The holidays are all about tradition (cue the music and Tevya entering stage left). A steady and reliable occurrence year after year. Something you’ve come to expect. Whether it’s annual tickets to the Nutcracker or a night spent watching It’s a Wonderful Life. Whether it’s latkes, bûche de noél or egg nog. Established customs. The things you’ve come to expect on a certain day of the year. For everyone, those traditions are different.
Today, I’m sharing one of our annual rituals. These cookies. I make them every Christmas. They are essentially a rendition of Mexican Wedding cookies (aka Russian Tea Cakes). I substitute the usual pecans with pistachios and add cranberries. The hint of green (from pistachios) and red cranberries, literally transform these anytime treats into Christmas favorites for my family.
They are super-easy to make by simply creaming butter and sugar together, adding the dry ingredients and vanilla and incorporating the nuts and dried fruit.
The cranberries and pistachios add chew and crunch. Portioning the dough with a small ice cream scoop makes it easy to roll the cookies into uniform sized balls.
Then, just bake and toss the still warm cookies into a pile of powdered sugar. At this point, I may have to sample one or two — for quality control.
Though these are a family tradition in our house, they are also perfect for gifting. Maybe for your neighbor? Your child’s teacher? A close friend? The mailman?
Of course you could just pour a glass of milk, sit in your favorite cozy spot and have them all to yourself? I’ve done both, so I won’t judge.
Cranberry Pistachio Tea Cookies
These cookies are buttery, crumbly, lightly sweet with a slight crunch and chew -- and they are utterly irrisistible. If you're making them to gift at the holidays -- make a double batch. They're that good!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/3 cup confectioners sugar powdered, plus 1 cup for dusting
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons masa harina
- 1/2 cup pistachio nuts roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat together the butter and 1/3 cup of sugar until very light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Reduce speed to low and beat in the flour and masa harina until dough comes together. Stir in the pistachios and cranberries.
- Scoop out a rounded teaspoonful of dough and roll into a 1" ball between your hands. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake until pale golden, about 25 minutes.
- Place confectioners sugar into a shallow bowl. Working with 2-3 cookies at a time, and while they're still warm, roll them in the sugar and set on a cooling rack.
My husband is vegan and I would love to make these. Do you think they would hold up with vegan butter?
I’ve never used vegan butter, so I really don’t know how it would react. I’m reaching out to a few vegan bloggers I know to get a better sense. Will let you know!
look and sound delightful but what is masa harina? is it necessary or can you recommend a substitute. Thanks
Masa harina is corn flour– and it really gives these cookies a particular flavor. Don’t substitute. You can find it next to the flour in most markets.
Hello:) just wondering if I made these a little bit ahead would they freeze okay?
Hi, I think you could make the cookies ahead and then dust them in powdered sugar after you remove them from the freezer and have thawed. Hope that helps!
I love that you used cranberries and pistachios! These sound way better than the original. Love the color too!
Thanks, Allison! Enjoy!
Hi Lisa! I’m on a huge cranberry kick right now so these Cranberry Pistachio Tea Cookies are calling my name!! Love that you use less sugar than most cookie recipes as I don’t have big sweet tooth. Great recipe!
Glad you like them Holly — I can’t get enough cranberry either. They add a nice sweet-tart chew to these cookies.
These look completely addictive! I cannot resist pistachios!
Plus pistachios have the lovely green hue – making them a perfect holiday nut!
I love how melt in your mouth these look!! Plus the Cranberry & Pistachio combo is a favorite of mine–just doesn’t feel like the Holidays without them!! Thanks for sahring
They’re a favorite of ours too, Mahy!
These look fab 😀 love the festive flavours and that.snowy coating. I might have to borrow your tradition
It’s a good one, for sure!
These look and sound amazing! Pistachio is one of my flavors — can’t wait to make these!
Thank you Leslie! Let me know how you like them!
OMG.. these are seriously good cookies.. I love the combo of pistachio and cranberry, so Christmassy and a very easy recipe to follow. P.s. love your photos too 😉
Yes, this is a very simple recipe and it’s one of my all-time favorites!
Love love this flavour combo they looks delicious
Thanks, Emma! I’m so glad you like them!
I was just thinking about having some friends over for tea. These cookies will be the perfect thing to serve! They are so festive for the holidays.
Holiday traditions involving food are always the best and anytime you include cranberries it just seems like Christmas!
Definitely!
These look absolutely delicious Lisa. Perfect, just perfect for upcoming holidays. What an interesting combo – pistachios and cranberries.
They have Christmas-y colors! That’s why we call them Christmas cookies!
🙂
Not only are these gorgeous, but I love how festive they look as well! Can’t wait to make a batch for the holidays!
They don’t last in our house, Sarah!
Looks so good!!!
Thanks, Natalia! These are good – I didn’t make them for the cookie swap because I was concerned how the confectioners sugar would hold up to travel.