Cranberry Orange Soft Winter Star Cookies

Cranberry Orange Soft Winter Star Cookies

Ingredients

1 tbsp orange zest

2 tbsp orange juice

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¾ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped (fresh cranberries work too but pat dry)

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Instructions

1. Cream the Butter
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light, creamy, and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
3. Add Wet Ingredients
4. Mix in the egg, vanilla, orange zest, and orange juice.

The mixture may look slightly curdled from the citrus—this is normal.

3. Add Dry Ingredients
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together:

Flour

Baking powder

Salt

4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until a soft dough forms.
5. Fold in the finely chopped cranberries.
6. Chill the Dough

Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap it tightly, and chill for 1 hour.
This helps the cookies hold their star shape.

5. Shape the Cookies
6. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
7. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thickness.
8. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies.
9. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
10. Bake

Bake for 9–12 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden and the centers still look soft.

Soft cookies will firm up as they cool.

7. Cool and Enjoy

Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.

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Optional Add-Ons ✨

Orange glaze:
Mix ½ cup powdered sugar + 1 tbsp orange juice → drizzle on top.

Sparkle sugar:
Sprinkle coarse sugar over the cookies before baking.

White chocolate drizzle:
Melt white chocolate and drizzle for a festive touch.