Butter Cookies with Cranberry Glaze
Soft butter cut-out cookies topped with a naturally pink cranberry glaze; sweet, buttery, and perfect for holiday gifting.*Quick Note Before You Dive In: This recipe card covers the basics, but if you want to know how to freeze, decorate, and build holiday cookie boxes, scroll back up! Everything you need for foolproof results is in the post.
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 1 portion 370g Basic Cookie Dough Recipe chilled
For the Cranberry Glaze
- ¾ cup cranberries fresh or frozen
- 6 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar divided
Instructions
Making the cookies:
- Place the chilled Basic Cookie Dough between two sheets of parchment and roll to a ¼-inch thickness. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- While the dough is cold, cut out shapes with your favorite cookie cutters.
- Gather any dough scraps, roll them out again, and cut out more cookies, repeating this process until no dough remains.
- Transfer the cut-outs to a cold, parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes
- Bake at 350°F for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are set and the bottoms are a light golden color. Avoid overbaking; these should stay soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
Making the cranberry glaze:
- Add the cranberries and orange juice to a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst and release their juices. Mash the berries gently with a potato masher to release more color and flavor.
- Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, extracting as much liquid as possible.
- Sift ¾ cup powdered sugar into the cranberry liquid, whisking until smooth and glossy. Add additional powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time, until the glaze is thick but still slightly pourable.
- Set a wire rack over parchment to catch drips. For clean edges, pipe a thin outline around each cookie, let it set, then fill it in with the remaining glaze.
- Allow the glaze to set before serving or storing.
Notes:
Thickness: For the best texture, roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness so the cookies bake evenly and stay tender.
Keep the dough chilled while working with it for easier handling and clean, sharp cookie edges.
If you didn't sift the powdered sugar and there are clumps in the glaze, let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then continue stirring; the clumps should have dissolved by then.
Cookies must be fully cooled before glazing; warm cookies will cause the glaze to run.
Baking in grams: I provide both gram measurements and cup equivalents, but weighing ingredients is always the most accurate. Depending on whether you scoop, pack, or level flour, the amount can vary dramatically when using a measuring cup (leading to dry or inconsistent results). A small digital scale removes that guesswork and will give you better bakes every time.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and provided as an estimate. It is not intended as a substitute for professional dietary advice
Nutrition
Serving: 370gCalories: 120kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 57mgPotassium: 23mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 159IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.4mg
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