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Best Christmas Cranberry Orange Cookies Recipe

4.5 from 106 reviews

A festive and flavorful cookie recipe combining tart dried cranberries with fresh orange zest and juice, topped with a sweet orange glaze perfect for Christmas celebrations.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups dried cranberries

Orange Icing

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Wet and Dry Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, cream together softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, orange juice, and orange zest, mixing well to combine.
  2. Combine the Mixtures: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until a smooth cookie dough forms.
  3. Add the Cranberries and Shape Cookies: Fold in the dried cranberries evenly throughout the dough. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto cookie sheets, spacing them to allow for spreading.
  4. Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges turn lightly golden. Let cookies sit on the sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.
  5. Prepare and Drizzle the Icing: While cookies cool, mix powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest until smooth. Drizzle the icing over cooled cookies for a bright, sweet finish.
  6. Harden the Icing and Store the Cookies: Allow icing to set completely; placing cookies briefly in the freezer can speed this up. Once hardened, store cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.

Notes

  • Chopping cranberries is optional but helps with even distribution.
  • For a stronger orange flavor, use freshly squeezed orange juice and zest.
  • Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
  • Freezing cookies after icing hardens preserves freshness for longer.
  • Use unsalted butter if possible to control salt content precisely.

Keywords: Christmas cookies, cranberry orange cookies, holiday baking, festive cookies, orange zest cookies, dried cranberry cookies