Cranberry Walnut Shortbread Cookies
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
10 mins
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Total Time
30 mins
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Servings
60 cookies
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Calories
64 kcal
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Course
Dessert
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Cuisine
International
Cranberry Walnut Shortbread Cookies
Description
This recipe for Cranberry Walnut Shortbread Cookies starts with a classic shortbread dough made by creaming room-temperature unsalted butter with brown sugar and vanilla, creating a smooth base. Flour and salt are incorporated until a soft dough forms. Chopped fresh cranberries and toasted walnuts are folded in, offering a balance of tartness and deep nut flavor.
The dough is divided, shaped into balls, and can be chilled before rolling out thinly between parchment papers to prevent sticking. Rolling to about a quarter-inch thickness allows the cookies to develop the expected crumbly yet sturdy shortbread texture. Using a cookie cutter, rounds are prepared and baked at 350°F until edges gently brown, providing subtle color and crispness.
The resulting cookies have a tender crumb with bursts of juicy cranberries and crunch from walnuts toasted to enhance their warmth and flavor. These cookies hold shape well when dough is chilled, making them suitable for gift-giving or seasonal baking.
Chilling the dough before and after rolling helps maintain cookie shape, and toasting walnuts either in the oven or on the stove enhances their flavor but requires careful attention to avoid burning. Fresh cranberries are suggested for best fruit flavor and texture, typically more available in cooler months.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter at room temperature, unsalted
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cranberries chopped, fresh
- 1 cup walnuts toasted, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
- Using a mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
- Add flour and salt and beat until a soft dough forms.
- Stir in cranberries and walnuts.
- Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a ball.
- At this point, you can wrap the balls in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to a week, or freezer for up to a month.
- Between two sheets of parchment paper, roll out dough, one ball at a time, to ¼ inch thick.
- Using a cookie cutter, cut into rounds and transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in center of the oven for 10 minutes, or until edges turn golden.
- Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Notes
- Chill dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling to help cookies keep their shape during baking.
- Toast walnuts in the oven or on the stovetop to enhance their flavor; watch closely to prevent burning.
- Use fresh cranberries when possible for better taste and texture, especially in the winter season.
- After cutting cookies, chill them again on baking sheets for 30 minutes before baking for better edges.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 60cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 64 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1g | |
| Calories | 64kcal | 3% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Fat | 4g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 8mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 20mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 18mg | 0% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 95IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 0.2mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 6mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.3mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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