Cranberry pistachio shortbread are so easy to make! Chopped white chocolate completes the festive colour scheme of these holiday cookies.
This post first appeared February 7, 2018, and was last updated November 13, 2020.
Shortbread cookies – a mix of flour, sugar, butter, and salt – are one of the easiest cookie recipes ever! Think of them as a blank canvas for any add-ins or flavours you like. With the holiday season just around the corner we’ve taken a classic approach. You have to admit, red and green cranberry pistachio shortbread is pretty festive! The shortbread base is delicate, crumbly, and a touch salty. This creates a perfect backdrop for the chopped pistachios, tart dried cranberries, and caramelized white chocolate. A touch of orange blossom water is a light floral change from standard vanilla.
The shortbread is sliced while still hot, literally as soon as it’s out of the oven. We like the look of a finger-style cookie, but you can slice cranberry pistachio shortbread however you like. Small squares also work well. Keep in mind the cookies are quite crumbly while hot, and continue to be so until completely cooled.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the printable recipe card with full ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
Ingredients
Method
Preheat the oven and have a standard half-sheet baking sheet ready. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the baking sheet.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt.
Add the melted butter and orange blossom water to the flour mixture and stir until all of the dry ingredients are combined.
Fold in the chopped dried cranberries, pistachios, and white chocolate. Stir until well combined.
Place the sheet of parchment paper on a work surface and dump the shortbread dough on top.
Gather the dough into a rough disc with your hands. Using your fingertips, gently press the dough together over the top and sides, working it into a smooth round disc.
Still using your fingertips, continue to press the dough out gently, shaping it into a rectangle. A bench scraper or the edge of a long knife will help create straight edges as you go.
Once the shortbread dough is pressed into shape, gently slide your hand under the parchment paper and transfer the shortbread dough to the baking sheet. Place the sheet in the pre-heated oven and bake the shortbread slab until the dough is lightly golden around the edges.
Remove the shortbread from the oven, and carefully transfer the hot cookie slab, still on the parchment paper, to a cutting board (we lifted our shortbread slab using two large spatulas under the parchment paper).
Using a long, sharp knife, slice the cookie slab into individual squares or rectangles while still hot.
Transfer the sliced shortbread cookies to a wire cooling rack and let them cool completely before serving, or packaging as gifts.
Tips & Notes
Though the powdered sugar will be absorbed by the melted butter, we still prefer to sift it into the flour to remove any large lumps.
The base of the shortbread has a definite salty note to offset the sweetness of the cookie and the white chocolate. Feel free to reduce the salt amount by half if you prefer.
Packed gently into an airtight container, these cranberry pistachio shortbread cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to two months.
Substitutions
Substitute the orange blossom water for vanilla, or any other essence you like or have on hand. You can also omit the orange blossom water, and swap in the zest of one small orange.
The dried cranberries can be changed for any other dried fruit you like.
Swap an equal amount of any other chopped nuts for the pistachios if you want.
Dark chocolate and milk chocolate are good substitutes for the white chocolate.
More Holiday Cookie Recipes!
Vegan Gingerbread Cookie Ornaments
Double Chocolate Spelt Cookies With Coconut
Gluten-free Linzer Cookies (vegan)
Chocolate Shortbread Sandwich Cookies With Peppermint Cream
Recipe
Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread With White Chocolate
Description
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons or a digital kitchen scale
- baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Large bowl
- Whisk
- Long sharp knife
- Wire rack
Ingredients
- 1-½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
- ¼ cup dried cranberries, chopped
- ¼ cup unsalted pistachios, chopped, raw, and shelled
- ¼ cup white chocolate, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC) and have a standard half-sheet 17-¼ x 12-14 inches (44 x 31-cm) baking sheet ready. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, and salt.
- Add the melted butter and orange blossom water to the flour mixture and stir until all of the dry ingredients are combined.
- Fold in the chopped dried cranberries, pistachios, and white chocolate. Stir until well combined.
- Place the sheet of parchment paper on a work surface and dump the shortbread dough on top.
- Gather the dough into a rough disc with your hands. Using your fingertips, gently press the dough all over, working it into a smooth round disc.
- Still using your fingertips, continue to work the dough gently, shaping it into a rectangle shape, about 7 x 8-inches (18 x 20-cm) in size and ¼-inch (6-mm) thick.
- A bench scraper or the edge of a long knife can help create straight edges as you go.
- Once the shortbread dough is pressed into shape, gently slide your hand under the parchment paper and transfer the shortbread dough to the baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the pre-heated oven and bake the shortbread slab for 33 to 35 minutes, or until the dough is lightly golden around the edges.
- Remove the shortbread from the oven and carefully transfer the hot cookie slab, still on the parchment paper, to a cutting board (we used two large spatulas to do this).
- Using a long, sharp knife, slice the cookie slab into individual squares or rectangles while still hot.
- Transfer the sliced shortbread cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely before serving or packaging as gifts.
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