These cranberry orange shortbread cookies are a breeze to make, and freeze wonderfully, making them excellent for stress free bakes. Buttery shortbread packed with beautiful fresh orange flavour and pops of cranberries, these Christmas orange shortbread cookies always go down a treat!
Cranberry orange slice and bake cookies
When it comes to Christmas, as much as I love all that is of the season, it can also be pretty stressful. Baking and cooking to feed family and friends, parties and social events, the fun never ends! And sometimes, when I get a bit of time to spend in the kitchen, I find myself wanting to get organised and prepare goodies that can be frozen.
Enter slice and bake cookies!
The joy, as a busy working mum and baking lover, of these cranberry orange shortbread cookies is that I can throw the dough together when I find I have ten minutes to spare. Then it sits in a tightly wrapped dough log happily in my freezer, ready for me to slice and bake as many or as few biscuits as I need. Convenient or what?
What is the difference between English shortbread and Scottish shortbread?
There is none! Shortbread is a traditional Scottish bake, and has been adopted and used in England and all around the world by many!
What is the difference between butter cookies and shortbread?
As with the difference between the meaning of biscuits in different parts of the world, so is there with shortbread, butter cookies and sugar cookies! Here is my definition of them:
Shortbread: a traditional Scottish bake, made with basic ingredients of flour, butter and sugar using the proportions of 3-2-1. That is, three parts flour, two parts butter and one part sugar combined make a basic shortbread recipe. There are, of course, slight variants to these quantities, depending on ingredients and flavours in the cookie. However, traditional shortbread is always a totally egg free bake.
Sugar cookies: this is similar to shortbread but with the addition of eggs and normally a little more sugar in the recipe. In the UK, we would be more likely to call these biscuits. This type of dough can be rolled, cut and shaped more easily, and can make biscuits or cookies that have a firmer texture and more of a snap than cookies.
Butter cookies: these are firm and brittle when baked, in other words they snap and do not bend at all. The key difference with butter cookies is that the dough is much softer. It is also piped into shape rather than rolled and stamped out like the other two. A great and popular example of butter cookies are Viennese whirls, which are piped into shape, then chilled until firm before they are baked.
Cranberry orange shortbread ingredients
- Dried cranberries: gives the cranberry orange shortbread cookies a bit of pop of yummy flavour! I chop my dried cranberries up so they go further, giving me more delicious flavour with every bite!
- Caster sugar: for sweetness in this cranberry shortbread cookies recipe.
- Flour: I use plain (all purpose) flour to make these orange shortbread cookies. Do not use self raising flour, as we want the shortbread not to rise and be puffy.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter, so the cranberry orange shortbread cookies are not salty.
- Vanilla: adds a beautiful sweet note to the shortbread biscuits.
- Orange: the flavour of orange in these cranberry orange shortbread cookies comes primarily from orange zest. A few drops of the juice are added too, if required, when bringing the dough together.
- Granulated sugar: gives sweetness and crunch to the cookies once baked.
What equipment do I need to make cranberry orange shortbread cookies?
- Parchment/baking paper: to line the tins before baking the shortbread on them.
- Baking tray*: to chill and then bake the cranberry orange shortbread cookies on.
- Digital kitchen scales*: I provide all my measurements in cups too, however I would encourage all bakers to weigh out ingredients using weighing scales when baking. A set of digital kitchen scales is so useful and totally an essential baking tool for me.
- Measuring spoons*: a set of measuring spoons is essential for any baker. This is because these are more accurate than using everyday teaspoons and tablespoons, which can vary greatly in size.
- Small bowl*: to toss the chopped cranberries with sugar, and then to coat the shortbread with sugar before baking.
- Mixing bowl*: used to make the shortbread orange cookies in.
- Zester*: to get all that beautiful, deliciously flavourful zest off the orange!
- Handheld electric mixer*: a useful tool to make life easier in the kitchen! You can, of course, make this whole recipe entirely by hand. But it will be quite the workout for your arm!
- Sieve*: useful to remove lumps from dry ingredients before blending everything together.
- Lemon squeezer*: makes getting the juice from the orange, if needed, a total breeze!
- Cooling rack*: to place the baking tray on once out of the oven, plus to cool the cookies once removed from the tray.
How to make the best cranberry orange shortbread cookies
These fabulous cookies are super simple to make. Simply combine all the ingredients together before rolling into a log and chilling. When ready to enjoy them, all you need to do is slice however many shortbread cookies you need, toss them in sugar and bake. So simple!
Step 1: Chop the cranberries up into smaller chunks. Place a couple of spoonfuls of the caster sugar with the cranberries into a small bowl and toss together to individually coat the chopped cranberries.
Step 2: Into a large mixing bowl, tip the remaining caster sugar and flour together, stirring. Add in the butter and cut or rub it together. When ready, the mixture should resemble breadcrumbs.
Step 3: Zest the orange directly into the mixing bowl, then add in the sugar coated cranberries and vanilla. Stir to disperse the new ingredients evenly.
Step 4: At this stage, the dough should be coming together in large clumps. If it is still quite dry, simple squeeze in a few drops of orange juice from the zested fruit used in the previous step. Carefully tip the mixture out onto a clean work surface and squeeze it until the dough comes together. Shape the cranberry orange shortbread cookie dough into a log, about 3″ in diameter. Make sure to press it firmly together to compact the dough. Cut in half into two smaller logs, if you wish, then wrap tightly in cling film (cling wrap) and place in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up. It can be frozen at this stage too, see my note below.
Step 5: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 160C/325F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Tip the additional granulated sugar into a small bowl, then cut the shortbread into roughly ¼” thick slices. Place the cookie slices in the sugar bowl one at a time, tossing and flipping each one to completely coat both flat sides and the edges in a layer of sugar. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking tray.
Step 6: Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. The cranberry orange shortbread cookies will look dry on top and the edges will just be starting to turn golden. They will still be soft if lightly pressed, but will firm up as they cool. Leave to firm up on the baking tray for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Cranberry orange shortbread cookies tips
Below I share all my top tips, including potential problems, to help you make the perfect cranberry orange shortbread biscuits.
How can you tell when shortbread is cooked?
If you are wondering what shortbread should look like when it is done baking, there are a few things you can look for. It will go from looking a little wet on top when baking to looking dry. The edges of the cranberry orange shortbread will be just beginning to turn golden, and when lightly pressed, the shortbread will still be soft. It firms up as it cools, to a wonderful buttery crumbly biscuit.
Why is my shortbread dough too crumbly? How can I fix it?
If you find the recipe results in a dry dough, no need to fret! Simply add a few drops of fresh orange juice to the cranberry orange cookie dough and squeeze to bring it together. Then continue to roll and shape as before.
Should shortbread dough be kneaded or not?
Shortbread dough, like shortcrust pastry, should not be kneaded when bringing it together. Instead, squeeze to bring together into one larger dough, then roll immediately into a log before leaving to chill. Kneading the slice and bake cranberry orange cookies before rolling and shaping is more likely to give you a tough biscuit rather than the beautiful texture we want in these shortbread cookies.
Why does shortbread spread when baked?
Traditional shortbread recipes use a lot of butter. This is fabulous as it gives the shortbread that wonderful, melt in your mouth texture everyone loves about this unique bake. However, the downside is that butter does melt when exposed to high temperatures, and so can result in flatter, more spread out shortbread cookies. To combat this, the dough is chilled after it is shaped but before baking. This chilling allows the butter to firm up again, so when it is baked it helps the shape of the biscuit set before the cookie spreads too much.
How to store these shortbread cookies
Once baked and cooled, store these cranberry orange shortbread cookies should in a cool spot in an airtight container away from direct sunlight. I would recommend eating shortbread within 3-4 days of baking them, or they will start to go soft.
Can I freeze cranberry orange shortbread cookies?
Yes! The beauty about this particular shortbread cookies is that it can be frozen before baking in a log shape too. This makes is so convenient to just slice off however many you wish to bake, instead of making a whole batch in one go. Cool, huh?
To freeze the shortbread dough, wrap it tightly in cling film (cling wrap) and place it in a freezer bag or freezer safe container. The dough can be frozen this way for up to three months. To bake, simply slice off as many cookies as you wish to bake, pop the remaining log back in the freezer and bake the sliced shortbread cookies. Remember you will need to add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time when baking from frozen.
To freeze baked shortbread cookies, allow the cookies to cool completely. Place the baked shortbread in a freezer safe air tight container. If you are stacking the shortbreads in your container, I would recommend putting a layer of parchment paper between each layer of the biscuits. The cranberry orange shortbread biscuits will freeze well for up to three months. To thaw, simply leave at room temperature on a cooling rack for a few hours.
Quick tips for making the best cranberry orange shortbread cookies
- Chopping up the cranberries allows for more nuggets of cranberry throughout the shortbread dough and cookies. This is great not just for extra pops of flavour, but lovely pops of colour too!
- When you toss the chopped cranberries with sugar, it coats them individually with sugar. The result is the dried cranberries do not clump together in one place when added to the shortbread dough, but disperse out evenly. This means guaranteed beautiful pops of cranberry flavour in every bite!
- Zest the orange directly into the mixing bowl before mixing everything together. This will give you all the wonderfully flavourful oils of the fruit in the bake too. Trust me, it really does take it to the next level!
- Wrap the shortbread log tightly in cling film and chill to allow the butter to firm up. You can freeze it too, but if you are making ahead and freezing, I would recommend placing the wrapped dough in a sealable freezer bag too. When you are ready to bake, just slice as many as you want and bake the cookies straight from frozen, no need to thaw before dunking in sugar and baking. Just remember to add an extra minute or two to your baking time.
Troubleshooting
If you have any other questions about this recipe, please leave me a comment below, I would love to help. And if you do make this cranberry orange cookie recipe, please do consider leaving a rating and review below. I would really appreciate your feedback to grow my website and it really helps others looking for a similar recipe too. Additionally, you could also post a picture on Instagram and tag me when you share it with the world. You already know I would love to see!
More shortbread recipes from my blog for you to enjoy
Do check out these other yummy recipes on my blog too:
Lemon shortbread: wonderfully lemony, melt in your mouth shortbread cookies, topped with a zingy lemon glaze. Trust me, this one is the ultimate recipe for lemon shortbread cookies, everyone loves them!
Chocolate orange shortbread: this chocolate orange shortbread is beautiful and buttery, bursting with vibrant orange zest and rich dark chocolate. So good, you will struggle to stop at just one!
Rose and pistachio shortbread cookies: these rose and pistachio shortbread cookies are buttery and delicious, packed with all the beautiful flavours of delicate rose, earthy pistachio and fragrant cardamom. Yum!
Happy baking, my friends! x
Equipment useful for making this bake *
| Baking tray | Digital kitchen scales |
| Measuring spoons | Small bowl |
| Mixing bowl | Zester |
| Handheld electric mixer | Sieve |
| Lemon squeezer | Cooling rack |
Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
12
servings15
minutes15
minutes335
kcal30
minutesDelicious buttery shortbread, flavoured with cranberry and orange.
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
80 g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) dried cranberries
130 g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) caster sugar
400 g (2 ½ cups) plain (all purpose) flour
270 g (1 cup + 3 tbsp) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of an orange, plus juice if needed
Extra granulated sugar for dipping
Directions
- Chop the cranberries up into smaller chunks. Place a couple of spoonfuls of the caster sugar with the cranberries into a small bowl and toss together to individually coat the chopped cranberries.
- Into a large mixing bowl, tip the remaining caster sugar and flour together, stirring. Add in the butter and cut or rub it together. When ready, the mixture should resemble breadcrumbs.
- Zest the orange directly into the mixing bowl, then add in the sugar coated cranberries and vanilla. Stir to disperse the new ingredients evenly.
- At this stage, the dough should be coming together in large clumps. If it is still quite dry, simple squeeze in a few drops of orange juice from the zested fruit used in the previous step. Carefully tip the mixture out onto a clean work surface and squeeze it until the dough comes together. Shape the cranberry orange shortbread cookie dough into a log, about 3″ in diameter. Make sure to press it firmly together to compact the dough. Cut in half into two smaller logs, if you wish, then wrap tightly in cling film (cling wrap) and place in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up. It can be frozen at this stage too, see my note below.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 160C/325F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Tip the additional granulated sugar into a small bowl, then cut the shortbread into roughly ¼” thick slices. Place the cookie slices in the sugar bowl one at a time, tossing and flipping each one to completely coat both flat sides and the edges in a layer of sugar. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking tray.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. The cranberry orange shortbread cookies will look dry on top and the edges will just be starting to turn golden. They will still be soft if lightly pressed, but will firm up as they cool. Leave to firm up on the baking tray for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Notes
- Chopping up the cranberries allows for more nuggets of cranberry throughout the shortbread dough and cookies. This is great not just for extra pops of flavour, but lovely pops of colour too!
- When you toss the chopped cranberries with sugar, it coats them individually with sugar. The result is the dried cranberries do not clump together in one place when added to the shortbread dough, but disperse out evenly. This means guaranteed beautiful pops of cranberry flavour in every bite!
- Zest the orange directly into the mixing bowl before mixing everything together. Doing this means you will also get all the wonderfully flavourful oils of the fruit in the bake too. Trust me, it really does take it to the next level!
- Wrap the shortbread log tightly in cling film and chill to allow the butter to firm up. You can freeze it too, but if you are making ahead and freezing, I would recommend placing the wrapped dough in a sealable freezer bag too. When you are ready to bake, just slice as many as you want and bake the cookies straight from frozen, no need to thaw before dunking in sugar and baking. Just remember to add an extra minute or two to the baking time.
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