Best Christmas Cranberry Orange Cookies Recipe
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.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
