The Ultimate Pistachio Cranberry Wreath Cookies Recipe

Are you on the hunt for a show-stopping festive bake that tastes every bit as wonderful as it looks? Something that truly encapsulates the magic of the season in each mouthful? We completely understand. The festive season calls for extraordinary treats that spread happiness, and nothing achieves that quite like a batch of homemade biscuits, still warm from the oven. Well, your search ends here. This is our definitive Pistachio Cranberry Wreath Cookies Recipe, created to become a cherished element of your yearly celebrations.

These gorgeous biscuits offer a wonderful harmony of festive flavours and colours. The rich, buttery shortbread base is beautifully flecked with vibrant green pistachios and ruby-red cranberries. Fashioned into delightful little wreaths, they are as much a delight for the eyes as they are for the palate. They make a perfect gift, a lovely accompaniment to a cup of tea with friends, or a special treat to leave out for Father Christmas. Let’s begin baking and fill your kitchen with the heart-warming scent of festive joy!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Visually Stunning: With their charming wreath shape and festive colours, these biscuits are true showstoppers that look as if they’ve come from an artisan bakery. They make a beautiful addition to any dessert spread or a treasured homemade present.
• A Perfect Flavour Combination: The earthy, nutty taste of the pistachios provides a beautiful contrast to the sweet sharpness of the dried cranberries. It’s a timeless festive pairing that is always sure to delight.
• Surprisingly Simple to Make: Despite their sophisticated look, these biscuits are remarkably straightforward to create. The recipe relies on basic ingredients and easy techniques, making it an excellent choice for bakers of any experience level.
• Ideal for Gifting: Presented in a clear bag tied with a festive ribbon or arranged neatly in a decorative tin, these biscuits make a thoughtful and delicious gift for friends, family, teachers, and neighbours.
• Make-Ahead Friendly: The festive period can be a whirlwind of activity! The great news is that you can prepare this biscuit dough in advance and bake it whenever you fancy a fresh batch, making your christmas baking schedule far less stressful.

Ingredients

• 250g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 140g caster sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional, but recommended)
• 300g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 100g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
• 100g dried cranberries, roughly chopped
• 100g white chocolate, chopped
• Extra chopped pistachios and cranberries for sprinkling

Step-by-Step Instructions: Crafting Your Wreath Cookies

Just follow these simple instructions to bake your own gorgeous and tasty pistachio cranberry wreaths. We’ve broken down the method to help you achieve flawless results with every batch.

1. Preparing the Cookie Dough

The secret to a fantastic biscuit lies in a perfectly prepared dough. This version is a classic, buttery shortbread that acts as the ideal base for our festive ingredients.

1. In a spacious mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened butter and caster sugar together until the mixture becomes pale, light, and airy. This should take around 3-4 minutes.
2. Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if you’re using it) until everything is thoroughly incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the plain flour and salt together. Add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients in stages, mixing on a low speed until it just forms a dough. Take care not to overmix, as this can result in tough biscuits.
4. Using a spatula, gently fold in the chopped pistachios and cranberries until they are evenly spread throughout the dough.

2. Chilling and Shaping the Wreaths

This is a vital stage for creating beautifully shaped wreath cookies that hold their form in the oven. Please don’t be tempted to skip the chilling time!

1. Split the dough into two equal halves. On a work surface lightly dusted with flour, roll each portion into a log with a diameter of about 5cm (2 inches).
2. Wrap each log securely in cling film and place it in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, or until completely firm. For the very best results, we suggest chilling it overnight. This process hardens the butter and allows the flavours to develop.
3. When the dough is firm, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4). Line two baking trays with baking parchment.
4. Unwrap one dough log and, using a sharp knife, cut it into rounds approximately 1cm (just under half an inch) thick.
5. To make the wreath shape, use a small, round biscuit cutter (or the wider end of a piping tip) to cut a hole from the centre of each biscuit slice. You can gather the small cut-out pieces and re-roll them to make a few more biscuits.
6. Arrange the wreaths on your prepared baking trays, leaving a small gap between each one to allow for a little expansion.

3. Baking to Golden Perfection

And now for the truly wonderful part! Your home is about to be filled with the most glorious festive aroma. Watch the biscuits closely as they bake to ensure they get that perfect golden-brown finish.

1. Bake the biscuits for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden brown. The centres should remain quite pale.
2. Take the trays out of the oven and leave the biscuits to cool on the trays for 5 minutes, as they will be quite fragile at this point.
3. After 5 minutes have passed, gently transfer the biscuits onto a wire rack to cool down completely.

Decorating Your Pistachio Cranberry Wreath Cookies

Although these biscuits are utterly delicious on their own, a touch of decoration elevates them into truly stunning christmas cookies decorated for the season. This is also a fantastic and fun activity to share with children.

For a beautifully simple yet elegant touch, we adore a white chocolate drizzle. To achieve this, melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water (or you can do this in short intervals in the microwave). Once it’s smooth, use a spoon to drizzle the melted chocolate over the cooled biscuits. Immediately sprinkle over some extra chopped pistachios and cranberries before the chocolate has a chance to set.

As an alternative, you could create a simple icing glaze using icing sugar mixed with a few drops of water or lemon juice. Whichever you choose, be sure to let the decoration set fully before you store the biscuits.

Tips for the Perfect Batch

• Use Room Temperature Ingredients: For a smoother dough, make sure your butter and egg yolk are at room temperature. This allows them to blend together more easily and creates a more uniform mixture.
• Don’t Overwork the Dough: After adding the flour, mix only until the dough has just come together. Overmixing can develop the gluten, which leads to tough biscuits instead of tender, crumbly ones.
• Chop Finely: By chopping your pistachios and cranberries into small, uniform pieces, you’ll find the dough much easier to slice and will ensure a lovely mix of flavours and textures in every single bite.
• Chill, Chill, Chill!: We cannot overstate the importance of this step. Well-chilled dough is the key to biscuits that keep their shape perfectly. If your kitchen is warm, you can even put the cut wreaths back in the fridge for 15 minutes before they go into the oven. For more great baking advice, the experts at BBC Good Food have some excellent tips.

Storage and Gifting Ideas

These Pistachio Cranberry Wreath Cookies stay fresh and delicious in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, making them a superb option for baking in advance. When planning your festive menu, having treats like this on hand is a real time-saver. If you’re also considering the main course, our wonderful Lemon Garlic Chicken would make a fabulous centrepiece.

When it comes to gifting, try stacking a few biscuits in a clear cellophane bag and tying it with a festive ribbon. Alternatively, you could line a pretty biscuit tin with baking parchment and fill it with your creations. They are a thoughtful, handmade present that anyone would be thrilled to receive. A tin of these biscuits alongside the recipe for our comforting Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe would be a fantastic gift for a food-loving friend.

FAQ

Conclusion

And there we are – a straightforward yet sophisticated Pistachio Cranberry Wreath Cookies Recipe that is sure to become a festive staple. The combination of buttery biscuit, crunchy nuts, and chewy fruit is truly delightful. These biscuits manage to capture the warmth and happiness of the festive season in every single bite.

So, it’s time to roll up your sleeves, switch on the oven, and prepare to create a little festive magic. Baking is about so much more than just the food; it’s about making wonderful memories with the people you care about. We would be thrilled to see your beautiful biscuit creations! Please feel free to share a picture and tag us on social media, or leave us a comment below to let us know how your batch turned out.

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Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Yield: Approx. 36 cookies

(Plus 2 hours chilling time)

Ingredients

• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 140g caster sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
• 300g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 100g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
• 100g dried cranberries, roughly chopped
• 100g white chocolate, chopped for decorating
• Extra chopped pistachios and cranberries for sprinkling

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and caster sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Gently fold in the chopped pistachios and cranberries.
3. Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll each half into a log about 5cm (2 inches) in diameter. Wrap the logs in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or until firm.
4. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4). Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
5. Unwrap and slice one log into 1cm thick rounds. Use a small round cutter to cut a hole in the center of each slice to create a wreath shape.
6. Arrange the wreaths on the prepared trays, leaving a small gap between them. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are light golden brown.
7. Let the cookies cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Once cool, melt the white chocolate and drizzle it over the cookies. Immediately sprinkle with extra pistachios and cranberries. Allow the chocolate to set completely before storing.