Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies
Elevate your Christmas cookie game with these gorgeous pistachio cranberry icebox cookies! Rolled in chopped pistachios and filled with cranberries, pistachios, and a bit of orange zest, these cookies are full of festive flavor.
These pistachio cranberry icebox cookies are an equally stunning and delicious cookie to bring to your next holiday party! They’re made with festive flavors like cranberries, pistachios, and orange zest, and they’re an easy slice and bake recipe that you can make day-of for a crowd, or freeze and bake whenever you just have a craving. The rolled pistachio edges give these cookies a gorgeous look and an extra crunch, and the hint of orange zest brings a bit of bright flavor! No matter whether you need a recipe for your next cookie swap or you’re leaving cookies out for Santa, these ones are the perfect choice.
Here are some more cookie recipes you’ll love: Peanut Butter Potato Chip Cookies, Blueberry Muffin Cookies, and Chocolate Cherry Amaretto Cookies.
Ingredients & Equipment
You’ll need the following ingredients and equipment to make these pistachio and cranberry icebox cookies:
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Flour
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Dried cranberries
- Pistachios
- Baking powder
- Vanilla extract
- Orange zest
- Salt
Customize This Recipe!
There are a few different ways you can customize this recipe:
- Add some chocolate. Dipping these cookies into melted chocolate (or drizzling some on top) after baking is an easy way to elevate these cookies even more!
- Add more nuts. For even more holiday flavor, mix some more nuts into your chopped pistachios, like hazelnuts or walnuts!
Kitchen Tips:
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe – it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Be sure to roll the dough logs in the chopped pistachios before chilling the dough so the nuts will stay embedded in the dough throughout the slicing and baking processes – plus, it’s easier than trying to roll each sliced cookie in the pistachios while trying to keep their shape.
FAQ
Icebox cookies are thicker and stiffer than your typical cookie dough, so “scooting” them after baking doesn’t always work as well as you’d think. It’s important to make your logs of dough as evenly cylindrical as possible before chilling the dough since the cookies will really hold their shape after slicing and baking!
You can store these icebox cookies in a sealed container in the fridge or at room temperature for about a week, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
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Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 14 tbsp unsalted butter room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg room temp
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chopped dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped pistachios
- zest of 1 small orange
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter & sugar until fluffy, then mix in the egg and vanilla extract on low speed until fully combined.
- Mix in the dry ingredients until fully combined, then lightly mix or fold in the cranberries, ¼ cup chopped pistachios, and orange zest until evenly incorporated throughout the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal portions. Shape both portions into logs, about 2 inches tall and 10 inches long.
- Spread the remaining chopped pistachios on a flat surface and roll each log onto the nuts to coat the outside of each log evenly.
- Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap & chill the cookie dough for at least 2 hours or overnight, until firm enough to slice easily.
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice the log into about 16 equal cookies, then place them evenly on your prepared baking sheet, about 1-2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, until they have slightly spread and the edges are firm.
Notes
- Utilize mise en place! Make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready before you begin making this recipe – it will help save you time and keep you organized.
- Be sure to roll the dough logs in the chopped pistachios before chilling the dough so the nuts will stay embedded in the dough throughout the slicing and baking processes – plus, it’s easier than trying to roll each sliced cookie in the pistachios while trying to keep their shape.
- Add some chocolate. Dipping these cookies into melted chocolate (or drizzling some on top) after baking is an easy way to elevate these cookies even more!
- Add more nuts. For even more holiday flavor, mix some more nuts into your chopped pistachios, like hazelnuts or walnuts!
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