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.
Servings: 32 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!