Cranberry Sauce with Orange Thumbprint Cookies Recipe
Buttery shortbread and tart cranberry filling, holiday cookies that will become your favorite.
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Equipment
- mixing bowls
- hand or stand mixer
- spatula or wooden spoon
- Microplane or fine grater
- measuring cups and spoons
- baking sheet
- wire cooling rack
- Microwave-safe bowl or double boiler
- Piping bag, spoon, or fork
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup coconut sugar (or fine cane sugar)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp sea salt fine
- 1 tsp cardamom freshly ground if possible
- 1 tbsp orange zest about 1 medium orange
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup cranberry sauce
- 2 oz white chocolate chopped or chips
- 1 tsp neutral oil cocnut oil or cocoa butter
Instructions
- In the large bowl of your stand mixer, beat 1 cup unsalted butter and ½ cup coconut sugar on medium speed until creamy and smooth.
- Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tbsp orange zest.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp cardamom, and ¼ tsp sea salt.
- Gradually, using low speed, add the flour mixture into the butter mixture until a soft dough forms. It should hold together but not be sticky.
- Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. This helps the cookies keep their shape. Alternatively, you can first form the dough balls and refrigerate them before shaping.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scoop about 1 tbsp of dough per cookie and roll them into smooth 1-inch balls.
- Place the balls 2 inches apart on the prepared parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Use your thumb (or the back of a small measuring spoon) to press a shallow well in the center of each ball.
- Chill the shaped cookies another 10 minutes in the fridge if your dough has softened while rolling — this prevents spreading.
- Spoon about a teaspoon of ½ cup cranberry sauce into each thumbprint well. Don’t overfill; a little mound is perfect.
- Bake for 12–14 minutes, until the edges are light golden brown but the cookies remain pale on top.
- Let cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt 2 oz white chocolate with 1 tsp neutral oil or coconut oil in a double boiler or microwave (stir every 20–30 seconds to prevent burning).
- Once melted and smooth, use a spoon or a small piping bag to drizzle chocolate over cooled cookies.
- Let the chocolate set at room temperature or pop them into the fridge for 5–10 minutes.
Notes
Room temp butter is key — too cold, and it’s hard to cream; too soft, and cookies spread too much.
Chill the dough after shaping for neater thumbprints.
Cranberry sauce texture - if your leftover sauce is very runny, reduce it in a small saucepan over low heat for 5–10 minutes until slightly thickened.
Nutrition
Serving: 2piecesCalories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 3gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 69mgPotassium: 47mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 481IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
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