Orange Shortbread with Cranberry Frosting is a delicious butter cookie loaded with orange zest and topped with a frosting made with cranberry syrup.
On the 11th day of Christmas, My Casual Pantry baked for me…
Orange Shortbread with Cranberry Frosting
These cookies have quickly become a new family favorite. Orange and cranberry is a classic holiday flavor combination. These shortbread cookies are filled with tons of orange zest and topped with a pretty cranberry frosting. The citrus is bright and the cranberry is tart. Absolutely scrumptious!
Shortbread dough
First, this dough needs to chill for eight hours, so making these cookies takes a little planning. For the dough, you will need the following ingredients:
- butter
- granulated sugar
- egg yolk
- milk
- vanilla extract
- flour
- baking powder
- salt
- zest of two oranges
After mixing the dough, shape it into a log about 2 inches in diameter and cover in plastic wrap to chill. Next, slice the dough into 1/4 inch slices and bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once the cookies are cool, decorate with glaze or frosting.
Cranberry Glaze and Frosting
I’m including recipes for both cranberry glaze and cranberry frosting in this post. The only difference is the amount of powdered sugar.
To make the glaze and frosting, you will need these ingredients:
- fresh cranberries
- granulated sugar
- powdered sugar
- orange juice
The first step is to make the cranberry syrup. Add fresh cranberries, water, and granulated sugar to a saucepan. Then, simmer over medium-low heat until the cranberries soften and start to break apart. Strain the mixture, pressing with a spatula to squeeze out all the cranberry goodness. Use the syrup immediately or refrigerate for later.
Cranberry Glaze
For the glaze, add cranberry syrup, freshly squeezed orange juice, and powdered sugar to a bowl. Whisk until smooth, adding additional orange juice if needed to achieve a glaze consistency. Then, drizzle or pour the glaze over the shortbread.
Cranberry Frosting
Next for the frosting, follow the same process, adding an additional cup of powdered sugar to achieve a spreading consistency. Add more powdered sugar if a thicker frosting is desired. Then, spread the frosting on the shortbread cookies.
(Note: In the picture below, the cookies on the left are frosted; the cookies on the right are drizzled with glaze.)
The cranberries lend such a vibrant, pretty color to the frosting, which makes these cookies a festive addition to a holiday cookie platter. Happy Baking!
Orange Shortbread with Cranberry Frosting
Ingredients
Shortbread dough
- 1 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- zest from 2 oranges
Cranberry Syrup
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
Cranberry Glaze
- 3 tablespoons cranberry syrup
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice (from the zested oranges)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Cranberry Frosting
- 3 tablespoons cranberry syrup
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice (from the zested oranges)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Shortbread dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and sugar and cream together until smooth. Mix in milk, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until incorporated. Mix in orange zest.
- Shape the dough into a log, two inches in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 8 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice dough 1/4 inch thick and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Cranberry Syrup
- Add fresh cranberries, water, and granulated sugar to a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat until cranberries are softened and breaking apart, approx. 7-8 minutes.
- Strain the mixture into a bowl, using the back of a spatula to press the mixture to extract all of the cranberry juice/syrup. Let cool. Syrup can be used immediately or refrigerated for later use.
Cranberry Glaze
- Add cranberry syrup, orange juice, and powdered sugar to a bowl. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. If necessary, add more orange juice or powdered sugar to thin or thicken the glaze as desired. The glaze should be a drizzling consistency.
Cranberry Frosting
- Add cranberry syrup, orange juice, and powdered sugar to a bowl. Whisk until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. If necessary, add more orange juice or powdered sugar to thin or thicken the frosting as desired. The frosting should be a spreadable consistency.
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