I searched a long time for a shortbread cookie recipe where the cookie retained its shape and didn't spread out without using a pan. The base recipe for shortbread is simple, but it's about the right ratio of ingredients. I tried various ratios of butter, flour and sugar; using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar; and freezing the cookies for longer lengths of time before placing them in the oven. The shortbread was good, but nothing worked in terms of the cookie keeping it's shape.
Then I discovered this simple recipe from Pauline at Mei Baking. I call it 3-2-1 Shortbread for the ratio of the three ingredients. It is 3 parts of flour to 2 parts butter to 1 part sugar. This recipe is so simple I can make it from memory. This formula works every single time and has allowed me to be more creative with variations such as this Cranberry and Pistachio Shortbread Cookie.
Not only does the cookie look pretty with the combination of forest green and jewel red, but it tastes good too. The pistachios are Iranian pistachios which I got while on a trip to Paris. I came across them in a specialty store called G. Detou and since I had never seen pistachios this shade of green I bought a bag. They are darker green than the pistachios in the US, but either kind will work for this recipe. In Portland, Trader Joe's is my favorite place to buy pistachios because of the price and quality.
The dough comes together quickly in a stand mixer. I chop the cranberries in a food processor so the pieces are small and will be evenly distributed throughout the dough. When I tested this recipe I left the cranberries in larger pieces and my cookie cutters more often got caught on the larger pieces cranberry. Also, I think the dough looks prettier.
After I cut out the cookies they go in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. I place the cookies on 1/4 cookie sheets so they fit in my refrigerator and then I can take them straight to the oven. At this point you can freeze the cookies for later. Place the cookies on a tray and then place in the freezer until frozen. Once frozen put them in freezer bags in a single layer. The cookies will be good in the freezer for about 2 months. When ready to bake, let cookies sit on the counter for about 20 minutes and then bake them.
Since the cookies bake at 300 degrees F, they are pale when baked. The cookie bottom is lightly browned and noticeably darker if you use a darker cookie sheet. Either way, you'll have a buttery delicious cookie. Just know that it's hard to eat just one or even just two. You can store the cookies in an air-tight container for about a week. I think these taste better two days later, so save some for later and enjoy!
If you're looking for more cookie recipes or ideas for the holidays check out these other recipes on my site:
- Apple and Tart Cherry Rugelach
- Apricot and Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
- Cocoa Molasses Spice Cookies
- Pecan Caramel Chocolate Bars
Cranberry and Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 4-1/2 ounces (128 grams) unsalted raw pistachios toasted
- 3-3/4 ounces (108 grams) dried cranberries
- 4 ounces (112 grams) granulated sugar
- 8 ounces (227 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 ounces (340 grams) sifted all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Toast the pistachios for about 10 minutes until slightly brown. Remove from the oven and chop them.
- Place the cranberries in a food processor and pulse until cranberries are chopped into small pieces. I use a mini-food processor and pulse about 10-15 times. Chopping them in the food processor helps ensure better distribution throughout the dough. You can also chop them by hand.
- Place the butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer, scrape down the bowl and add all the flour at once. Turn the mixer to low speed and mix until all the flour is just combined. The dough will be crumbly at this point. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until the dough has completely come together. Add the pistachios and the cranberries and mix on low speed until they are well combined into the dough.
- Turn the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured surface. You can turn it out onto a large piece of parchment paper or Silpat. Use your hands to shape the dough into a rectangle and lightly flour the top of the dough. Do not use too much flour, just enough to keep the rolling pin from sticking.
- Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thick. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place the cookies on parchment lined cookie sheet about 1-inch apart. Prick each cookie in the center with a fork. Pricking the cookies will ensure they bake in the center.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Chilling the dough will help the cookies hold their shape when baking.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Bake the cookies for 25-30 minutes. The cookies will be a pale golden color. They’re not supposed to turn golden brown. The bottoms of the cookies will be slightly brown.NOTE: I use a shiny cookie sheet. If you use a darker pan the bottoms will be a little darker and the bottom edges will be noticeably light brown.
- Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving them to a cookie rack.
- The cookies can be stored in a container for about 1 week.
Izz says
I have tried this recipe and it was delicious. Didn't have cranberries so used a nut mix (pistachio, almond and peanut) but didn't change anything else. Can you let me know the correct temperature? because in the start of the recipe it says 350 and later on it says 300 F. I baked at 300 and it look so much time so i increased it later.
Cheryl Norris says
Thank you for writing and thank you for trying the recipe. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
The 350 degrees at the beginning of the recipe is for toasting the nuts. The 300 degrees is for baking the cookies at a low temperature so they barely brown, which is why it takes 25-30 minutes to completely bake. You can bake the cookies at a higher temperature (350 or 325) just be sure to start checking them after 12-15 minutes. It sounds like you had good success at baking at a higher temperature, so I'm glad it worked out.
Nancy says
Hi, just discovered your site looking for a chocolate hazelnut shortbread recipe, which referred to this flavor combo too. Both sounds so delicious and ones I would like to try. I think they will be perfect for my cookie boxes to give as gifts for the holidays Wondering if you use regular butter or European butter for these cookies. Looking forward to trying your recipes.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Nancy
Thank you so much for visiting the blog. I really appreciate it. Hazelnut and chocolate are one of my favorite combinations. For these cookies are I use regular butter like Challenge Butter. Be careful to not use cheap butters, which tend to have a higher water content and will produce a crumbly cookie. I learned this the hard way.
Rebecca says
Hi!! These look so beautiful and delicious. I’m making them now, but my mixture is quite sandy looking… can you tell me if this is normal? Do I just need to mix it longer?
Cortney says
Same here. I was so looking forward to these cookies, but my mixture never came together. It was very crumbly and dry.
Asneel pritika Prasad says
That happened to me as well. I added 100g (individual yogurt cup) of vanilla Greek yogurt. It turned out perfect.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Cortney
I'm so sorry the cookie dough is not coming together. I've not had this issue when making the cookies. Did you weigh the ingredients on a scale? What brand of butter did you use? Any information you can share with me, will help me figure out the issue. Thank you.
Sylvie Denning says
HI, I love your blog! I discovered you by accident. My cookies are cooling in the fridge now, but I just wanted to comment to the others that thought they had to bake so much longer. I was wondering if my oven wasn't properly calibrated, so I purchased an oven thermometer; my oven is way off. I set the oven to 300F, when the dinger went off, the oven thermometer only registered 250 degrees! I am so glad I made a less than $10. purchase to figure out my baking problem. Just wanted to contribute what I learned
Thank you.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Sylvie
First of all, thank you for the compliment on my blog. And thank you for that information on calibrating your oven. I'm glad you were able to figure out the problem. I had that same issue with a new oven and couldn't figure out why my cakes only baked properly on the convection setting. I finally called for repair and they confirmed that the oven wasn't properly calibrated.
Jen says
My cookies taste great..but they did not maintain their shape..they spread and are thinner. Rereading the recipe I neglected to sift the flour, could that have done it? Otherwise..you made this non-baker look good!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jen
I'm so glad to read that I made you look good and that the cookies taste great. The most likely cause of the cookies spreading would be too little flour. The other potential cause is not chilling the cookie dough before the cookies went into the oven.
Ramya says
This looks so delicious cannot wait to try it.can you suggest which cranberries are best .I saw your post in instagram saying not to use dried ones from long time..little confused 😊
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Ramya
Any brand of dried cranberries will work with this cookie, but the dried cranberries dry out and get hard the older the package even if the package hasn't been opened. Which is why I recommend that you get a fresh package of dried cranberries, it will make the cookie easier to cut.
Josephine says
These sound lovely. Can I use a hand mixer?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Josephine
You can use a hand mixer, but it will take longer for the dough to come together once the flour is added, which is why this recipe works better with a stand mixer.
Carol says
I did the lemon recipe and they were perfect. I weighed everything. Kneaded the crumbly mixture came together perfectly. Trying this one out next because the lemon was awesome. Weighing is a must.I used Costco butter. This will be my go to shortbread recipe! Love it!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Carol
I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the lemon shortbread cookies and that you plan to make the cranberry and pistachio shortbread cookies.