Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
🍪 Dough
- 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
🌰 Mix-ins
- ½ cup dried cranberries (chopped if large)
- ½ cup pistachios, chopped
🔥 Instructions
1. Cream butter & sugar
- In a bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy
- Add vanilla and mix again
👉 This gives shortbread its tender, melt-in-mouth texture.
2. Add dry ingredients
- Mix in flour and salt gradually
- Stir until a soft dough forms
3. Fold in mix-ins
- Gently add cranberries and pistachios
- Mix until evenly distributed
4. Shape the dough
Option A (slice & bake):
- Roll dough into a log
- Wrap in plastic and chill for 1–2 hours
- Slice into rounds
Option B (cut-out style):
- Roll dough and cut shapes
- Chill before baking
5. Bake
- Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F)
- Place cookies on lined baking tray
- Bake for 12–15 minutes until edges are lightly golden
6. Cool
- Let cookies cool completely on a rack
- They will firm up as they cool
🍽️ Serving Ideas
- Serve with tea or coffee
- Great for holiday cookie boxes
- Dip half in melted white chocolate for extra richness
💡 Pro Tips
- Don’t overmix once flour is added—keeps cookies tender
- Chill dough well for clean slices and better texture
- Use unsalted pistachios for balanced flavor
- Slightly underbake for softer shortbread
🔄 Variations
- Add orange zest for citrus aroma
- Swap cranberries for dried cherries
- Drizzle with white or dark chocolate
- Add almond extract for deeper flavor
