12 Days of Cookie – Cranberry Orange Cookies
This is a new recipe for me this year. But when I saw it in Katie’s blog I knew I wanted to try it. I was intrigued by a cookie that isn’t loaded with sugar or chocolate (not that I don’t LOVE sugar and chocolate!). It’s a nicely refreshing cookie to add to any holiday cookie tray or cookie exchange. The batter comes together easily aside from chopping the cranberries. I definitely recommend using a food processor like Katie did. Ours is packed away, so I had to chop by had. First I chopped the crans in half so they wouldn’t roll away. Then I chopped them smaller from there. Aren’t they just so pretty?
Fresh Cranberry Orange Cookies – from Katie – I got 30 cookies using my cookie scoop
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp grated orange zest
juice of 1/2 orange
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. chopped fresh cranberries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment.
In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, and whisk; set aside.
In bowl of stand mixer, combine butter and sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add yolk and beat until fully incorporated.
Add orange juice, then zest and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated.
Turn mixer to low speed, add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated.
Remove bowl from mixer, stir in cranberries, and place 1 Tbsp rounds of dough onto cookie sheets.
Place cookies in the oven and bake, switching baking sheet positions half way through baking time, for 12-14 minutes (they should not brown).
Remove from oven and let cool on pans completely, about 10-15 minutes.
I’m submitting this for Joelen’s Tasty Tools event. The theme this month is Baking Sheets! I’ve been using these a LOT this month with all the cookies I’ve been making! This one is an old one I stole from my mom. It’s my fav and my Silpat fits perfectly. The other two that I have are the Wilton ones with bigger “handles” on the ends. The Silpat doesn’t fit perfectly in it and they’re dark, so sometimes cookies brown more than expected.
My 12 Days of Cookies:Day 1: Lumberjacks
Day 2: Peppermint Sandies
Day 3: The great Sugar Cookie Debate
Day 4: Fudge






I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 






How cool! These look delicious!
This totally takes me back to childhood. We ALWAYS used fresh rhubarb from our backyard to make yummy breakfast treats!
I think I will have to make these for my parents next time they visit. They will LOVE them!
Those look amazing! I’m always on the lookout for new rhubarb recipes, the season for it is so short in Western Ma, that I tend to buy WAY too much and stick in the freezer..
I have never had rhubarb before, but these look great!
They’re so pretty – I love family recipes!
I never know what to do with Rhubard, but these looks awesome!
divine. i want one. right now. pretty please?? 🙂
I love your recipes, lactose free and awesome, I will def. have to try this. Ps. we should team up and do something lactose free together in solidarity!
Thanks everyone – seriously if you have rhubarb hanging around. Make these. You won’t regret it.
I’m a little lost. The ingredients list mentions 5 c. rhubarb (and you break it into 3 c. for the filling and 2 c. for the sauce) but I don’t see in the step-by-step instructions when/where/how the 2 c. of rhubarb are used. Please help!
Thanks!
alexandjess – thanks for catching my mistake. I added the instructions about the sauce into the post, but you make the sauce by boiling 2 cups cut rhubarb, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/3 cups water. The rhubarb for the sauce can be cut in large chunks because it all falls apart anyways.
Your sisters made the rhubarb rolls and stuffed dates yesterday for our Memorial Day cookout. They were delicious!!!! Can’t wait to have another piece tonight for desert. I have a new recipe for potato salad that is delish….let me know if you want me to pass on.
i made these tonight and they went awry for a series of reasons that were my fault and won’t go all into…. one thing i did though was use half rhubarb and half strawberries, which sounded delish but i didn’t cut the sugar enough and i think that also made things more watery. my question though, is whether by ‘shortening’ you specifically mean something like crisco or whether you just mean butter or margarine or anything like that. i used butter and didn’t see how i could get away with a little ‘stirring’ before rolling. i tried to cut it in with a pastry blender, but in the end maybe that was too much action for the dough as it seemed a little gummy after cooking….
i’d appreciate any advice!
natasha – I use Crisco for the dough. I think that’s what my dad always uses as well. Hopefully that is what caused the gumminess. Sorry they didn’t turn out for you.
My family has been making these for years. I have used butter or margarine to cut into the flour mixture for the dough and have never had a problem. I always roll my dough out into a rectangle and when I cut the rolls they NEVER look as neat as the ones you have pictured! I have added strawberries but only in the sauce. My mom liked to add red food coloring to make it look more rosy. We bake for 20 minutes before pouring on the sauce and then another 20 minutes. I have to make it every spring in honor of my mom.
my grandma recipe calls thesr soringtime rollypoly, and can ad what ever frozen berries you have , frozen is the least messy
sorry thats springtime rollypolly