Best Pistachio 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.

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.

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.