Cranberry & Pistachio Refrigerator Cookies

“Refrigerator cookies” = you roll the dough into a log, chill it, then slice and bake. They hold their shape perfectly and the cranberry + pistachio looks great against the shortbread base.

Dough:

Unsalted butter: 115g / 1 stick, softened

Caster sugar: 100g / ½ cup

Brown sugar: 50g / ¼ cup, packed. Adds chew and color

Egg: 1 large, room temp

Vanilla extract: 1 tsp

Plain flour: 200g / 1 ⅔ cup

Salt: ¼ tsp

Baking powder: ½ tsp

Mix-ins:

Dried cranberries: 80g / ½ cup, roughly chopped

Pistachios: 80g / ½ cup, shelled and roughly chopped. Toast them 5 min at 160°C for more flavor

Orange zest: 1 tsp, optional but it makes the cranberry pop

Make the dough

Cream softened butter, caster sugar, and brown sugar in a bowl for 2 min until pale. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Sift in flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix just until no dry flour shows. Fold in cranberries, pistachios, and orange zest. Don’t overmix or the cookies get tough.

Shape & chill

Divide dough in half. Roll each into a log 4-5cm / 1.5-2in diameter on parchment paper. Wrap tightly and chill 2 hours, or freeze 45 min.

Chilling is non-negotiable – warm dough spreads and you lose the clean slices.

Slice & bake

Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F. Unwrap dough and slice into 1cm / ½in rounds with a sharp knife. Place on a lined tray 3cm apart.

Bake 12-14 min until edges are lightly golden. Centers will look a bit soft – they set as they cool.

Cool

Let cookies sit on the tray 5 min, then move to a wire rack. They crisp up more as they cool.

Storage: Keep dough logs in the fridge 3 days or freezer 1 month. Slice and bake as needed. Baked cookies keep 5 days in an airtight container.

No spreading: If your dough was soft, chill slices 10 min before baking.

Flavor swap: Swap orange zest for lemon, or use dried cherries instead of cranberries.

Even slices: Rotate the log a quarter turn every few cuts so it stays round.

Fancy finish: Dip half of each cooled cookie in melted white chocolate and sprinkle with extra pistachio.

Per cookie: ∼110 cal, 1.5g protein, 14g carbs, 5g fat.