Almond Cranberry Shortbread Bars
These shortbread cookies are delightful! Almond and orange flavored shortbread studded with cranberries, topped with more almonds and drizzled with an almond orange glaze! I always make a double batch. Enjoy!
Ingredients
SHORTBREAD
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick) prefer Kerrygold or Plugra brand
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon almond emulsion prefer LorAnn Emulsion
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt prefer Diamond brand
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup dried cranberries, chopped substitute with dried apricots or cherries
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
GLAZE
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 3-4 teaspoons whole milk substitute half & half or water
- ¼ teaspoon almond emulsion
- ¼ teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F and place oven rack in the center. Line an 8X8 baking tin with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a stand alone mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
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Beat in the egg until incorporated. Add almond emulsion, vanilla extract, orange zest and kosher salt and mix to combine, scraping down the sides as needed.
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With the mixer on slow speed, gradually add the flour and mix until mostly combined. Fold in the chopped cranberries until they are evenly distributed and all the flour has been blended. Don't over mix.
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Press dough into the prepared baking tin. The dough is sticky so use a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper to press the dough evenly to the edges of the tin. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
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Bake at 350°F for 28-30 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in tin for 5 minutes. Remove from tin and cool completely on cooling rack.
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While the shortbread cools, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and whole milk until smooth. Add almond emulsion and orange zest and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Note: You can add more sugar (1 Tablespoon at a time) or milk (1 teaspoon at a time) until glaze reaches desired consistency.
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Cut the 8X8 shortbread into squares, triangles or rectangles. Depending on how you cut them, they will yield 8-16 cookies. Drizzle with glaze and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Note: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freeze: You can freeze the dough up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator and bake accordingly.
Post Bake Freeze: Allow to cool completely and freeze unglazed. Thaw in refrigerator overnight and bring to room temperature before glazing.