Festive Cranberry & Pistachio Shortbread Recipe

This festive Cranberry & Pistachio Shortbread recipe is a great idea for a simple but tasty gift to give at Christmas. The cranberries and pistachio nuts give a red and green twist to a favourite classic. You can make it in advance and freeze the dough ready to bake later or bake the biscuits and freeze them. This way you will always have a last minute gift on hand or to bring out when guests drop by.

250 g butter
3/4 cup icing sugar
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped pistachios
2 cups flour
pinch of salt

Method

Preheat oven to 160C.
Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Mix in flour and salt, then add cranberries and pistachios.
Tip dough out and knead for a few minutes. Roll into logs and refrigerate for 20 minutes (or freeze for later).
Slice into pieces and bake for 30 minutes until cooked (but not golden).

For this recipe I feel that it looks decorative enough but you can press in lettering as well if you want. You can see how I did that in my Lavender Shortbread recipe. You can use the same recipe to make citrus (swap lemon or orange peel for the lavender) or rose (use dried rose petals or a tea with rose petals in it). You can press whatever letters you want into the shortbread e.g. lemon, rose, lavender or XMAS or Merry or Love or the recipient’s name.

Wrap your shortbread in cellophane with a big ribbon or put it in a little tin to complete the festive look you want.