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Holiday: Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies

Source of Recipe

Sara Moulton


List of Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. finely grated fresh orange zest
1/2 cup shelled pistachios (2 1/4 oz, not dyed red)
1/3 cup dried cranberries (1 1/4 oz)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup decorative sugar (preferably coarse)

---Special equipment: parchment paper
Directions



Recipe

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 three minutes.

Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until dough just comes together in clumps, then mix in pistachios and cranberries.

Gather and press dough into a log about one-and-a-half 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 two hours.

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

Brush egg over all four 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 one-quarter-inch thick slices, rotating the bar after cutting each slice to help keep square shape. If dough gets too soft, freeze bars briefly until firm. Arrange cookies about one-half 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.

Dough bars can be chilled for up to three days or frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil, for one month. Thaw frozen dough in refrigerator just until dough can be sliced. Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for five days.

YIELD: About 3 Dozen