• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Curly Girl Kitchen
  • about
  • faqs
  • recipes
  • portfolio
  • work with me
  • contact
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Cranberry Pecan Shortbread Cookies with Orange Icing

December 22, 2021 by Heather Smoke 2 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Soft and buttery cranberry pecan shortbread cookies, flecked with dried sweetened cranberries, pecans and candied orange peel, and drizzled with orange icing. The combination of flavors in these delicious cookies is so perfect for Christmas!

Looking for more holiday cookie recipes? Don’t miss these brown butter pecan biscotti, Christmas tree sugar cookies, and Linzer cookies with bourbon cherry jam.

A stack of cranberry pecan shortbread cookies tied with twine.

This site contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  This means that I may make a small commission if you purchase a product using those links.  This in no way affects my opinion of those products and services.  All opinions expressed on this site are my own.

Why You’ll Love These Cookies

Easy to Make. This cookie dough comes together quickly and easily in a food processor. But if you don’t have one, you can still make it in a bowl with a pastry cutter.

Perfect for Gifting. Shortbread has a long shelf life, and freezes well, making it perfect for wrapping up to gift to friends, family and neighbors.

Versatile. Instead of pecans, try walnuts, macadamia nuts, or even pistachios. Dried apricots or cherries would be fantastic instead of the dried cranberries. And if you don’t want to roll out and cut your cookies, you can easily adapt the recipe for a slice-and-bake cookie.

Cranberry pecan shortbread cookies with orange icing and sprinkled with candied orange peel.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Cookies

  • Flour. All-purpose flour gives the cookies structure and strength.
  • Sugar. Use powdered sugar, rather than granulated sugar. The finer texture makes a more tender cookie.
  • Salt. Balances the sweetness.
  • Spices. Nutmeg and cloves add warmth and complement the flavor of the dried fruit and nuts.
  • Butter. Gives shortbread its signature soft, tender, crumbly texture.
  • Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
  • Milk. Moistens the dough and binds it together.
  • Add-ins. Dried sweetened cranberries, candied orange peel and raw pecans add texture, crunch, and so much flavor.

Icing

  • Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the icing.
  • Orange Juice. Thins the icing to your desired consistency and adds flavor.
  • Toppings. Finely chopped pecans, dried cranberries and candied orange peel add extra flavor, and make the cookies look so pretty sprinkled on top.
Ingredients for making cranberry pecan shortbread cookies.
Cranberry pecan shortbread cookies with orange icing.

Instructions

Make the cookie dough.

  • In your food processor, pulse the flour, powdered sugar, salt, nutmeg and cloves until combined.
  • With the processor running, drop in the pieces of butter, one at at time, pulsing a few times until the butter is evenly distributed, and the dough is moistened and crumbly.
  • Add the dried cranberries, pecans and candied orange peel. Drizzle with the vanilla and milk, then process until the dough starts to stick together.
  • Dump the dough out onto a clean counter and use your hands to finish bringing the dough together, kneading in any stray bits of flour. The dough should be soft, smooth and supple.

TIP: If you don’t have a food processor, you can make the dough in a bowl with a pastry cutter to cut in the butter, then use your hands to work in the liquid. Using a food processor will chop the nuts and dried fruit more finely, as well, so if you want larger chunks in your cookies, you should finish the dough by hand.

Cookie dough flecked with chopped cranberries and pecans.

Roll out the dough and cut the cookies.

  • Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  • Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with sheets of parchment paper.
  • On a lightly floured surface, place the disk of dough, and dust the top of the dough with flour, too. Roll out to an even thickness of 1/4 inch thick.
  • Use any size/shape cookie cutters to cut as many cookies as you can, placing the cut cookies 1-2 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheets. Using a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter, you’ll get about 32 cookies from this recipe.
  • Gather up the scraps of dough, roll them out again, and continue cutting as many cookies as you can.
  • Place the baking sheets with the cut cookies in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour. Chilling the cut cookies helps to ensure they don’t spread and hold their shape perfectly while baking.

Bake the cookies.

  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Bake the chilled cookies on the center oven rack for about 11 1/2 – 12 minutes. The tops should be a very pale golden with no dark browning, and you should see tiny flaky layers around the edges. If you (very carefully) turn a cookie over with a spatula, the bottom should have light golden browning, with no appearance of raw or wet dough.
  • Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the pan, then very gently transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Shortbread cookies are delicate when warm, so handle with care.

Drizzle with icing.

  • In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth and drizzly. You can dip one half of the cookies in the icing, scraping the excess off the bottom, or just use a spoon to drizzle or spread it on top of the cookies. Set the iced cookies on a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet to catch the drips.
  • After icing the cookies, wait 30-60 seconds, then sprinkle with the chopped fruit and nuts, before the icing sets. The icing will dry to the touch in a few minutes, but won’t fully set for a few hours.
A cranberry pecan shortbread cookie on a black cooling rack.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance can I make the dough?

After making the dough, wrap it well in plastic wrap. You can refrigerate it for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 3-6 months. Let thaw and come to room temperature so that it’s still cool, but pliable enough to roll out without difficulty.

How should I store the baked cookies?

Store the baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, or frozen for up to 3-6 months.

Can I use walnuts instead of pecans?

Yes, walnuts, macadamia nuts and pistachios are all good alternatives to the pecans. You can also substitute dried apricots, cherries, mango or another dried fruit for the cranberries.

Do I have to add the candied orange peel?

You don’t have to, but I hope you do. It really adds the most wonderful flavor to these cookies. You can buy candied orange peel here, but I also have a really easy recipe for candied orange peel. The last batch I made has been good for well over a year, stored in a glass jar in my pantry. It’s so good added to all kinds of baked goods.

What should I do if I want to slice and bake the cookies, instead of rolling and cutting the dough?

For slice-and-bake shortbread cookies, shape the dough into a circular log, measuring about 2 1/2 – 3 inches in diameter. Wrap the dough well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for several hours, until cold and firm. Unwrap the dough and use a sharp chef’s knife to slice the dough into 1/4 inch thick slices. Bake as instructed.

Cranberry pecan shortbread cookies with orange icing, sprinkled with candied orange peel, next to a bowl of icing.
A cranberry pecan shortbread cookie with a bite taken.

You Might Also Like

  • Candied orange peel in a glass jar.
    Candied Orange Peel
  • Oranges, cranberries and cranberry orange muffins, arranged in a vintage muffin tin.
    Cranberry Orange Muffins
  • A glass jar filled with homemade cranberry jelly.
    Cranberry Jelly
  • Cranberry cake with pink buttercream decorated with sugared cranberries and rosemary.
    Cranberry Christmas Cake

Favorite Products


Did you love today’s recipe? Please rate the recipe and let me know in the comments what you thought! Also, be sure to follow Curly Girl Kitchen on Instagram, and tag me when you try one of my recipes so I can see all your delicious creations!

A stack of cranberry pecan shortbread cookies tied with twine.

Cranberry Pecan Shortbread Cookies with Orange Icing

Heather Smoke
Soft and buttery shortbread cookies, flecked with dried cranberries, pecans and candied orange peel, and drizzled with orange icing.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 12 mins
Chill Time 1 hr 20 mins
Total Time 2 hrs 2 mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Scottish
Servings32 cookies

Equipment

  • Food Processor or Pastry Cutter
  • Rolling Pin, Bench Scraper and Cookie Cutters

Ingredients
 

Cookies

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ tsp ground cloves
  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
  • ½ cup dried sweetened cranberries
  • ½ cup raw pecans
  • 2 tbsp candied orange peel (or 1 tsp freshly grated orange zest)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup cold whole milk

Icing

  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 3 ½ tbsp orange juice
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped pecans
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped dried sweetened cranberries
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped candied orange peel

Instructions
 

Cookies

  • In your food processor, pulse the flour, powdered sugar, salt, nutmeg and cloves until combined.
    With the processor running, drop in the pieces of butter, one at at time, pulsing a few times until the butter is evenly distributed, and the dough is moistened and crumbly.
    Add the dried cranberries, pecans and candied orange peel. Drizzle with the vanilla and milk, then process until the dough starts to stick together.
    Note: If you don't have a food processor, you can make the dough in a bowl with a pastry cutter to cut in the butter, then use your hands to work in the liquid. Using a food processor will chop the nuts and dried fruit more finely, as well, so if you want larger chunks in your cookies, you should finish the dough by hand.
  • Dump the dough out onto a clean counter and use your hands to finish bringing the dough together, kneading in any stray bits of flour. The dough should be soft, smooth and supple.
  • Shape the dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
    Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with sheets of parchment paper.
  • On a lightly floured surface, place the disk of dough, and dust the top of the dough with flour, too. Roll out to an even thickness of 1/4 inch thick.
    Use any size/shape cookie cutters to cut as many cookies as you can, placing the cut cookies 1-2 inches apart on the parchment lined baking sheets. Using a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter, you'll get about 32 cookies from this recipe.
    Gather up the scraps of dough, roll them out again, and continue cutting as many cookies as you can.
  • Place the baking sheets with the cut cookies in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour. Chilling the cut cookies helps to ensure they don't spread and hold their shape perfectly while baking.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
    Bake the chilled cookies on the center oven rack for about 11 1/2 – 12 minutes. The tops should be a very pale golden with no dark browning, and you should see tiny flaky layers around the edges. If you (very carefully) turn a cookie over with a spatula, the bottom should have light golden browning, with no appearance of raw or wet dough.
  • Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the pan, then very gently transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Shortbread cookies are delicate when warm, so handle with care.

Icing

  • In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth and drizzly. You can dip one half of the cookies in the icing, scraping the excess off the bottom, or just use a spoon to drizzle or spread it on top of the cookies. Set the iced cookies on a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet to catch the drips.
  • After icing the cookies, wait 30-60 seconds, then sprinkle with the chopped fruit and nuts, before the icing sets. The icing will dry to the touch in a few minutes, but won't fully set for a few hours.
Keyword Cookies, Cranberry, Cutout Cookies, Orange, Pecan, Shortbread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/

Filed Under: Christmas and Thanksgiving, Christmas Cookies, Cookies

Previous Post: « Spiced Pear Compote
Next Post: High Altitude Cardamom Almond Star Bread »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Donnell

    December 18, 2022 at 7:13 am

    5 stars
    So far, the few things I’ve tried from your website have all turned out beautifully. THIS, however, is my favorite. Such a yummy and pretty cookie! I can’t wait to share them on my cookie plates. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Heather Smoke

      December 18, 2022 at 4:20 pm

      I’m happy you love them! These were some of my favorites when I made them last year.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Welcome

I'm Heather, and welcome to my Colorado kitchen, where you will find high-altitude tested recipes for beautifully photographed cakes, baked goods and sweets. I believe that the kitchen is the heart of a home, and everyone is welcome in mine. So stay a while, sip a cup of coffee, and bake something delicious with me!

A graphic on how to make perfect American buttercream.
A graphic on how to stack, fill, crumb coat and frost layer cakes.

Recipe Index

  • Breads, Biscuits, Muffins and Doughnuts
  • Breakfast
  • Brownies and Bars
  • Cakes
    • Buttercream
    • Cake Decorating
    • Classic Cake Flavors
    • Holiday Themed Cakes
  • Candy and Snacks
  • Cheesecakes
  • Christmas and Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Cakes
    • Christmas Cookies
  • Cookies
  • Crisps, Crumbles, Cobblers and Puddings
  • Cupcakes
  • Drinks
  • Halloween
  • How To Guides and Resources
  • Ice Cream and Frozen Treats
    • Frozen Custard
    • Ice Cream Sandwiches
    • No Churn Ice Cream
    • Popsicles
  • Jams and Sweet Sauces
  • Pies and Tarts
  • Savory
A graphic on how I improved my food photography with Foodtography School.
A graphic on how to make flaky pie dough.

Recent Posts

  • High Altitude Raspberry Vanilla Cake
  • High Altitude Baked Chocolate Espresso Donuts
  • High Altitude Heart Shaped Chocolate Bundt Cake
  • High Altitude Homemade Graham Crackers
  • High Altitude Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes
  • High Altitude Red Velvet Cake Whoopie Pies
  • Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
  • High Altitude Chocolate Sheet Cake
  • Rose Petal Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
  • Homemade Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts

Archives

  • about
  • faqs
  • recipes
  • portfolio
  • work with me
  • contact

Footer

I'm Heather, and welcome to Curly Girl Kitchen, where you will find high-altitude tested recipes for beautifully photographed cakes and sweets. I believe that the kitchen is the heart of a home, and everyone is welcome in mine. So stay a while, sip a cup of coffee, and bake something sweet with me!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Privacy Policy

About

FAQs

Work With Me

Contact

Copyright © 2023 Curly Girl Kitchen on the Foodie Pro Theme