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Perfect Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies – Easy Holiday Recipe

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These buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies are studded with tart dried cranberries and crunchy pistachios. Made with a simple food processor method, they come together in under 40 minutes and are perfect for holiday gatherings, cookie swaps, or gifting.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon (1.5g) fine sea salt or table salt
  • ¾ cup (105g) dried cranberries (sweetened, roughly chopped if large)
  • ¾ cup (105g) shelled unsalted roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the dried cranberries and chopped pistachios. Toss together and set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a food processor, add the all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Pulse 3-4 times to combine.
  4. Add the cold, cubed butter and vanilla extract to the food processor. Pulse in short bursts (10-12 pulses) until the mixture looks like coarse sand with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
  5. Add the cranberry-pistachio mixture to the food processor. Pulse 4-5 more times until the fruit and nuts are distributed throughout the dough. Do not over-process.
  6. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. It will look crumbly. Gently knead it 3-4 times until it just holds together. If too dry, add 1-2 teaspoons of cold water.
  7. Divide the dough in half. Place one half on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Shape into a log about 8 inches (20 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. Wrap and twist the ends to secure. Repeat with the second half.
  8. Refrigerate the logs for 15-20 minutes to firm up.
  9. Remove one log from the refrigerator and unwrap. Using a sharp knife, slice into ¼-inch (6 mm) thick rounds. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart.
  10. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. The centers will still look pale and slightly soft.
  11. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  12. Repeat with the second log. If baking both sheets at once, rotate halfway through for even browning.

Notes

For perfectly round cookies, gently roll each slice between your palms after cutting. The cookies taste even better the next day as flavors meld. To freeze unbaked dough logs, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months; slice and bake directly from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to baking time.

Nutrition

Keywords: shortbread cookies, cranberry pistachio cookies, holiday cookies, easy shortbread, food processor cookies, Christmas cookies, cookie swap recipe

Find it online: https://sparklespoon.com/perfect-cranberry-pistachio-shortbread-cookies-easy-holiday-recipe/