I came across these Pistachio-Cranberry Jewels while searching for cookies in Christmas colours. If there ever was a Desert Island Cookie List, this would certainly feature in it.

Thank you, Maggie Ruggiero! The original recipe on the gourmet.com site can be found here.

I have adapted the recipe slightly to use ingredients I had on hand. I have also converted the measures into grams, where convenient. The method is true to the original recipe.

I love the fact that the flavours of the Pista and Cranberry really stand out and the citrus and all spice add base notes that lend it depth. The sugar crust gives it the crunch factor. A visual treat and very moreish!!

Pistachio Cranberry Jewel cookies

Sugar crusted jewels

And without further ado, here’s the recipe below.

Ingredients:

188 gms all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
170 gms lightly salted butter, softened
100 gms plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
60 gms shelled pistachios, chopped
40 gms dried and sweetened cranberries dusted in cinnamon
1 large egg, lightly beaten

100 gms decorative sugar

Making the dough:

1. Sieve together flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and orange zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy for about 3 minutes.
3. 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.
4. Gather and press dough together, then divide into 2 equal pieces.
5. 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.
6. Square off long sides of each log to form a bar, then chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until very firm, at least 2 hours.

Baking the cookies:

1. Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

COOKS’ NOTES:

• Dough bars can be chilled up to 3 days or frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil, 1 month (thaw frozen dough in refrigerator just until dough can be sliced).
• Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days.

Filed under: Cookies, Festive food Tagged: all spice, cinnamon, citrus, cookies, cranberry, Maggie Ruggiero, orange zest, pista, pistachio, pistachio and cranberry cookies

Read the original on: The Weekend Baker