Frosted Sugared Cranberry Cookies

Total Time Prep: 20 min. + chilling Cook: 15 min. + cooling
Yield 12 cookies
Test Kitchen Approved
These frosted sugared cranberry cookies are a sweet, slightly tart treat. We mix dried cranberries into the sugar cookie dough, pipe a pillowy buttercream with orange zest on top and garnish with sparkly, sugared cranberries.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
  • FROSTING:
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 5 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 3 tablespoons 2% milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
  • 1/4 cup sugared cranberries

Directions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until the dough comes together. Mix in dried cranberries.
  3. Form the dough into a disc; wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 20 minutes.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 15x10x1-in. baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
  5. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/2-in. thick. Use a 2-in. circular cookie cutter to cut cookies out of the dough.
  6. Transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Bake 11-13 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. To make the frosting, cream together butter, confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla extract; beat until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Mix in orange zest. Frost each cooled cookie with frosting. Garnish with sugared cranberries.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 542 calories, 20g fat (12g saturated fat), 67mg cholesterol, 131mg sodium, 90g carbohydrate (70g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.

These thick cookies are dotted with dried cranberries and topped with a vanilla-orange frosting and sugared cranberries. —Molly Allen, Hood River, Oregon
Recipe Creator

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