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Perfect Cranberry Pistachio Christmas Wreath Cookies

Perfect Cranberry Pistachio Christmas Wreath Cookies - featured image
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Buttery, tender wreath-shaped cookies with tart dried cranberries and salty pistachios, tinted festive green and decorated to look like holiday wreaths. A showstopper for cookie exchanges and holiday parties.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (pure)
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Green gel food coloring (about 10-12 drops)
  • ½ cup dried cranberries (soft and plump, like Craisins)
  • ½ cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped (unsalted)
  • Optional: 2 tablespoons red cinnamon candies (like Red Hots) for ‘berries’
  • Optional: ¼ cup powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
  3. Add the egg and extracts. Crack the egg into the butter mixture, add the vanilla and almond extracts, and beat on medium speed until fully combined, about 30 seconds.
  4. Add the green food coloring. Add about 8 drops of green gel food coloring and mix until evenly distributed. Add 2-4 more drops if needed to reach a soft, festive green.
  5. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
  6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed after each until just combined. Stop as soon as no streaks of flour remain.
  7. Fold in the cranberries and pistachios. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dried cranberries and chopped pistachios into the dough. Set aside about 2 tablespoons of each for pressing onto the tops later.
  8. Transfer the dough to a piping bag. Fit your piping bag with a large star tip (like Wilton 1M) and fill it with the dough. If the dough feels too stiff, microwave for 5 seconds to soften slightly.
  9. Pipe wreath shapes onto the prepared baking sheets. Hold the piping bag straight up and down, about ½ inch above the baking sheet. Squeeze gently, moving in a circle to create a wreath shape about 2½ inches wide. Leave about 2 inches between each wreath.
  10. Decorate the wreaths. Gently press a few reserved cranberries and pistachios onto each wreath, arranging them to look like holly berries and leaves. If using, press one or two red cinnamon candies into each wreath.
  11. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden brown. Rotate the baking sheets halfway through for even baking.
  12. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  13. Optional: Once completely cool, lightly dust with powdered sugar using a fine-mesh sieve.

Notes

Don’t skip the almond extract—it enhances the cranberry and pistachio flavors. Use gel food coloring, not liquid, to avoid thinning the dough. Pipe with steady, confident pressure for even wreaths. Watch baking time carefully; cookies go from perfectly baked to overdone quickly. Let cookies cool completely before storing to prevent sogginess. These cookies taste even better the next day as flavors meld.

Nutrition

Keywords: Christmas wreath cookies, cranberry pistachio cookies, holiday cookies, easy Christmas cookies, wreath cookies, butter cookies, festive cookies

Find it online: https://coracooks.com/perfect-cranberry-pistachio-christmas-wreath-cookies-easy-holiday-treat/