Best Christmas Cranberry Orange Cookies Recipe
Delight in the festive flavors of these Best Christmas Cranberry Orange Cookies, featuring a tender, buttery cookie packed with tangy dried cranberries and bright orange zest. Finished with a luscious orange glaze, these cookies are perfect for holiday gatherings or gifting.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: About 36 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (King Arthur recommended)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed well)
- 1 tsp orange zest (from about 1 large orange)
- 2 cups dried cranberries (chopped if large)
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar
For the Icing:
- 3 tbsp orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1/2 tsp orange zest (fine, avoid white pith)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Wet and Dry Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, orange juice, and orange zest, mixing thoroughly until well combined.
- Combine the Mixtures: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until a smooth cookie dough forms.
- Add the Cranberries and Shape Cookies: Fold in the chopped dried cranberries evenly. Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing them apart to accommodate spreading during baking.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges turn lightly golden. Leave the cookies on the sheets for 2 minutes post-baking, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare and Drizzle the Icing: While cookies cool, mix powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest until smooth to make the icing. Drizzle over cooled cookies evenly.
- Harden the Icing and Store the Cookies: Let the icing set fully at room temperature, or speed up the process by refrigerating or briefly freezing the cookies. Store finished cookies in an airtight container to keep fresh.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure proper creaming and mixing.
- Chop cranberries if they are large for better texture distribution.
- Allow icing to fully harden before stacking cookies to avoid sticking.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Freezing the cookies without icing is possible for longer storage; add icing after thawing.
