Cranberry cookies ( 2016 CNY bakes)

I have been absorbed and having fun making lots of Chinese dumplings until I had almost forgotten Chinese New Year is just around corner?! Anyway, I managed to make one batch last night, this recipe was not too buttery, loved the sensation when you bite in and taste the cranberries hidden inside.


Butter has to be well softened to room temperature and very well beaten to pale white , light but in stiff form. This will then deliver you a softer, crunchy bite texture. Melted butter is not going to work at all.
You also find a good tip here how you can form the cookies in round shape nicely using clean freezer bags.

All ingredients mixed into quite a rough stiff dough

Fill the dough into the very bottom of a clean plastic / freezer bag.
Push the scraper underneath the dough to stabilise and form a round shape
 Chill in the fridge now and when it slightly hardens, remove out from the fridge and gently roll it a couple times to further stabilise the shape.

Slice each dough to about 7cm thick.
Leave some space between each, it does expand.

Ingredients
Unsalted butter (room temperature)   150g
Icing sugar  80g
Half of an egg
Salt   3g
Cake flour ( low protein flour)  150g
Almond flour  50g
Dried cranberries 54g  ( coarsely chopped)




Methods
Set all ingredients ready on the table.
Using your stand mixer, beat in your softened butter slightly.
Add in sifted icing sugar, continue to beat until light and fluffy, pale in colour and stiff.
Add in the egg, continue to beat.
Add in the coarsely chopped cranberries.


Fold in the sifted flours in a few batches, gently.
Fill dough into the bottom of the freezer bag, use two bags.
Using the scraper, gently pushing in towards the bottom edge of the bag containing the dough. Ensure all gaps are filled.
Chill them in the fridge and when they harden slightly, bring it out and try to roll them a couple of times to shape them more rounded this time.
Store in the freezer to further harden the texture, say for about an hour long.


When it's done, flour the working surface slightly, divide each dough to about 7cm each.
Lay them all on the baking tray with parchment paper, leaving some space between each as they do expand quite a bit.
Bake at preheated oven of 175C, middle rack, about 15 minutes. When the edges browning slightly, meaning it's done.
Cool on wire rack, store into air-tight container.

Recipe reference: China cookbook