Cranberry Orange Cookies

What would Thanksgiving be without cranberry-orange relish? Just a big turkey dinner, in my opinion. Cranberry-orange relish comes together in a snap and its fresh flavors easily outshine that of its canned, jellied cousin. Tart and bright-tasting, it adds pizzazz to leftover turkey sandwiches and even tastes great on vanilla ice cream. And the flavors of cranberry and orange are perfect together in a cookie. This week’s cookie recipe uses dried cranberries and orange zest to make tasty, buttery cookies that are perfect to have on hand for the holidays. Make them a day or so ahead of time and let kids decorate them, with ready-made frosting or the orange icing recipe included below. Enjoy the flavors of cranberry and orange throughout your Thanksgiving meal.

Ann
Ann Clark, Ltd.

Cranberry-Orange Cookies
Makes about 15
Processing the cranberries with part of the sugar and the orange zest helps to distribute the flavor evenly throughout the dough.

Process in food processor until finely ground, about 20 seconds:
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Add and pulse to blend, about 20 pulses:
1/4 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange

Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar

Add and beat until completely incorporated:
1 egg

Whisk together, then add and beat in:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add and beat until just incorporated:
1 tablespoon orange juice
   
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 3 to 4 hours before rolling. Preheat oven to 350º.  Roll dough out on a lightly floured counter to 1/4-inch thickness and cut with your favorite Ann Clark cookie cutters, then transfer cookies onto cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment paper or silicone liners. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly colored. Let cookies cool slightly on cookie sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, frost with Orange Icing, below.

Orange Icing
Melt 6 tablespoons unsalted butter and blend with 2 tablespoons orange juice. Stir into 3 cups confectioners’ sugar until completely smooth. Tint frosting with orange food coloring, if desired, and spread on cookies.

My favorite shapes for Cranberry-Orange Cookies include the Turkey cookie cutter, the Maple Leaf cookie cutter, and the Pumpkin cookie cutter.