Cranberry Lemon Shortbread Cookies (Vegan)
These are delicate little cookies that taste light, buttery, citrusy, and sweet. These adorable treats are perfect if you're looking for something that's egg-free, dairy-free, and simple to make.
Ingredients
Shortbread
- 1½ cups / 180 grams all purpose flour
- 1 stick / 113 grams plant based butter (cool room temperature)
- 4 tbsp / 50 grams cane sugar
- 2 tbsp / 15 grams powdered sugar
- 4 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp lemon zest
- 4 tbsp / 40 grams dried cranberries - cut into smaller pieces
Lemon Glaze
- 3 tbsp / 22.5 grams powdered sugar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- To a medium bowl add the cane sugar and lemon zest; combine them by rubbing them together with your fingers or with a fork. To the sugar mixture add the lemon juice, powdered sugar and butter. With a hand mixer, blend the ingredients for 30 seconds to a minute on low to medium low speed (just until everything is barely blended and the butter becomes creamy). Add the flour and continue blending until half the flour is absorbed, add the cranberries and continue blending until the dough becomes crumbly but will hold form. Form the dough into a disc and wrap with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with parchment paper. I suggest using a metal cookie sheet (the cookies came out too brown, especially on the bottom, when I used a ceramic pan).
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to a 1/4 inch thickness. Using your favorite cookie cutter ( I used a 2.25 inch round cutter), begin cutting out the cookies. Re-roll the dough as many times as needed; try to handle the dough as little as possible during this process. Place the cookies in the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 325F. When the oven is ready, place the cookies in the oven and bake for 18 - 20 minutes. Once out of the oven, let the cookies rest on the pan for 5 to 10 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack.**If you have the cookies on a cookie sheet while resting in the refrigerator while the oven is heating up, I suggest using a different cookie sheet to bake the cookies on. Putting the cookies in the oven on a cold cookie sheet will affect the bake.**
- While the cookies are cooling the glaze can be made. In a small bowl add the powdered sugar and lemon juice; stir until well combined and smoothOnce the cookies have completely cooled they can be glazed. If you have and zest left over a little can be add to the tops of each cookie for a final look.Store the cookies in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days.