I like to make bold statements, so I will say this – Shortbread is the greatest cookie of all! The ingredient list is so unbelievably simple, yet it tastes divine. It is a traditional Scottish cookie made with butter, sugar, and flour. Since it is so rich and buttery, it just melts in your mouth.
I only bake shortbread cookies in December for the holidays, making a few batches of different flavor combinations to share with neighbors and friends. I allow myself one shortbread most of December: it’s my indulgent treat 😊
Here I am sharing with you my favorite shortbread combination – Cranberry and Pistachio. This one is a staple in our holiday baking. No matter what other flavors I try, I always make this. Anyone who gets these Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies, loves them, and wants to make sure they are getting it again next year!
Ingredients used to make Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
- 1 cup, 2 sticks (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup raw, unsalted pistachios
How to make Cranberry Pistachio Shortbreads
- Chop the cranberries and pistachios in small pieces. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar and salt for 1-2 minutes till well combined. Add flour and mix to combine. The dough should come together nicely, but if it does not, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk. Add the chopped cranberries and pistachios and mix.
- Divide the dough into two and form 2 logs. Wrap the logs in saran wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 F degrees.
- When ready to bake, slice the shortbread log in ½ inch circles. Don’t worry, if the circles are a little crumbly. Just put the pieces back together. Place about 12 cookies on 1 cookie sheet. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 18-20 minutes. The edges of the cookies should be slightly golden brown.
- Remove from oven and cool the coolies completely on a cookie rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Recipe tips to make Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
- For this recipe, I like to hand chop the cranberries and pistachios. I find that using a food processor makes really fine pieces and I like to control the size. The red and green are speckled throughout the cookie and look very festive for the holidays.
- This recipe is for slice and bake cookies which are such a huge time saver during the holidays when we all have a million things to do. You can make the shortbread dough up to a month in advance, tightly wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. When ready to bake cookies, remove the logs from the refrigerator an hour prior, slice, and bake. How easy is that! You can make shortbread cookie doughs of different flavors and refrigerate them whenever you have time at the end of November or early December. Such a huge time saver!
What you see in the pictures above:
- Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread cookie dough rolled in a log.
- Sliced cookie dough log.
FAQs- Cranberry Pistachio Cookies
Yes, absolutely. Just replace regular butter with vegan butter and you have vegan shortbread cookies.
Yes, absolutely. From the recipe, make cookie dough and form 2 logs. Tightly wrap in plastic and parchment paper to avoid freezer burns. Freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. When ready to slice and bake, de-frost it in the refrigerator overnight and follow directions in the recipe.
This recipe is for cranberry and pistachio shortbread, but you can certainly omit them and use mix-ins (nuts or fruits) of your choice. Keep the total mix-ins to no more than 1 cup.
Tools I use to make Pistachio Cranberry Shortbread
Some other holiday baking favorite cookie recipes
Chocolate dipped Custard cookies
Eggless Strawberry Thumbprint Cookies
Recipe Card- Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Rich, buttery cookie studded with bright red cranberries and green pistachios.
32-35 cookies
servings20
minutes18
minutesIngredients
1 cup (2 sticks, 226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups All- Purpose flour
2/3 cup White Sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raw unsalted pistachios
Method
- Hand chop the cranberries and pistachios in smaller pieces. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar and salt for 1-2 minutes till well combined.
- Add flour and mix to combine. The dough should come together nicely, but if it does not, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk. Add the chopped cranberries and pistachios and mix.
- Divide the dough into two and form 2 logs. Wrap the logs in saran wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 F degrees.
- When ready to bake, slice the shortbread log in ½ inch circles. Don’t worry, if the circles are a little crumbly. Just put the pieces back together. Place about 12 cookies on 1 cookie sheet. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 18-20 minutes. The edges of the cookies should be slightly golden brown.
- Remove from oven and cool the cookies completely on a cookie rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Recipe Video
Tips
- You can refrigerate the shortbread logs (tightly wrapped in plastic) for up to a month. When ready to bake cookies, remove the log from the refrigerator an hour prior, slice and bake.
- For this recipe, I like to hand chop the cranberries and pistachios. I find that using a food processor makes really fine pieces and I like to control the size.
Can you store for more two to three weeks.
Hi Sonam, it is best fresh for 4-5 days after baking, stored in an airtight container. If you want to store longer, you can out it in a tight ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Hello, I have a lot of salted pistachio’s.csn I use them in this recipe and omit the salt?
Thank you
Hi Payal- Unfortunately salted pistachios do not work well in baked goods. The tiny bit of salt in baking is to flavor the dough. The salted pistachios will taste very salty in the recipe in my opinion.