These are buttery slice-and-bake shortbread cookies with chopped pistachios and dried cranberries, matching the cookies in your photo. They have crisp edges, a tender crumb, and a slightly soft center.
Yield: 24–30 cookies
Prep: 20 minutes
Chilling: 1–2 hours
Baking: 12–15 minutes per tray
Total: about 2½ hours
Ingredients & Exact Quantities
Shortbread dough
225 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
50 g (¼ cup) powdered/icing sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract, optional
280 g (2¼ cups) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
80 g (½ cup) shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
80 g (½ cup) dried cranberries, roughly chopped
1 tbsp cornstarch, for a more tender texture
Optional flavor additions
½ tsp orange zest
¼ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp cinnamon
For the closest flavor to the photograph, I recommend orange zest + a tiny amount of cardamom.
Detailed Method
1. Prepare the pistachios and cranberries
Roughly chop the pistachios.
Don’t grind them into powder—you want visible green pieces throughout the cookies.
Chop the dried cranberries into smaller pieces so they distribute evenly through the dough.
Set aside.
2. Cream the butter and sugars
Place the softened butter in a large mixing bowl.
Add:
granulated sugar
powdered sugar
Beat for approximately 2–3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Don’t whip it excessively. Shortbread should remain rich and dense rather than becoming extremely light and fluffy.
3. Add the wet ingredients
Add:
egg yolk
vanilla
optional almond extract
optional orange zest
Mix until completely incorporated.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Add the dry ingredients
In a separate bowl, combine:
flour
cornstarch
salt
optional cardamom/cinnamon
Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture.
Mix on low speed only until the flour disappears.
Do not overmix.
The dough should be soft and slightly crumbly but should hold together when pressed.
5. Add pistachios and cranberries
Add the chopped pistachios and cranberries.
Fold them through the dough with a spatula.
Make sure they’re distributed evenly.
6. Form the cookie logs
Divide the dough into 2 equal portions.
Place each portion on parchment paper.
Shape each into a firm log approximately:
5 cm / 2 inches in diameter
Roll the parchment around the dough while pressing firmly to create a smooth cylindrical shape.
Twist the ends of the parchment like a candy wrapper.
For the cookies shown in your photo, make the logs fairly straight and compact.
7. Chill
Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
For even better results, chill for 2 hours.
You can also freeze the logs for approximately 30–45 minutes if you’re in a hurry.
The dough needs to become firm enough to slice cleanly.
8. Slice the cookies
Preheat the oven to:
175°C / 350°F
Remove one dough log from the refrigerator.
Using a sharp knife, slice into rounds approximately:
1–1.2 cm (⅜–½ inch) thick.
If the edges crumble slightly, gently press them back together.
Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Leave approximately 3–4 cm / 1½ inches between cookies.
9. Bake
Bake at 175°C / 350°F for 12–15 minutes.
The cookies should remain relatively pale.
Look for:
lightly golden edges
firm surface
slightly soft center
Don’t wait for the entire cookie to turn brown.
That’s the key to getting the pale, buttery appearance in your photograph.
10. Cool
Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
Then transfer them carefully to a wire rack.
Allow them to cool completely.
They become noticeably firmer and more shortbread-like as they cool.
How to Get the Exact Look
For cookies resembling the photograph:
Keep the dough thick, about 1–1.2 cm per slice.
Use roughly chopped pistachios, not finely ground pistachios.
Use bright red dried cranberries.
Don’t overbake.
Keep the cookies relatively pale.
Chill the logs thoroughly before slicing.
Press any exposed cranberries or pistachios gently into the surface before baking.
For an especially clean round shape, rotate the dough log slightly after every few slices.
Nut & Allergen Information
This recipe contains:
Tree nuts — pistachios.
It may also contain:
Milk — from butter
Egg — from egg yolk
Gluten/wheat — from all-purpose flour
Optional almond extract
The recipe includes ¼ tsp almond extract as optional.
If you have a tree-nut allergy, do not use almond extract unless you have verified that it is appropriate for your allergy. Some almond extracts use actual almond ingredients, while others use synthetic flavoring.
For a nut-free version, simply omit it.
Important Cross-Contact Information
If you’re making these for someone with a nut allergy, don’t only check the ingredient list.
Check the packaging of:
Pistachios
Dried cranberries
Flour
Butter
Chocolate, if adding any
Extracts
Decorative toppings
Look for statements such as “may contain nuts,” “made on shared equipment,” or similar allergen warnings.
For a severe allergy, use ingredients specifically suitable for the person’s allergy and prevent cross-contact with cutting boards, knives, bowls, baking trays and utensils previously used with nuts.
Nut-Free Version
Replace the 80 g pistachios with:
80 g roasted pumpkin seeds, or
80 g sunflower seeds
Then omit almond extract.
You’ll still get the same buttery cranberry shortbread texture, but without pistachios.
Important: Seeds can also have allergen/cross-contact warnings, so check the packaging for the specific dietary requirement.
Storage
Room temperature
Store in an airtight container for 5–7 days.
Refrigerator
Up to approximately 2 weeks, although the texture is best at room temperature.
Freezer
The unbaked dough logs can be wrapped tightly and frozen for approximately 2–3 months.
Slice the frozen dough after allowing it to soften slightly, then bake.
Baked cookies
Freeze in an airtight container for up to approximately 2 months.
Quick Quantity Guide
Ingredient Quantity
Butter 225 g
Granulated sugar 100 g
Powdered sugar 50 g
Egg yolk 1
Vanilla 1 tsp
Flour 280 g
Cornstarch 1 tbsp
Salt ¼ tsp
Pistachios 80 g
Dried cranberries 80 g
Yield 24–30 cookies
Best temperature: 175°C / 350°F
Best thickness: 1–1.2 cm
Bake time: 12–15 minutes
Target color: pale golden edges, not dark brown.
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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