Crisp and chewy Cranberry Orange Cookies are a must make holiday cookie. Made with sweetened dried cranberries and orange zest for a wonderful flavour. This is a chilled dough that’s rolled into balls and baked. Great for holiday cookie platters and gift giving.

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I’m back today with another wonderful holiday cookie to add to your collection. You know, you can never have enough! Have you checked out last year’s post for 30 Great Christmas Cookie Recipes? If you’re in the mood for baking, you should check out the White Chocolate Dipped Shortbread, my favourite Newfoundland Snowballs or the classic Whipped Shortbread. All great Christmas classics.

Between now and Christmas, I’ll continue to share more cookies, treats and other holiday inspired food. So be sure to check back!

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About the Cranberry Orange Cookies

• Difficulty level – I’d say these are pretty easy to make. Just be sure to read the entire recipe before starting (I always point this out). And don’t skip the recipe tips, especially if you’re new to baking.
• Taste – Amazing! These are true to form with a full on Christmas flavour. The orange zest really shines through and enhances the sweet cranberries. These cookies are for the sweet tooth lover as they are pretty sweet.
• Texture – Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

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Ingredients

• All purpose flour – This is the most common type of flour used for baking and can be referred to as plain flour.
• Salt– Just regular table salt.
• Baking soda – Another ingredient that’s often used in baking cookies and is can be called bicarb or bicarbonate soda.
• Orange zest – This is taken from the outer peel of the orange.
• Butter – This recipe uses unsalted butter at room temperature
• Egg – Room temperature large eggs are generally always better for baking.
• Granulated white sugar – Again, this is one of the most common types of sugar used in baking and is found in pretty much all stores.
• Vanilla extract – Adds and enhances flavours in baked goods.
• Dried cranberries – These are sweetened dried cranberries and sometimes called craisins.

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, orange zest. salt and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter on high speed for about a minute. Add all the sugar at once and mix until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla and mix until combined, about 30 seconds.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Fold in the cranberries. Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate until firm, about one hour.
5. Make the sugar coating by combining the sugar with the orange zest. Use your fingers to infuse the zest into the sugar.
6. Remove the dough from the fridge. Using a teaspoon, scoop out small amounts of the dough and form into balls. Roll the balls in the sugar coating. Place on the lined baking tray 2 inches apart. You will need to bake these in batches.
7. Bake for about 10 – 12 minutes. Cookies should be slightly crisp at the edges and quite soft in the middle when removed from the oven. They will set as they cool on a wire rack. Will keep up to 3-4 days in an airtight container. Can be frozen.

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Recipe Tips

• Use room temperature butter and eggs – this allows the fat to be incorporated into the batter to make for even baking and the perfect cookie texture.
• Chill dough for a full hour – It’s important for this dough to be cold so the cookies don’t spread out too much when baking. Warm cookie dough will result in the cookies spreading too big and losing their shape.
• Watch baking time – baking time varies from oven to oven. Be sure to check the cookies at 10 minutes. They will be slightly crisp at the edges but still soft through the middle. They should appear to be slightly under baked when you take them out of the oven. They will set as they cool.
• To achieve a perfect round cookie – As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, gently place a glass over the cookie and do gentle circular motions. Leave on the baking tray to set for 5 minutes.

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Substitutions

Like many baked goods, there aren’t always many substitutions I would recommend because it will completely change the structure of the cookie. However, sometimes there are small changes you can make.

• Dried cranberries – All dried berries will work in this recipe. I would, however, avoid using fresh berries. for a different flavour change you could opt for raisins, dates or dried apricots.
• Orange zest – This gives the cookies so much flavour. If you are looking for a flavour change, you could use lemon or lime zest.
• Chopped nuts – These cookies do not contain any kind of nuts. However, you could easily add chopped pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, or macadamia nuts.
• Citrus sugar coating – This gives the cookies a pretty finish as well as a sugar boost. You could skip this step if you think it’s too sweet. Alternatively, you could use lemon zest or lime zest depending on what flavours you like.
• Vanilla extract – I use vanilla extract more than anything else. You could opt to add a drop of orange extract if you like. But just a drop as it will be overpowering.

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Serving & Storage

• At room temperature – You can keep these cookies in an airtight container for about 3 – 4 days on the counter.
• In the fridge – Store these cookies in an airtight container and layer parchment paper between the layers. They will keep fresh for up to a week.
• Freeze from fresh – If you want to freeze these cookies, freeze them when they have cooled down. Just place them in a freezer proof container or bag. They will keep for about three months in the freezer.
• Give as a gift – You can stack them and wrap them in cellophane, put them on a tray or in a little bag. Just make sure your friends know how long they will keep fresh!

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Thanks for Stopping by & Hope To See You Soon!