Cranberry Cookies with Ginger Glaze
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
55 minutes, plus 20 minutes cooling
Yield
36 - 40 (2 1/2-inch) cookies
Ingredients
Butter Cookie Dough
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces/354 grams)¾ cup superfine sugar (5 ½ ounces/156 grams)¼ teaspoon table salt 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, ( 2 sticks) cut into sixteen ½-inch pieces, at cool room temperature (about 65 degrees)2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature¾ cup finely chopped dried cranberriesGlaze
1 tablespoon cream cheese, at room temperature3 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar (6 ounces/170 grams)6 tablespoons minced crystallized gingerBefore You Begin
For best results, purchase minced crystallized ginger (not candied ginger coins or chunks). If you cannot find superfine sugar, you can obtain a close approximation by processing regular granulated sugar in a food processor for about 20 seconds. If desired, the cookies can be finished with sprinkles or other decorations immediately after glazing.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with flat beater, mix flour, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With mixer running on low, add butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add vanilla, cream cheese, and cranberries and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.
- Remove bowl from mixer. Use hands to roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 weeks; defrost in refrigerator before using.)
- Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time. Cool cookies on wire rack to room temperature.
- Whisk cream cheese, 2 tablespoons milk, and ground ginger in medium bowl until combined and no lumps remain. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth, adding remaining milk as needed until glaze is thin enough to spread easily. Once the cookies are cooled, dip into glaze, then dip in crystallized ginger.
for the cookies
for the glaze
Time
55 minutes, plus 20 minutes coolingYield
36 - 40 (2 1/2-inch) cookiesIngredients
Butter Cookie Dough
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces/354 grams)
¾ cup superfine sugar (5 ½ ounces/156 grams)
¼ teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, ( 2 sticks) cut into sixteen ½-inch pieces, at cool room temperature (about 65 degrees)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup finely chopped dried cranberries
Glaze
1 tablespoon cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar (6 ounces/170 grams)
6 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Butter Cookie Dough
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces/354 grams)
¾ cup superfine sugar (5 ½ ounces/156 grams)
¼ teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, ( 2 sticks) cut into sixteen ½-inch pieces, at cool room temperature (about 65 degrees)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup finely chopped dried cranberries
Glaze
1 tablespoon cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar (6 ounces/170 grams)
6 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Butter Cookie Dough
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces/354 grams)
¾ cup superfine sugar (5 ½ ounces/156 grams)
¼ teaspoon table salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, ( 2 sticks) cut into sixteen ½-inch pieces, at cool room temperature (about 65 degrees)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup finely chopped dried cranberries
Glaze
1 tablespoon cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar (6 ounces/170 grams)
6 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
Test Kitchen Techniques
Before You Begin
For best results, purchase minced crystallized ginger (not candied ginger coins or chunks). If you cannot find superfine sugar, you can obtain a close approximation by processing regular granulated sugar in a food processor for about 20 seconds. If desired, the cookies can be finished with sprinkles or other decorations immediately after glazing.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with flat beater, mix flour, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With mixer running on low, add butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add vanilla, cream cheese, and cranberries and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.
- Remove bowl from mixer. Use hands to roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 weeks; defrost in refrigerator before using.)
- Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time. Cool cookies on wire rack to room temperature.
- Whisk cream cheese, 2 tablespoons milk, and ground ginger in medium bowl until combined and no lumps remain. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth, adding remaining milk as needed until glaze is thin enough to spread easily. Once the cookies are cooled, dip into glaze, then dip in crystallized ginger.
for the cookies
for the glaze
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