Cranberry Pistachio Icebox Cookies Recipes

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.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY PISTACHIO COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed in a large bowl until completely smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in egg and vanilla on high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together until combined. On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Add the white chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and pistachios, mix on low for about 5-10 seconds until evenly disbursed. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days. Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough.
• Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes- if the cookie dough chilled longer than 2 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This makes the cookie dough easier to scoop and roll. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
• Once chilled, the dough will be slightly crumbly, but will come together if you work the dough with your hands as you roll into individual balls. Scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1 Tablespoon of dough each, into balls. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. They will look extremely soft when you remove them from the oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. If the cookies are too puffy, try gently pressing down on them with the back of a spoon. They will slightly deflate as you let them cool. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

PISTACHIO-CRANBERRY ICEBOX COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl beat butter with a mixer on medium to high 30 seconds. Add the sugar, cinnamon, orange zest, and salt. Beat 3 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping bowl as needed. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Stir in pistachios and cranberries. If needed, use your hands to knead dough until smooth.
• Divide dough in half. Shape each half into an 8 1/2-inch roll. Wrap each in plastic wrap or waxed paper; chill dough until firm enough to slice (about 2 hours).
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a serrated knife to cut rolls into 1/4-inch slices.* Place 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm and just starting to brown. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Remove; cool on wire rack.

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.

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.