This festive fresh cranberry shortbread cookie recipe uses fresh cranberries instead of dried. The fresh cranberries give this recipe a nice tart flavor and I promise you won't miss the extra sugar.
This is the best time of year to make fresh cranberry shortbread cookies. You may be able to find frozen cranberries any time of year, but why not buy a couple of extra bags now, and toss them into the freezer, while they are still in season.
Using Fresh Cranberries in Shortbread Cookies
I wanted to use the fresh cranberries that I had bought for some other recent projects like the wood, candle, cranberry, and fresh evergreen centerpiece, and the cranberry garland in the rustic tree decoration post.
Be the first to receive new posts and get access to our Subscribers Only Page.
There are many cranberry shortbread recipes out there, and they are all very similar. Heavy on butter, usually no baking soda or baking powder, making them dense and delicious.
However, most use dried cranberries. That's fine but they typically are loaded with sugar and not as tart. I really like the tart taste and less sugar is always a bonus as long as the taste is there.
The result was amazing, and I felt good about using the fresh cranberries because it cut down on the sugar content. But let me tell you they are still plenty sweet.
What You'll Need
- Fresh cranberries
- Butter - I use salted
- Sugar - regular granulated white
- Flour - standard all-purpose
- Lemon zest - can substitute orange zest here
Cookie Baking Tips:
- If you use a food processor to chop the berries you may find extra liquid that will turn the dough pink. If the color doesn't bother you then go ahead and use it. However, you can also chop by hand or dry the chopped berries with a paper towel to keep the dough white.
- My mother taught me this and I almost always do it when baking cookies. Halfway through the cooking time switch the trays. Move the top cookie sheet to the bottom rack and the one on the bottom to the top. It really helps the cookies bake evenly.
- Once you mix up the dough you need to refrigerate it in logs. I like this because you can make the dough in a short time, and then whip up the cookies later or even the next day. Since all you have to do is slice them, and place them on a cookie sheet, they come together pretty quickly.
- Also, if you bake often you may notice that your oven and my oven are not exactly the same. You may need to leave the cookies in for an extra minute or two. Or, you may need to take them out a little early.
Can you use frozen cranberries in this recipe?
Though fresh is best for this recipe, in my opinion, you may note that some of my readers have used frozen cranberries with no problem. One did say that the dough turned a little pink but they liked it.
Can You Freeze Them?
They freeze really well, so you can make them ahead. I think it's because they have a high butter content. It might make them a good candidate for shipping to family and friends too.
I think they are one of the prettier Christmas cookies I make. A great festive color for your holiday cookie tray.
Fresh Cranberry Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup fresh cranberries roughly chopped
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Combine butter and sugar and mix together in a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until well blended.
- Add the flour about 1/2 at a time and mix until combined.
- Add chopped cranberries and lemon zest, mix well.
- Transfer about 1/2 of the dough onto plastic wrap and roll into a log.
- Continue with the remaining dough.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Slice dough into 1/4 inch rounds onto baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes.
- Switch pans by moving the top pan to the bottom and the bottom pan to the top, then bake for an additional 8-10 minutes or until the cookies start to brown.
- Makes about 2.5 dozen.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although attempts have been made to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Laura
This is my second year of baking these cookies for Christmas. They are now our official Christmas cookie! Everyone loves them; loves how they look and how they taste! They're beautiful cookies. I make more than one batch at a time so we can give some away. I do not alter the recipe in any way. My oven gets them just right in the time recommended. I'm so happy with this recipe I recomment it to everyone. Sometimes I can't find fresh cranberries here. I have to plan ahead and shop around. Thank you for sharing a great recipe.
Patti Estep
Laura, I'm so glad to hear that you love the cookies. It's a favorite of ours too. Thank you for your kind comment.
Christie
I followed the recipe exactly and mine turned out thin, did not hold there shape and we’re not like shortbread at all. I was very disappointed. I also had to cook mine longer, they were way to soft not like a shortbread.
Patti Estep
Christie, I'm sorry it didn't work for you. Sometimes ovens vary but they shouldn't have been too thin or too soft.
Carolyn
Mine were also very thin. I tried cutting them 1/2 inch and they just spread out more…not at all like the photo or like shortbread…maybe the recipe is off..? Too much butter???
Patti Estep
Carolyn, I'm sorry to hear it. One of the reasons you need to refrigerate the dough is so the butter is firm. Soft butter may cause them to spread. Of course, if they spread they get thinner. That is the only reason I can think of. I've made these cookies time and time again without an issue.
Kathy
This was my worst experience ever. What a waste of ingredients. They were sticky and did not hold shape at all. Was so disappointed. Love cranberries and shortbread but these were horrible. Like mush.
Patti Estep
Kathy, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. I can't imagine what went wrong. Did you refrigerate the dough? Sometimes baking is a tricky thing. I just made these twice recently. Once for a wedding and last week for our upcoming Christmas party. Both times they came out great.
Kathy Gleason
Yes these are a great cookie. Definitely refrigerating the dough & switching trays 1/2 way is key. Thanks for the great recipe.
Patti Estep
So glad you like them Kathy and thanks for sharing your experience.
Donna
I was wondering can you use margarine instead of butter. That is all we have in our apartment
Patti Estep
Donna, I have never tried making them with margarine so I really can't say. Let me know if you decide to try it how it did.
Lori
I made these for the first time today…the roll is in the refrigerator getting happy. I put my fresh cranberries in the food processor to chop fine then hand stirred them into the dough at the end. They’re going to be a pink cookie. Lol. Wondering if I should have put them into a paper towel to remove excess liquid before stirring in??
Patti Estep
Lori, sorry that happened to you. I promise they will still taste good. I need to adjust the recipe. If you use a food processor and try to finely chop the berries there's a good chance there will be extra liquid and that will turn the dough pink. You could try to use a towel as you mentioned to dry it up or just don't chop them too much.
Lois jaynes
I made these cookies today. The shortbread taste was great. I used dried cranberries, which I did not rehydrate. I would suggest rehydrating first as I got no taste from the cranberries. Also in my oven it took about 18 minutes, 20 minutes burned the bottoms. I will try again 🙂
Patti Estep
Lois, ovens do vary and sometimes it depends on the baking sheet or the thickness of the slices. I hope you do try and thanks for sharing your experience.
Aquene
Thank you for posting this recipe! I've been making these every Christmas for a few years now, and people always love that they're so unique and refreshing among all the typical holiday cookies at events.
Patti Estep
Aquene, I'm so happy to hear this. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Ida
Hello! Has anyone tried subbing the white flour with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-free flour in this recipe?
Kathy
I couldn't reply to Ida (Dec 20,'21), but this spot was close. I only use gluten free flour (1:1 to wheat flour) for recipes like this that don't call for GF. I think they turned out well. I also used an insulated cookie sheet, and it worked better if I made sure the cookies were getting lightly browned. If not, they were so delicate they just didn't want to hold together well. It was better if I cooled them on the pan before moving, but still fragile. I will need to remember that using the insulated sheet.
Patti Estep
Great tips Kathy. Thanks for sharing. I'm sure it will be so helpful to others.
Melissa
These cookies are amazing! I was looking for a recipe with cranberries and I’m so glad I came across this one. I made them for our homeschool co op cookie swap and they were a hit. I was getting texts saying they were a favorite. And I had to keep my son away bc he was eating them all. They are now added to our Christmas cookie list and are one of our favorites. I did take the time to hand chop the cranberries and then use paper towels to absorb the juice. Thank you for your helpful tips. Merry Christmas!
Patti Estep
Thanks for sharing Melissa. I love hearing the others enjoy the recipe.
Julie
We make our grandma’s Scottish shortbread in a cookie or baking sheet so they are cute into bars. Do you think it would work with this recipe instead of baking individual cookies?
Patti Estep
Julie, I have never tried that. I would think you might have to cook it longer. It would definitely be an experiment. Let me know how it turns out.
Eileen
Happy Holidays!
Are there no eggs in this recipe?
Patti Estep
Eileen, no they don't. I think most shortbread recipes omit eggs.
Anne
Do you measure the cranberries before or after you chop them ? Thank you
Patti Estep
Anne, yes I put fresh cranberries in a 1 cup measuring cup before chopping them. However, you could do it either way. I guess you'd have a little more if you chopped them first but I don't think it would hurt the recipe.
Rachael
I added a small handful (maybe 1/3 cup) of almonds to my food processor with the cranberries and it was great. That little bit of crunch made a world of difference.
Patti Estep
That sounds delicious Rachael, I'll have to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Allison
I made the Cranberry Shortbread recipe as a last minute add on to dessert for Christmas, they are easy and festive, fresh cranberries add tartness, they were loved by all.
Patti Estep
So good to hear Allison. Thanks for sharing!
Gillian
I rolled one of the logs in green sugar and the other in red sugar - they look so festive!
Patti Estep
Gillian that's a great idea. Thanks for sharing.
Monika
Can I substitute lemon extract for lemon rind. I don’t have a lemon or orange on hand.
Patti Estep
Monika, I have never done it but I think it would be okay. Extracts are strong and liquid so I would keep it small, say 1/4 teaspoon. Or, just omit the lemon/orange flavor. The fresh cranberries are delicious enough on their own.
Megs
Hi
I just have a quick question. I am a beginner to baking and want to try these cookies. I intend to use fresh cranberries.
1. Can I chop them in my food processor?
2. Also once the cookies are baked, will it have a good shelf life? I need to store them at room temp?
Patti Estep
Megs, you can definitely use a food processor. That's what I do. You can easily keep them in an airtight container for a week or two. Enjoy!
Alyssa
I made these with my son yesterday and they turned out great! I had enough cranberries from Thanksgiving and wanted to put them to good use!
I subsituted orange zest for lemon because that's what I had available, great flavor!
Thanks for sharing!
Patti Estep
Alyssa, that's great to hear. Thanks for sharing your experience and enjoy your cookies!
Susan
Do you freeze before baking or after?
Patti Estep
Susan, you want to refrigerate the dough for at least an hour before baking and you can freeze them after baking if you want.
Melissa
I’m thinking about making these. Have you tried, or know of anyone who has added almond flavoring? I love almond cookies!
Patti Estep
Melissa, I have not tried it however, I do think it would be fine. Perhaps just 1/2 - 1 teaspoon. Let me know how it turns out.
Natalie
Beth,
I love your precise suggestions! Thank you for all the helpful tips 🙂
Patti Estep
You are so welcome Natalie. Thank you for the sweet comment.
janet
I'm confused about the total baking time- are you saying to bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets, then bake for 10 more minutes? Just seems like a very long baking time! Thank you. Looking forward to making these delicious looking cookies!
Patti Estep
Janet, I do cook them for about 20 minutes in total. Ovens do vary so you can experiment with less time and see how they turn out.
Jennifer
Can you freeze the dough?
Patti Estep
Jennifer, though I haven't personally done it, I think this would be a good candidate for freezing because of the higher butter content. Let me know how it turns out.
Ayesha
dried cranberries can be used?
Patti Estep
Ayesha, you can definitely use dried cranberries in this recipe.
Louanne
Patti,
Do you think they would taste good if I dipped them half in chocolate?
Patti Estep
Yes, I think that sounds delicious!
Phyllis
I've made plain shortbread cookies for many years at Christmas. My recipe is the same, except for 1/4 cup sugar instead of 1/2. I pat them out to about 1/3 inch and cut with small round cookies cutters. I can't wait to try these, but I'm going to try to cut them out instead.
Patti Estep
Phyllis, I haven't tried it but I bet you could cut down on the sugar. Enjoy the cookies.
GWilkins
Mine spread thin no matter how thick I cut them. Any suggestions?
Patti Estep
I'm really not sure why they are spreading for you. Could your oven be too hot? Maybe try cooking them at 325?
tara.
hello! these look awesome. question about measurements - is the 1 cup of whole cranberries then chopped, or 1 cup of the chopped cranberries?
thanks & happy thanksgiving 🦃🍁!
Patti Estep
Tara, I'm not sure if it really matters but I usually measure out a cup of cranberries and chop them, 1 cup of whole cranberries, chopped.
Steve M
Sheesh, I followed the recipe exactly and I have a solid sheet of the baked dough. I also noticed that when I cut them from the log they would just fall apart. The dough seemed juicy? What did I do wrong? I've re-read the instructions 10x now and I followed to a T.
Steve M
Ah, I figured out where I went wrong .... doubled the recipe but not the flour .... sheesh. Letting it come to room temp and will mix in 1 cup of flour. Should be fine tomorrow 😉
Patti Estep
Glad you figured it out. Sometimes doubling a recipe creates problems. You could make 2 separate batches to be on the safe side.
Jenn King
I have made these per the exact recipe, and they are amazing! I am going to try making them this afternoon with orange instead of lemon zest, and try adding some chopped pistachos, thinking the color combination will be festive for the holidays!
Patti Estep
Jenn, I'm so glad you like the cookie recipe. Orange zest would be wonderful as well as pistachios. Enjoy!
Kathleen
Have you tried using orange zest in lieu of lemon? Thinking traditional cran-orange.
Patti Estep
Kathleen, I haven't tried orange zest but I'm sure it would be delicious.
Sharon Sanders
Well, we are about to find out if these ship well. I am going to make them and send them from the Houston, Texas area to my brother in Buffalo, New York.
Patti Estep
I hope they ship well for you Sharon. Let me know how it turns out.
Beth Wright
I've made these cookies several times, always with frozen cranberries I had in my freezer. The first time I made the mistake of chopping them in the food processor bowl of my immersion blender. They tasted OK but the cookies were pink as someone in this thread descibed earlier, and you didn't get the piquant little bits of cranberry scattered throughout the sweeter dough. It all tasted the same.
I have made them with frozen cranberries twice since then and my recommendation is to take half of them out of the freezer and chop those, then put the chopped ones in the freezer while you chop the other half of the one cup of cranberries.
If you let frozen cranberries before chopping them, I suspect you're going to have a mucky mess because they exude water as they're thawing. I also advise that you chop the cranberries as finely as possible within reason (i.e., before they thaw or turn into a cranberry mush) because otherwise the dough may come apart while you're rolling it into logs or slicing it because the pieces of cranberry are too large and thus not well enough Incorporated in the dough.
And if you're a perfectionist about your cookies being round, you might want to roll the dough "logs" back and forth on the counter after refrigerating it while it's still cold right before you slice it into the individual cookies.
I've also learned after looking it up today, before I put together a batch of these cookies for a going away party for a friend using cranberries I'd had in my freezer since the winter holidays, that it's REALLY important to have the butter at room temperature. I think I may have had it both too soft and too hard when I've made these cookies in the past, which likely also contributed to them falling apart. (Darn, I had to eat the broken ones I couldn't patch back together well enough!)
I looked at various websites about how long you should soften butter for cookies like shortbread today and they pretty much agreed that the butter should be at around 65° F. I took the two sticks of butter out of the fridge and put the stem of my pocket thermometer between them, holding them together with a rubber band. It gave me a pretty decent approximation of the appropriate temperature. But the other thing that multiple sites suggested is that if you can push in the still wrapped (or not, I guess) butter with your thumb or forefinger, easily forming a little depression but not feeling the butter being slick or greasy, your butter is at the right temperature for creaming with the sugar and proceeding along with the recipe.
I am now a firm believer in this. According to what I read today, if your butter is not at the right temperature it won't be integrated well enough with the sugar and other ingredients you add subsequently and your dough will thus be crumbly and fall apart. Been there done that! I don't think I'm going to have that problem when I slice the dough log into cookies this time about an hour from now. So simple but it seems to make a big difference!
Patti Estep
Thanks for sharing your experience and information Beth.
Jennifer Bingham
Am going to roll the dough out, use a large heart cookie cutter and a small heart cutter. Then put 2 large hearts and a small baby heart In cellophane bags to give out at the end of my d-in-laws baby shower. Love this taste!
Patti Estep
Jennifer, that's a great idea. Thanks for sharing!
Dana
I used frozen cranberries, divided the dough into two logs and refrigerated them for a few hours. I put it at 350 degrees and only baked them for about 13 minutes till golden brown on the bottom.
Delicious !
Patti Estep
Great to hear Dana. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Gayle
Could I use dried cranberries?
Patti Estep
Gayle, you can make them with dried cranberries. I haven't done it but many recipes use them. I might cut back on the amount if I did it.
Adrienne
What type of flour did you use?
Patti Estep
Adrienne, I used all-purpose white flour for this cookie recipe.
Jessica
Wondering your thoughts on using fried cranberries instead of fresh? Think it’ll still be good?
Patti Estep
Jessica, I've never heard of fried cranberries. Did you by chance mean frozen? If so, there are some comments here where other people have tried using frozen. I haven't but I think the key would be to make sure you remove as much moisture as you can after thawing them.
Erin
I’m thinking she meant dried, LOL.
Patti Estep
Ah... that makes more sense. Using dried cranberries is very common but I like fresh. I'd probably use a little less if I were to use dried cranberries.
Mike atwell
Made them two times. Second time I added white chocolate chips. Both turned out wonderful!
I am trying a half batch this time, but with fresh blueberries. Just an experiment. Hoping for the best!
Patti Estep
That's great Mike. Let me know how the blueberries turn out and thanks for sharing.
Nica
Great cookie! Used fresh c a berries too; dough was a tad pink. Just added to the rustic character of the cookie. Will certainly make again.
Patti Estep
Glad to hear it Nica. Thanks for sharing.
Renna
Mine burned up into charcoal! I even tried reducing the time and heat. I have no idea how it could’ve gone so terribly wrong!?!
Patti Estep
I'm so sorry Renna. I would have suggested reducing the time or temperature, but I see that you have already tried that.
Terri Upham
These look amazing and I am making them for a holiday cookie exchange, but I had some issues. Do you have tips for using the fresh cranberries? I used the food processor on slightly thawed whole fresh cranberries and found that it made the dough wet and pink. Did you completely thaw them first? Did you chop them by hand? Did you squeeze out the water in paper towels before adding to the dough? I want to try them again and don't want to ruin another batch. Thank you!
Patti Estep
Terri, I have never used frozen cranberries for these cookies, only fresh. Sometimes I'll chop them ahead but have also just let the metal blades of my hand mixer chop them up. There is a comment here from another reader stating that she used frozen cranberries and she chopped them by hand. Her dough was pink as well. You should be able to find fresh cranberries in the produce section of the grocery store this time of year. My only other suggestion would be to let the berries completely thaw, rinse and dry out an hour or so before chopping. You don't really want and juice/water from the berries. Hope that helps.
Renna
I hand chopped mine, which took FOREVER! But let me know how yours turn out. I was going to use mine for a cookie exchange but mine burned horribly for some reason. Maybe my oven has gone bad, but I tried reducing time and temp and they still burned. I’m so bummed because they look amazing!
Gail Fitzsimmons
Did you use salted or unsalted butter. I love cranberries and can’t wait to make them.
Patti Estep
Gail, most baking recipes call for unsalted butter but to be honest I almost always use salted. It's just easier for me to have on hand. If you prefer unsalted I suggest you add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the batter. I hope you love the cookies.
Wanda
Can the logs be frozen and then sliced and baked when needed
Patti Estep
Wanda, I haven't tried that but I think you could do it. You may need them to defrost a bit first. Let me know how it goes if you try it.
Annie M
These are the tastiest, easiest, most gorgeous cranberry shortbread cookies ever! I followed recipe exactly; rolled half of the cookies in crushed pistachios, left half plain with a sprinkling of sparkling sugar for the holidays. I liked the plain cookies best, as they look more delicate and it was easier to tell when they were done. Thank you Patti for such a great recipe!
Patti Estep
Thank you Annie for this wonderful comment. I'm so glad you like the recipe and shared your experience here.
Renna
I was just thinking that adding nuts would be so good! Sounds amazing! Great idea!
Joan
Delicious!!! I added a little extra lemon zest by accident and they came out awesome! Mine took a bit extra to bake, maybe another 2-3 minutes. I’m happy they turned out so well because I was frustrated up to my eyeballs with the cranberries!!! My mixer did NOT chop them up and yes, the blades are metal! UGH! I had to pick them all out of the dough to chop them and then put them back in. Oh my Lord! Chop them first, I say!
Thank you for the yummy recipe!
Patti Estep
Joan, I think I'll edit the recipe to include pre-chopping just to make it easier. I'm glad you loved the recipe. Sorry that you had trouble and thanks for your input.
Premila
Do you use regular sugar or confectioners (icing sugar. Recipe looks wonderful.
Patti Estep
Premila, I use regular sugar. I'm not sure but I think confectioners would probably work it that's all you have available.
Byenia
Made a half batch of this recipe last night, substituting lemon extract for the zest and adding in white chocolate chunks. I ADORE the way these came out! Used fresh cranberries and let them get chopped up by the mixer during the process. I'm planning making more and sharing these with others. Thanks for such a nice recipe! 🙂
Patti Estep
Byenia, I'm so glad. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Abby G
So excited to make these for Thanksgiving this week! I think I might role half the dough with only the cranberries and use orange zest in the other half! Maybe dip some halfway in dark chocolate 🙂
Patti Estep
Great ideas Abby. I'm thinking of making chocolate dipped shortbread cookies this year for the holidays too. Thanks for sharing.
Abby G
One question! Do you think this would work if doubled? Or make in separate batches? Thinking of using as a base and give different versions as gifts!
Patti Estep
Abby, I have not tried it. Usually, when a recipe calls for things like baking soda/powder or eggs it can be a problem. However, this one has none of those ingredients so I'm tempted to say try it. However, if you want to play it on the safe side make separate batches.
Mary
I followed the recipe correctly but mine is so crumbly it won't form cookies. I thought it would stick together after being in the fridge but no. I wonder what I did wrong.
Patti Estep
Mary, I'm sorry the cookies didn't turn out. They should not be crumbly as there is a high butter content. I'm really not sure what happened. Did you use 1 cup of butter (2 sticks)?
Brenda
Happy to find this recipe, hubby loves cranberry baked goods. Did you chop the fresh berries? The cookies look like so clean with small pieces of cranberries.
Patti Estep
Brenda, I did not chop the cranberries. I used a hand mixer with metal blades and they chopped them up. You could hand chop them first as well.
Pat
Hi,
I doubled the sugar to 1 cup and it was not too sweet. I used frozen cranberries
and chopped by hand to give 1 full cup.
The dough was pink after mixing, pretty!
Patti Estep
They sound pretty and yummy Pat.
I might have to make this version for Valentine's Day.
Thanks for sharing!
Gretchen
trying these this week... thoughts about adding dark chocolate to them?
Patti Estep
Gretchen I love chocolate so I would probably love that combination but I haven't tried it. Maybe mini chips or shavings would work better than regular dark chocolate chips just because of the size. Just a gut feeling. Let me know how they turn out.
Karen
White chocolate chips may look nice.
Patti Estep
That's a great idea Karen. Thanks for sharing.
Rachel
These look amazing! Do you usually freeze the uncooked dough or the baked cookies?
Patti Estep
Rachel, I have not done either with this new recipe. Although I think you could freeze the cookies, I'm less confident about freezing the dough.
Claudia
I picked up extra cranberries at Aldi, now I know just how I will use some. Think I may roll log in sugar for a bit of sparkle. I will let you know how they turn out. Thank you for the great recipe!
Patti Estep
Your very welcome Claudia. Please do let me know how you like them and how the sugar roll works out. That sounds like a great idea.
Kim
I am excited to make these cookies. The only cranberries I could find were frozen ones. Any tips on using frozen instead of fresh? I am letting them thaw in the fridge but I am thinking I should squeeze the extra liquid out of them....
Patti Estep
I do think this recipe would work fine with frozen cranberries but I haven't tried it yet. Letting them drain first is exactly what I would do. Let me know how they turn out.
Amber
I used frozen cranberries- it turns the dough pink- which I found fun and festive!!
Patti Estep
Amber, that does sound fun and festive. I'm going to try them too. Thanks for sharing.
Beth
My husband and i grow cranberries and I am anxious to try these. I would not let the berries thaw...they will turn very soft and juicy....chop them frozen and use them in the recipe this way. I wouldn't let them sit too long before baking though. Definitely a better option than thawing.
Patti Estep
Thanks for sharing your experience Beth.
Jesse's Mom
Very nice cookie that is quite pretty and not too sweet. Definitely rotate the cookie sheets for even baking and watch closely around the 18 minute mark (at least in my very old gas oven!) as they can over-brown quickly. Once cool mine will get a nice lemon icing drizzle using fresh lemon juice. Thank you for this great recipe, Patti 🙂
Patti Estep
Jesse, that's for the update and I love your idea of topping the cookie with a lemon icing drizzle. I do love the flavor of lemon.
Peggy cruse
I always used dried cranberries so do I need to cook fresh ones first...?
Patti Estep
Peggy, you do not need to cook the fresh cranberries. Just give them a rinse and use them fresh from the bag. They taste great and there is already plenty of sugar in the cookie so you won't miss it.
Pam R
Do you think this recipe would work with cherries...fresh, frozen, marrachino, or candied? What about almond extract and/or chopped almonds?
Patti Estep
Pam, I haven't tried cherries but I don't see why not. At a quick glance, it looks like many people have made shortbread cookies with maraschino cherries. I feel good about adding almond extract and almonds but have also never tried them. Let me know how they turn out.
T
Great cookies! I'm putting the recipe on my Christmas cookie rotation! Yummy!
P.S. These are so good I caught my elderly parents eating the cookie dough out of the freezer!
Patti Estep
Love that! Thanks for sharing it with me.
Shanese
Making these right now and just took the first tray out of the oven! These are delicious and easy to make! I also added a splash of lemon extract.
Patti Estep
Hi Shanese,
So glad you like the cookie recipe and I love the idea of adding lemon extract. Sometime you just don't have fresh lemons on hand but extract is a good staple for the pantry. Thanks for sharing.
Karen
My goodness these cookies are the best ever! Loved them so much I made three batches this weekend. For a twist, the third batch I used orange rind rather than lemon and added 1/4 cup chopped almonds. These were tasty too but I do love the lemon ones best!
Patti Estep
Hi Karen,
So glad to hear you are enjoying these cookies. I also tried them with orange zest because I did not have fresh lemons and agree that the turned out pretty well. Now I want to try them with chopped almonds. Thanks for the great suggestion.
Laura
Funny you should mention using orange zest when you were out of fresh lemons...I had some left over Key Limes from a cheesecake last weekend and no lemons or oranges so I'm going to give that a try! Wish me luck!!
Patti Estep
Laura, I'm sure key limes will be great. In fact, if I see some at the market I just might try it too.
Suzzette
I was wondering how orange zest might work as cranberry/orange is a popular match. I was also wondering what nut to try with them, maybe pistachios or Walnuts, but almonds go great with cranberries too. Thx for the info.
Patti Estep
Suzzette, orange zest would work well with this cookie. I think nuts would also work but I haven't tried them. Let me know how they turn out.
Kellie
I'd like to make these, but my AP flour is mixed 50-50 with white whole wheat flour. Do you have any idea whether I would need to adjust any ingredients to accommodate? Concerned about moisture from WW flour, plus I live in the desert. Thanks!
Patti Estep
Hi Kellie,
I really have no idea as I have never worked with 50/50 flour. I did find this article which may help you. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/guides/white-whole-wheat/
Experimenting in the kitchen is always fun. Good luck and let me know how it turns out.
Anne
Lovely cookies that I will definitely be making--I adore cranberries. One question though: Are they good keepers? I'd love to add them to packages of baked goods I mail to out-of-state family members for the holidays. In any case, thanks for the recipe.
Patti Estep
Hi Anne,
What a wonderful gift to give friends and family from far away. The cookies do freeze well, but as far as the normal length of time that they stay fresh, I can't say that they are any different than other baked goods.
Anne
Thanks for the quick response, Patti! I found the first cranberries of the season in stores a few days ago, so I may just have to make a test batch to find out, which means more cookies for me. 🙂
AJ
Can I freeze the dough for future use?
And any thoughts on adding white chocolate or nuts to dough?
Patti Estep
Hi AJ,
I definitely think you could freeze this dough and adding white chocolate or nuts would be a great idea too.
Beth
I am planning to make these tonight because they will be perfect for our National Championship viewing party tomorrow night (red and white). But I have one question. Do you use self rising flour or plain?
Thanks
Patti Estep
Hi Beth,
I used all purpose regular flour for the cookies.
Have fun tomorrow,
Patti
Linda Nelson
Just wanted to mention that I made a batch of these cookies for Christmas, and they were delicious. I happen to love a sweet/tart relationship in a dessert anyway, but these were exceptionally amazing.
Heidi
These look and sound delish! Featuring you as a host pick on Funtastic Friday this week!
Miz Helen
Your Cranberry Shortbread Cookie's look delicious, we will love these cookies! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Wishing you a fantastic 2017!
Miz Helen
Kimm at Reinvented
Oh my goodness, these cookies look delicious! I will definitely grab some fresh cranberries and give them a try! Thanks for linking up to Funtastic Friday!
Christine
Love this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing this with us at the DI & DI Link Party.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
I love the idea of the fresh cranberries in this cookie! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner Link up!
Deborah
The cookies sound delicious and I want to give them a try. I do have a question, do you need to use a piece of parchment paper or apply anything to the baking sheet to keep them from sticking?
Patti Estep
Hi Deborah,
I don't use parchment because the cookie sheets I have usually do not stick. That being said I see no reason why you could not use it, especially if that is what you are used to doing.
Hope this helps,
Patti
Carole @ Garden Up Green
These sound tasty, I use Oat flour now so I may have to give this a try. Trying to keep the sweets at a distance but I love cranberries, especially fresh. I've also started adding less sugar to my cookie recipes and found them to be better because the other ingredients stand. Thanks for sharing - this one is a keeper!
Patti Estep
Hi Carole,
So glad you like the recipe. In addition to using fresh cranberries I think you could get away with reducing the sugar by at least 1/3 or 1/2, especially if you are used to doing that kind of thing.
Merry Christmas friend!
Patti
Sandra Ll
These look yummy and simple to make and I love cranberries. Have a few bags in the frig and ready to get baking.
I think all us ladies are juggling too much this week. But I wasn't confused. Cream was taught to me by my grandmother and she did the same thing as you she switched the pans. I'm not sure if would make much difference but I still do all these decades later.
Merry Christmas
Sandra
Patti Estep
Hi Sandra,
I'm so glad I didn't confuse everybody and I hope you like the recipe.
Merry Christmas to you and yours,
Patti
Rose
Hi Patti - looks like a great recipe - thank you for sharing! Can you explain what you mean by changing pans?
Patti Estep
Hi Rose,
Can you tell I'm juggling?
I'm so sorry that this post was confusing.
When I first learned to bake chocolate chip cookies my mother told me to bake them half way then switch the cookie trays in the oven by moving the bottom to the top and the top to the bottom to make sure that they cook evenly.
I'm not sure that you really need to do this but it's a habit that I have gotten used to.
Have a great holiday,
Patti
Wilma
In the cranberry shortbread recipe instructions you say add cream but you don't list it in the recipe.
Patti Estep
Hi Wilma,
I'm sorry. That is just a cooking term that means to mix the butter and sugars together. I'm going to edit the recipe to clarify this.
I hope you like the cookies and thanks for your great question.
Patti