🍪 Cranberry & Pistachio Shortbread
Prep time: 15 mins | Chill time: 1 hour | Bake time: 12 mins
Ingredients
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Butter: 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened
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Sugar: ¾ cup powdered sugar (for a melt-in-your-mouth texture)
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Vanilla: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Flour: 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
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Salt: ½ teaspoon
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Cranberries: ¾ cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
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Pistachios: ½ cup shelled pistachios, chopped
Instructions
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Cream the Base: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy. Stir in the vanilla extract.
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Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the flour and salt. Mix on low speed until the dough just starts to come together.
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Fold in Texture: Use a spatula to fold in the chopped cranberries and pistachios until they are evenly distributed.
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The Log Method: Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Shape it into a log (about 2 inches in diameter). Wrap it tightly and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This is the secret to getting the perfect round slices.
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Slice & Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Slice the chilled log into discs about ½ inch thick.
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Bake: Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes. You want the edges to be just barely golden, but the tops should stay pale.
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Cool: Let them rest on the pan for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
Pro-Tips
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For Extra Sparkle: Roll the dough log in coarse sparkling sugar (demerara sugar) before slicing to give the edges a sweet, crunchy rim.
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Zest it Up: Adding the zest of one orange to the dough makes the cranberry and pistachio flavors pop.
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Storage: These cookies stay fresh in an airtight container for up to a week, or you can freeze the dough log for up to 3 months!