Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

Total Time Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch

Yield about 5 dozen

Imagine a homemade cookie with two distinctly different flavors in different parts of the dough. Our cranberry orange shortbread cookies are just that, with bands of cranberry and nuts in one portion, orange in the other. They're also an attention grabber with their "how can this be homemade?" look.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped pecans
8 to 10 drops red food coloring, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Transfer 1 cup dough to a small bowl; stir in orange zest and set aside. To the remaining dough, add cranberries, pecans and, if desired, food coloring; divide in half.
Line an 8x4-in. loaf pan with waxed paper. Press 1 portion of cranberry dough evenly into pan; top with orange dough, then remaining cranberry dough. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
Remove dough from pan; cut in half lengthwise. Cut each portion into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake at 375° until edges begin to brown, 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 90 calories, 4g fat (2g saturated fat), 15mg cholesterol, 41mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.

These are among my family's favorite cookies around Christmas. The cran-orange flavor makes them special. —Nancy Rollag, Kewaskum, Wisconsin

Recipe Creator