Cranberry Almond Orange Cookies

 

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Cranberry Almond Orange Cookies

These inviting cookies just say festive holiday baking to me. With familiar flavors of dried fruit and nuts plus a bold citrus taste, they evoke memories of Christmases past in a taste combination that's absolutely delectable. Sit down and enjoy these with a steaming hot coffee or even a tall glass of cold milk. I'm sure Santa wouldn't take too much convincing to gobble down a couple on Christmas Eve either.

The royal icing on top hardens completely and holds up well to freezing. I think it adds a nice decorative touch but it is of course optional if you'd rather not do this additional last step.

Cranberry Almond Orange Cookies

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Cranberry Almond Orange Cookies - a delicious festive collision of flavors that can be enjoyed at any time of the year.

Prep time: Approximately 20 minutes
Cook time: 12-14 minutes
Total time: About 30 minutes not including chilling time for the cookie dough.
Yield: About 1 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• zest of one orange orange, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup tiasted slivered almonds
• FOR THE ROYAL ICING
• 1 large egg white
• About 1 1/4 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
• pinch cream of tartar

Directions

1. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
2. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla well.
3. Beat in the egg.
4. Fold in the flour until a dough begins to form.
5. When the flour is almost incorporated into the dough add the cranberries, orange zest and almonds and fold in completely.Don't overwork the dough, or it will get tough.
6. Form the dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or two. (Note: This dough can be kept in the fridge for a few days, allowing you to bake off a few at a time if you like, to enjoy oven fresh cookies at any time. You can also freeze the dough log and thaw it in the fridge overnight to bake your cookies the next day.)
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
8. With a very sharp knife, cut the cookie dough in 1/4 inch slices and place a couple of inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet.
9. Bake for about 12 minutes or until they begin to brown at the edges. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Drizzle with royal icing (optional).
11. TO MAKE THE ROYAL ICING beat together the egg white, cream of tartar and about 1 cup of the icing sugar until light and fluffy.
12. Beat in the remaining icing sugar a tablespoon at a time until the icing reaches a spreadable consistency.
13. Use a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off to drizzle the icing over the surface of the cookie or just spread it on thinly with a small spatula if you prefer.