For a really refreshing take on traditional holiday flavors, Holiday Cookies are perhaps your best bet! The hints of sunny, vibrant orange and the chunks of sweet, tart cranberry in a tender vanilla cookie encapsulate the Christmas season’s light side! The snowy-sparkling orange glaze highlights how wonderful bringing a little citrus flavor to the dessert table can be. Holiday Cookies are the type of treat that you’ll be craving all through the rest of the year!
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, plus 2 teaspoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
For the glaze:
- 1 cup icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 –Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 3 –In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and the granulated sugar and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Step 4 –Add the egg, the orange zest, 2 tablespoons of the orange juice, and the vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture and mix until well-combined, about 1 minute. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Step 5 –Add the flour, the baking soda, and the salt to the butter mixture and mix on low until just combined.
Step 6 –Fold in the chopped cranberries.
Step 7 –Using a medium cookie scoop, equaling about 2 tablespoons of dough per ball, portion out the cookie dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Step 8 –Bake the cookies until the edges are slightly golden, about 9-11 minutes. Do not over-bake.
Step 9 –Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Step 10 –In a medium-sized bowl, add the icing sugar and the remaining orange juice and whisk to combine.
Step 11 –Using a teaspoon, drizzle the glaze over each cookie. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
Step 12 –Serve.
