Cranberry Orange Cookies

Cranberries and orange is a wonderful flavor combination for the holidays whether it is Thanksgiving or Christmas. The addition of pistachio nuts is an added bonus.  I think you will like these little cookies.  They are full of flavor.

You should keep dried cranberries in your pantry because they are great to cook with, snack on and they are good for you as well.

The first thing you want to do is make the orange sugar.  Start with 1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel.  Use a microplan to zest the orange.  I didn't measure the zest.

This looks like a nice heaping teaspoon of zest.

Add it to the sugar

Toss the zest in the sugar, and set aside.

Then in another bowl, add 3/4 cup softened butter and 1 cup of sugar

1 egg

Beat well and then add 2 cups of all purpose flour.  Add one at a time and mix well between cups.

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon freshly grated orange peel.  I didn't measure this again.  Just eye balled it.

Chop 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries.

Chop 1/2 cup pistachio nuts.  I guess if you do not like these nuts you could leave them out or substitute  pecans.

Mix well. The orange makes it smell so good.

Roll the dough into small balls.

Then roll them in the orange sugar.

Place on a parchment lined cookies sheet.

When you get the sheet filled,

using a glass fatten the cookies.  The sugar will help keep the cookie from sticking to the glass.

Place in a preheated 350 oven.  Bake for about 7-11 minutes until lightly browned.

Fresh from the oven.  They smell so good.  A nice addition to the holiday cookies.

Cranberry Orange Cookie Recipe

Orange sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon orange peel

Mix and set aside.

Cookies

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter softened

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup dried cranberries chopped

1/2 cup pistachio nuts chopped

1 Tablespoon grated orange peel.

Preheat oven 350.  Bake for 7-11 minutes.