🍋✨ Mediterranean Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Buttery • Nutty • Citrus-kissed • Easy
✅ Ingredients (Makes 20–24 cookies)
Dry Ingredients
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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½ cup finely ground pistachios (unsalted)
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½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
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1 cup unsalted butter, softened
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½ cup powdered sugar (or ⅓ cup honey for Mediterranean sweetness)
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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Zest of 1 lemon OR orange (Mediterranean twist!)
Mix-ins
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½ cup dried cranberries, chopped
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½ cup chopped pistachios (unsalted)
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prep the Dough
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In a mixing bowl, beat softened butter and powdered sugar (or honey) until creamy.
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Add vanilla and lemon/orange zest. Mix well.
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In another bowl, whisk flour, ground pistachios, and salt.
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Add dry mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until a soft dough forms.
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Fold in chopped cranberries and chopped pistachios.
2. Shape the Cookies
You have two options:
A. Classic Shortbread Rounds (easiest)
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Divide dough into 2 logs.
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Roll each log in parchment paper into a 2-inch diameter cylinder.
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Chill for 1–2 hours until firm.
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Slice into ½-inch thick cookies.
B. Cut-out Cookies
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Flatten dough into a disc.
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Chill 1 hour.
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Roll out and cut into shapes.
3. Bake
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Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F) — low heat keeps them tender.
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Place cookies on a lined baking sheet.
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Bake 12–16 minutes, just until edges turn light golden.
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Cool completely — they firm up as they cool.
🍽 Serve With
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Hot mint tea
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Turkish coffee
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Lemon herbal tea
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Fresh fruit
💛 Mediterranean Tips & Variations
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Replace cranberries with dried apricots or dates.
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Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the dough for extra Mediterranean richness.
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Add a pinch of cardamom or cinnamon.
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Sprinkle cookies with sesame seeds before baking.
