Bring your home the festive flavours of the season with our Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread recipe. This delightful dessert recipe offers a delightful combination of buttery goodness, the tangy sweetness of cranberries, and the nutty crunch of pistachios. With a hint of fresh orange zest, each bite is a celebration of holiday tastes, built upon the classic, rich base of traditional shortbread. Slice, bake, and enjoy the warmth of these enticing treats, possibly dipped in white chocolate for an extra flourish.
Instructions for Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread
Ingredients:
- Butter: It’s crucial to use 100% real butter with no substitutions to achieve the classic, buttery shortbread flavor.
- Sugar: The recipe is designed with a minimal amount of sugar since the butter already imparts a rich taste.
- Flour: The right amount of flour is essential. The suggestion is to whisk the flour first, spoon it into a dry measuring cup, and level off the top for an accurate measure. You can use a weight scale for the most accuracy.
- Flavor Add-ins:
- Fresh orange zest
- Dried cranberries (roughly chopped)
- Pistachios (roughly chopped)
Instructions:
- Prepare Flavor Add-Ins: Roughly chop the cranberries and pistachios. This is important to prevent the cookies from falling apart if the pieces are too large.
- Mix the Dough: Combine the butter, sugar, and flour based on traditional shortbread recipes, then incorporate the orange zest, cranberries, and pistachios.
- Forming the Logs: Divide the dough into two equal parts, then form each half into a dense, tight log about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. It’s important to compress the dough firmly as you shape each log to avoid air pockets.
- Chilling: Wrap each log in wax paper or parchment, twisting the ends securely. Refrigerate the logs for at least 4 hours; this step is crucial for the dough to firm up and slice neatly.
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Baking: After chilling, unwrap each log and slice into 1/4 inch thick cookies. The exact baking temperature and time are not provided, so you might want to start checking them around 10-12 minutes into baking at a standard shortbread temperature of 350°F (175°C) until lightly golden.
- Optional White Chocolate Dip: For an extra touch, you can dip half of each baked and cooled cookie into melted white chocolate.
Tips:
- Dough Consistency: After feedback indicating the original dough was too dry and difficult to work with, the recipe has been updated as of December 1, 2023, to adjust for this. Ensure the dough is neither too crumbly nor too sticky for the best results.
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