Delight in these Sparkling Sugarplum Cranberry Cookies, bursting with the fresh tartness of cranberries and the bright citrus notes of orange zest. Soft, buttery, and studded with dried cranberries, these festive cookies are perfect for holiday gatherings or any time you crave a sweet and tangy treat.
Total Time:3 hours 10 minutes
Yield:24 cookies
Ingredients
Fruit Mixture
1 ½ cups frozen cranberries
1 teaspoon orange zest
¼ cup orange juice, divided
Dough
⅔ cup unsalted butter
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder aluminum free
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup Craisins dried cranberries
Instructions
Thaw cranberries: Measure the frozen cranberries and allow them to defrost at room temperature for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator until soft and juicy. For quicker thawing, gently heat the cranberries over low heat on the stovetop or in short intervals in the microwave.
Blend fruit mixture: Add thawed cranberries with all their juices to a food processor or high-powered blender along with 2 tablespoons of orange juice and the orange zest. Blend until smooth. Measure ⅔ cup of this cranberry-orange mixture, adding more orange juice if necessary to reach that amount.
Whip butter and sugar: Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, whip the room temperature unsalted butter with granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Incorporate cranberry mixture: Add the cranberry-orange mixture to the whipped butter and sugar mixture and continue whipping on high speed until fully emulsified and incorporated.
Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix dough: Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredients to the cranberry butter mixture, mixing gently to avoid overworking the dough. Once combined, fold in the dried Craisins cranberries.
Chill dough: Cover the cookie dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until stiff and no longer slack, at least 30 minutes.
Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape and coat cookies: Using a cookie scoop or spoon, form small balls of dough. Roll each dough ball in granulated sugar or sparkling sugar until fully coated. Place on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake cookies: Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until they are lightly golden around the edges but not browned.
Cool cookies: Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool slightly on the baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
For best results, allow cranberries to thaw naturally to maximize juice release and flavor.
You can substitute sparkling sugar for a festive, glittering appearance.
Make sure not to overmix the dough to keep the cookies tender.
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Use aluminum-free baking powder to avoid any metallic taste.
Author:Millie
Prep Time:10 minutes plus several hours or overnight thawing
