Tangy, sweet cranberry cookies are packed with holiday flavors. These holiday cookies are full of fresh red cranberries, orange zest and pecans. They freeze well and travel like the champs they are - which makes them the perfect cookie for sharing with friends and family.
Grease baking sheets or cover with parchment paper.
Beat together room-temperature butter and sugars until creamy.
Stir in orange juice and egg. Set aside.
Stir together dry ingredients.
Mix flour mixture into the butter mixture.
Stir in nuts and cranberries.
Drop dough by tablespoons about 2" apart on prepared cookie sheets.
If you are making these to bake later flash freeze them by placing the unbaked cookies on the cookie sheet and putting them in the freezer. When frozen add them to freezer bags.
Bake 10-15 minutes.
Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet, then remove to wire cooling racks to cool completely.
Drizzle the glaze over the top when cool.
Glaze
Mix glaze ingredients until smooth and drizzle on cookies.
Notes
Expert Tip: These freeze beautifully! I like to drop them on the cookie sheet then put the in the freezer. When they're completely frozen drop the frozen cookie dough into a freezer container. I can have fresh cookies in minutes with no mess!
Walnuts are traditional in these - we just like pecans better. Macadamia nuts are also good.
The orange glaze is completely optional.
Don't chop the cranberries too finely or you'll have pink cookies with no texture.
The 2 ½ cups of flour works perfectly for me but if you think the dough is too soft or it runs together stir in an extra ¼ - ½ cup of flour.
If you will be shipping these overseas substitute dried cranberries for the fresh ones. They'll stay fresh longer.
Buy cranberries in season and freeze the bag for use later in the year.
Good, ripe cranberries will bounce, so bounceberry is an old fashioned name for them. This is because the berries have pockets of air inside - which also cause them to float. That's your trivia for today.