Cranberry Pistachio Cookies

This is a really pretty and delicious cookie. The best part is they are a slice and bake cookie, so you can make them ahead of time and keep it in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to bake them. I made a triple batch the other day and had cookies for a cookie exchange, an office party, and still have some ready to bake if anyone wants to come over for some tea!

Cranberry Pistachio Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated
  fresh orange zest

• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios (2 1/4 oz; not dyed red)

• 1/3 cup dried cranberries (1 1/4 oz)

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

• 1/4 cup course sugar (for decoration, can be colored)

Directions:

Make dough:

• Stir together flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
• Beat together butter, granulated sugar, and zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. 
• Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing until dough just comes together.
• Mix in pistachios and cranberries. 
• Press dough together, then divide into 2 equal pieces. 
• Using a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper as an aid, form each piece of dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Square off long sides of each log to form a long bar.
• Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 2 hours.

Slice and bake:

• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. 
• Brush egg over all 4 long sides of bars. 
• Sprinkle sugar on a separate sheet of parchment or wax paper and press bars into sugar, coating well.
• Cut each bar into 1/4-inch-thick slices, If dough is soft you can freeze until firm enough cut. You can also rotate the bar as you cut to keep the square shape. Arrange cookies about 1/2 inch apart on lined baking sheets.
• Bake cookies until edges are pale golden, 15 to 18 minutes total. Transfer cookies to cooling racks and cool completely.

Note: Dough bars can be chilled up to 3 days or frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil or frozen up to 1 month (thaw frozen dough in refrigerator just until dough can be sliced). Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days.