Cranberry Icebox Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Transfer 1 cup dough to a small bowl; stir in orange zest and set aside. To the remaining dough, add cranberries, pecans and, if desired, food coloring; divide in half., Line an 8x4-in. loaf pan with waxed paper. Press 1 portion of cranberry dough evenly into pan; top with orange dough, then remaining cranberry dough. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm., Remove dough from pan; cut in half lengthwise. Cut each portion into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets., Bake at 375° until edges begin to brown, 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Cream together butter and sugars.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in vanilla and almond extracts; set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture.
• Carefully stir in walnuts and cranberries.
• Form dough into 3 logs, 7 inches long.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least four hours.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cut dough into 1/4 inch slices and arrange them one inch apart on nonstick cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
• Cool on wire racks.

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.