Description
Festive Sugarplum Cranberry Delight Cookies blend sweet and tart winter flavors into a magical holiday treat. Delicate crumbles melt on your palate, leaving behind a delightful memory of seasonal comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling
Fruit Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups frozen cranberries
- ½ cup Craisins dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ cup orange juice, divided
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Thaw the frozen cranberries at room temperature or gently warm them in the microwave, ensuring they are soft and pliable without losing their vibrant color.
- Purée the cranberries with orange juice and zest in a food processor until smooth, creating a vibrant crimson mixture that will infuse the cookies with tangy brightness.
- Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until the texture becomes light, airy, and pale, creating a foundation for a tender cookie.
- Incorporate the cranberry-orange purée into the butter mixture, blending thoroughly to distribute the fruity essence evenly throughout the dough.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, then gently fold into the wet ingredients, mixing just until a cohesive dough forms to prevent toughness.
- Delicately fold dried cranberries into the dough, distributing them evenly for bursts of concentrated fruit flavor.
- Wrap the dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the butter to firm up.
- Preheat the oven and line baking sheets with parchment paper, creating a non-stick surface for perfect cookie release.
- Roll chilled dough into small spheres, coating each in granulated sugar for a sparkling, crisp exterior.
- Bake until edges turn a delicate golden hue, watching carefully to prevent over-browning.
- Let cookies rest briefly on the baking sheet to set, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling, allowing them to develop a delightful crisp-tender texture.
Notes
- Cranberry Preparation Tip: Thaw frozen cranberries slowly in the refrigerator overnight or use gentle warming techniques to preserve their vibrant flavor and texture.
- Fruit Mixture Consistency: Blend cranberries with orange juice and zest until smooth, ensuring a balanced and intensely fruity base for the cookies.
- Butter Creaming Technique: Whip room temperature butter and sugar until light and fluffy, creating a smooth foundation for a perfectly textured cookie.
- Dough Handling Advice: Chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes to prevent spreading and enhance the cookies’ shape and flavor development.
- Baking Precision: Bake at 400°F for 8-10 minutes, watching carefully to achieve a delicate golden edge without over-browning the delicate cookies.
- Cooling Process: Allow cookies to rest briefly on the baking sheet before transferring to wire racks, ensuring they set properly and maintain their delightful texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes (per batch)
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg