Best Cranberry Icebox Cookies Recipes

PISTACHIO CRANBERRY ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Make dough:
• Stir together flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
• Beat together butter, granulated sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until dough just comes together in clumps, then mix in pistachios and cranberries. Gather and press dough together, then divide into 2 equal pieces. Using a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper as an aid, form each piece of dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Square off long sides of each log to form a bar, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until very firm, at least 2 hours.
• Slice and bake cookies:
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Brush egg over all 4 long sides of bars (but not ends). Sprinkle decorative sugar on a separate sheet of parchment or wax paper and press bars into sugar, coating well.
• Cut each bar crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rotating bar after cutting each slice to help keep square shape. (If dough gets too soft to slice, freeze bars briefly until firm.) Arrange cookies about 1/2 inch apart on lined baking sheets.
• Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are pale golden, 15 to 18 minutes total. Transfer cookies from parchment to racks using a slotted spatula and cool completely.

CRANBERRY ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugars, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in walnuts. Carefully stir in cranberries. Shape into three 7-in. rolls; wrap each roll in waxed paper and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. , Unwrap dough and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

PISTACHIO CRANBERRY OATMEAL ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, then beat in baking powder and soda, spices, and salt until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
• Add flour and mix on low speed until just combined well. Stir in oats, pistachios, and cranberries.
• Divide dough in quarters. Shape each quarter on a large sheet of wax paper, using paper as an aid, into a 9-inch-long log, and wrap up tightly in paper first, then in plastic wrap, twisting ends (like a piece of hard candy). Chill until firm, at least 4 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Work with 1 log at a time, keeping remaining log chilled. If log softens as you work with it, rewrap it and chill or freeze it until firm. Using serrated knife, cut a 1/4-inch-thick slice from log with a sawing motion and place on baking sheet. Continue cutting, arranging slices as cut about 2 inches apart on sheet.
• Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden and set, 8 to 10 minutes total. Cool cookies on baking sheets 1 minute before transferring to racks to cool completely. (Parchment can be reused, but cool baking sheets between batches.)
• If garnishing with a drizzle of melted chocolate, finely chop the chocolate then melt it in microwave at 50 percent power for 30-second intervals, stirring, until smooth. Or, melt the chopped chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.
• Cool chocolate slightly, then put in plastic bag and press out excess air. Snip a tiny opening in bottom corner of bag, then twist bag firmly just above chocolate and drizzle over cookies on racks set over wax paper or a pan. Let cookies stand at cool room temperature until chocolate is set.

CRANBERRY CHERRY ICEBOX RIBBON COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, process the cranberries, jam or preserves, and sugar until coarsely pureed.
• Transfer the mixture to a small, heavy saucepan.
• Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until it just comes to a boil, immediately remove from the heat.
• Let stand until cooled slightly. Stir in the almond extract.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until well chilled, or freeze for 30 minutes, to speed chilling.(the filling may be refrigerated for up to 4 days, return to room temperature before using.
• DOUGH:.
• In a medium bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the sugar and butter until well blended and smooth. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and beat till well blended. Beat or stir in flour mixture just until evenly incorporated. Let the dough stand for 10 minutes, or until firmed up slightly.
• Line a 4 1/2"x8 1/2" loaf pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil overhang the long sides by about 3", this will keep the plastic wrap surrounding the dough from sticking to the pan. On top of the foil, line the pan with two long sheets of plastic wrap laid crosswise, overlapping the middle and overhanging the longer sides by almost 4". Divide the dough into 4 portions. Working on a large sheet of wax paper, roughly pat each portion into the shape of the loaf pan. Pat one dough portion firmly into the pan bottom, forming a smooth, even layer. Using a rubber spatula, spread one third of the filling over the dough in the pan, the filling may seem stiff, but spread it as evenly as possible. Repeat the layers, using all four dough portions and all the fruit filling. Fold the plastic wrap over the dough. Freeze until the loaf is cold and very firm, at least 1 1/2 hours and preferably longer.The dough can then be transferred to a plastic bag and frozen for up to one month.
• Preheat the oven to 350*. Greaze several baking sheets or use nonstick spray.
• Carefully peel the plastic wrap from the loaf. .using a large, sharp knife, trim off and discard the excess dough so the sides of the loaf are straight up and down, rather than flared; wipe the knife clean between cuts (if the loaf is too hard to cut easily, let stand for a few minutes, don't let it thaw too much, or it will be more difficult to slice cleanly. Carefully cut the loaf crosswise into thirds, forming three 2 3/4x4" blocks. Working with one block at a time, keep others refrigerated, cut each third into 1/4" slices to produce 2 3/4" long ribbons, wipe the knife clean between cuts. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the slices to the baking sheets, placing them cut side up about 2" apart. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time in the upper third of the oven, reversing sheets halfway through baking from front to back to ensure even browning for 9-14 minutes or just until slightly darker at the edges. Using a spatula, immediately transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to one month.

PISTACHIO CRANBERRY ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream together: butter, margarine, granulated white sugar and brown sugar.
• Add egg and vanilla and almond extracts. Beat well.
• Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Beat until all are incorporated.
• Stir in the nuts and dried cranberries.
• Place dough onto a lightly floured board - divide in two equal parts.
• Form each half into a square shaped log, about 9" in length. Freeze until hard. Wrap in plastic film until required.
• TO BAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove frozen dough from freezer and slice with a sharp knife into 1/4" slices. Bake on a shiny cookie sheet for 12 to 14 minutes until golden.
• Cool completely on a wire rack.

CRANBERRY PISTACHIO ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Stir together flour, cinnamon and salt. Beat together butter, sugar, and zest at medium high speed till pale and fluffy, about 3 min. Reduce speed to low and add flour mix in 3 batches, mixing until dough just comes together in clumps, then mix in nuts and cranberries. Gather and press dough together, then divide into 2 equal pieces. Using a sheet of plastic or waxed paper form each piece into a log about 1 1/2 inches square. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until very firm, at least ?? hours (I left overnight). Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven an preheat to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut bars crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices, rotating bar after each slice to help keep square shape. If dough gets too soft to slice, freeze briefly until firm again. Arrange cookies about 1/2 inch apart and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are pale golden, 15 to 18 min total. Transfer cookies from parchment to racks and cool completely.

PISTACHIO CRANBERRY ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, cinnamon, orange zest and salt. Beat about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Reduce speed to low. Gradually beat in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, switching to a wooden spoon if necessary. Stir in pistachio nuts and cranberries; use hands to knead dough until smooth.
• Divide dough in half. On waxed paper, shape each half into an 8 1/2-inch-long log (about 1 1/2 inches across). Lift and smooth the waxed paper to help shape the logs. Wrap each log in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Chill about 2 hours or until dough is firm enough to slice.
• Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Rotate log while cutting to prevent flattening. (If dough gets too soft to slice, freeze briefly until it is firm enough to slice.) Place slices 1 inch apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm and just starting to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks.

CRANBERRY ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream together butter and sugars.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in vanilla and almond extracts; set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture.
• Carefully stir in walnuts and cranberries.
• Form dough into 3 logs, 7 inches long.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least four hours.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cut dough into 1/4 inch slices and arrange them one inch apart on nonstick cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
• Cool on wire racks.