Sparkling Sugarplum Cranberry Orange Cookies (Print version)

Chewy cranberry orange cookies with a natural purple hue and sparkling sugar coating, a festive holiday treat ready in under an hour.

# Ingredients:

Cranberry-orange puree

01 - 1 1/2 cups (150 g) frozen cranberries, thawed
02 - 1 teaspoon orange zest
03 - 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh orange juice, divided

Cookie dough

04 - 2/3 cup (150 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 2/3 cup (135 g) granulated sugar
06 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
08 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
09 - 1/2 cup (75 g) dried cranberries

For rolling

10 - 1/3 cup (65 g) coarse sanding sugar or sparkling sugar

# Instructions:

01 - Blend thawed cranberries, orange zest, and 2 tablespoons of orange juice in a food processor until smooth. Measure out 2/3 cup total puree, adding a little more orange juice if needed.
02 - Beat the unsalted butter with granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Pour the cranberry-orange mixture into the creamed butter and beat on high speed until fully emulsified and vividly colored.
04 - Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet mixture on low speed and mix just until combined. Stir in the dried cranberries by hand.
05 - Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until the dough is stiff enough to scoop.
06 - Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough, roll into balls, and coat generously in coarse sanding sugar.
07 - Space the dough balls 2 inches apart and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges look dry and lightly golden but the centers still appear slightly underdone.
08 - Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Good to know:

01 - For the brightest color, pull the cookies from the oven when the centers still look slightly underdone.
02 - Thaw frozen cranberries at room temperature for several hours or overnight for the juiciest puree.

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