I often notice this on the sides of the pan first.

When it starts turning golden in color, turn the heat lower and let it cook until the solids are a golden brown. This takes less than a minute and it burns fast so keep an eye on it. Pour the browned butter into the mixing bowl, scraping in all the yummy browned bits, so that it stops browning.

A note on measuring flour

Measuring flour correctly is essential to the success of a recipe.

There is no one correct way to measure flour other than weighing it. If you don’t have a scale, or if the recipe you are following doesn’t give weight measurements, it’s important to measure the flour the same way the recipe writer measured. Hopefully the author provides either a weight or a method.

Two ways of measuring flour are the dip and sweep method and the spoon and level method. One is not more correct than the other, however there is a significant difference in weight between the two.

In the dip and sweep method, dip the measuring cup into the flour and scoop it out. Run the flat edge of a butter knife over the top to level off the flour.

My weights correspond to the dip and sweep method because that’s the method I learned from Cook’s Illustrated, Julia Child, and other cooks and cookbooks.

For the spoon and level method, fluff the flour in the top of the bag, then spoon the flour into the measuring cup. Run the flat edge of a butter knife over the top to level off the flour.

How to make Butter Pecan Cookies

Once you’ve got the pecans toasted in butter and the butter browned, these cookies come together quickly.

Combine the dry ingredients (the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt) in a bowl.

In another large mixing bowl – the one you’ve poured the browned butter into – whisk together the browned butter, sugars, vanilla, and eggs.

Stir in the dry ingredients until no streaks of flour remain, then stir in the butter pecans.

Chill the dough

I’m all for shortcuts, but this dough will need to be chilled for at least two hours or overnight. If the dough chills for longer than 4 hours, let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes so the dough is more workable.

How to bake

When the dough has chilled, roll it into balls. You can make them as big or small as you want. 3 tablespoon dough balls (60 grams) yields about 18 cookies.

Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet until the edges are set and just turning golden, about 9-12 minutes. The tops of the cookies should still be quite soft when you remove them from the oven, and may even appear slightly underbaked in center. They will firm up while cooling.

Tips

Do you ever have trouble with your cookies spreading out too far or not far enough? The temperature of the dough and the temperature of the oven plays a role it this.

First, always weigh your ingredients carefully. Too little flour can make them spread too far, too much flour can prevent them from spreading enough. While there are differences in measuring methods, weighing the ingredients is exact.

Second, make sure your oven has had time to preheat. If your second batch comes out differently than your first batch, your oven may not have fully heated when you started.

Since some ovens run hot and some ovens run cold, an oven thermometer is the best way to keep track of the actual temperature.

Once you know your ingredients were measured correctly and your oven is at the correct temperature, let’s take a look at how the temperature of the cookie dough effects the spread of the cookie.

Flat, too spread out cookies: Cookie dough that is too warm and hasn’t been chilled long enough will spread out too far making a flat cookie. The butter in the cookie melts before the cookie has a chance to set. A lower oven temperature also allows the dough to spread out.

Puffy mounds that didn’t spread out: Cookie dough that is too cold will set before it has a chance to spread out resulting in a puffy mound. A too hot oven also causes the cookie to set quickly.

To help you get the cookie that’s perfect for you, here are 3 different sets of cookies with varying dough and oven temperatures:

The 65° F cookie dough baked in a 375° oven stayed in puffed mounds with slight spreading.

The 70° F cookie dough baked in a 350° oven had a medium spread and are the cookies in the photos in this post.

The 73° F cookie dough baked in a 350° oven had the most spread, however it was just slighter than the 70° cookie dough.

Optional decorating ideas

For a pretty, sparkly look, roll the balls of dough in granulated sugar before baking.
For a salty sweet flavor, instead of rolling in sugar, sprinkle the cookies with sea salt after baking. If sprinkling with sea salt, reduce the salt in the cookie to ½ teaspoon.
Press a pecan half or chopped pecans onto the top of the unbaked ball of dough before baking.
For these cookies, I rolled the dough into a ball, pressed chopped pecans into the top half of the ball, gave it another roll between my palms, rolled it in sugar, then pressed a pecan half into the top.

How to freeze cookies or make in advance

You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to set at room temperature until the dough is workable or at the desired temperature, then roll into balls and bake.

Cookie dough balls can be rolled and kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bake as usual.

Freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months.

Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Let the dough ball thaw while preheating the oven. Let the cookie dough come to the desired temperature before baking.

MORE FAVORITE COOKIES TO LOVE:

Recipe

Butter Pecan Cookies

Kelly

Browned Butter Pecan Cookies are packed with buttered pecans, nutty browned butter, and caramely brown sugar - with crisp edges and rich, chewy centers.

5 from 35 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 3 35

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings cookies

Calories 293 kcal