Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

Buttery Dark Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Cookies made with just six ingredients! These egg-free shortbread cookies are perfect for Christmas entertaining.

Buttery homemade shortbread 💕

You are going to fall head over heels for these melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Cookies. Thick and chunky and made with only a handful of ingredients, these cookies will satisfy any Christmas cookie craving.

Simple but oh-so-tasty shortbread cookies guaranteed to get you in the holiday spirit!

Have you ever made slice and bake cookies before?

They are life-changing. You can whip together a batch of dough in no time at all and then they can sit in the freezer until you are ready to bake.

You can cut them as thick or thin as you want. And make as many as you want. But be warned – these golden shortbread cookies will disappear in a flash!

I still think that some of the best recipes in life are the most simple. Shortbread fresh out of the oven? My kind of thing. Despite being made from just three basic ingredients (butter, sugar and flour), it is one of the most irresistible treats.

And the best news? My shortbread is egg-free! So it’s great for allergy baking or if you don’t have eggs on hand but you are getting the itch to bake > tell me it’s not just me?!

I even use a similar dough in my popular Santa’s Whisker’s Cookies.

The dried cranberries in this shortbread add a lovely chew, while the melty chunks of chocolate add sweetness. This is a great recipe to make ahead of time.

Once you bring together the dough, you need to shape it into a log using your hands and freeze it. Then thaw for about 15 minutes before cutting, slicing and baking.

These Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Cookies are simply perfect for holiday entertaining!

TIPS FOR MAKING PERFECT SHORTBREAD

• You will need an electric mixer or hand beater for this recipe. This shortbread recipe does not need any eggs or raising agent. 
• Start with room temperature butter – not fridge cold but not melty by any means.
• Add icing sugar (powdered sugar) and mix to combine. Use a good quality vanilla extract for extra flavour. Next, add your flour. You can use plain flour or all purpose flour.
• Finally, add dried cranberries and dark chocolate. I recommend chopping the chocolate in fairly small chunks so it’s easier to slice the cookies later. 
• Place the cookie dough on a sheet of baking paper and form into a long round log using your hands. Roll it up in the baking paper and wrap up the ends.
• If you are baking the cookies straight away, place the cookie dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes to chill. This will make it easier to slice. If you are making the cookies later, place the cookie dough in the freezer until you are ready to bake.
• When you are ready to bake, cut thick slices of shortbread (approximately 1/2 inch thick) and place on a cookie tray lined with baking paper. Bake cookies until golden. They will firm up as they cool. Enjoy!
• If you are baking the cookies after the dough has been frozen, let it thaw for a little bit until you can comfortably slice into cookies and then bake.

MORE COOKIE RECIPES TO TRY:

• White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
• Cake Mix Cookies
• Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
• Snickerdoodle Cookies
• Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.

Let’s Bake

Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

Yield Makes 14 cookies 1x

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5 from 1 review

Prep: 80 minutesCook: 18 minutesTotal: 1 hour 38 minutes

Buttery melt-in-your-mouth Dark Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Cookies.

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Ingredients

• 230 grams (1 cup or 2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 125 grams (1 cup) icing sugar or powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 280 grams (2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
• 75 grams (1/2 cup) good quality dark chocolate
• 55 grams (1/2 cup) dried cranberries

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Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, add butter and beat with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add sugar, vanilla extract and flour and beat briefly until a soft cookie dough forms.
2.  Roughly chop chocolate into small pieces. Add chocolate and cranberries to cookie dough and beat briefly until combined.
3. Place the dough on a piece of baking or wax paper and use your hands to mould the dough into a long circular roll. Roll the dough in the baking paper and squeeze the ends shut (like a paper covered lolly) or cover with cling wrap. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4.  Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Use a large knife to cut cookies into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place cookie dough on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
5. Bake cookies for approximately 15-16 minutes or until golden on the edges. Leave to cool completely.

Notes

Make-ahead: If you would like to bake these cookies at a later date, you can place the cookie dough in the freezer. Simply let it thaw for 15-30 minutes or until it’s easy to cut the cookie into slices. Then bake as per above.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 cookie Calories: 266 Sugar: 14.8 g Sodium: 2.6 mg Fat: 15.1 g Carbohydrates: 31 g Protein: 2.6 g Cholesterol: 35.3 mg

Nutrition information is a guide only.

Author: Jessica HolmesCategory: CookiesCuisine: American

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