Description
A festive, chewy cookie loaded with dried cranberries and bright orange — made simple with clear, step-by-step directions.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (King Arthur recommended)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest (about one large orange)
- 2 cups dried cranberries, chopped if large
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Glaze
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest (finely grated)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture lightens in color and becomes slightly fluffy.
- Add the egg, the 2 tablespoons of orange juice, and the orange zest to the butter mixture. Mix until everything is well combined and smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add this dry mix to the wet ingredients, stirring until a cohesive dough forms.
- Fold the dried cranberries into the dough by hand, making sure they’re evenly spread throughout.
- Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to drop rounded portions of dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for gentle spreading.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the cookie edges are lightly golden while the centers remain soft. Remove the sheets from the oven and let the cookies rest on the pans for 2 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
- While the cookies cool, whisk together the glaze: combine powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons orange juice, and 1/2 teaspoon finely grated zest until smooth and pourable.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies and allow it to set. For quicker setting, place the iced cookies in the freezer briefly.
- Store the finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll keep well for several days.