Lemon Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sanding sugar

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, washed and patted dry

1 large lemon, zested first and then juiced – keep zest and juice separate

1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and lemon zest to create lemon sugar. The sugar will turn a pale yellow when done.

Add the butter and beat to combine until light and fluffy.

Next, add in the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Beat to combine.

Add the flour and mix into the butter mixture until just combined. Don’t over mix.

Portion into two-teaspoons and roll into balls. Roll each ball into the sanding sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Push a single cranberry into the center of the cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookie to cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

Once cooled, place the confectioner’s sugar into a bowl and add about two teaspoons of lemon juice. Whisk to form a glaze.

Transfer the mixture to a sealable sandwich bag and cut a small tip from one of the lower corners. Use the bag to drizzle the glaze over the cookies in a zigzag pattern. Once done, top with a sprinkling of sanding sugar. Allow glaze to firm up and harden before packaging cookies for storage.