When I sat down to dream up a list of people I’d love to invite to a real or virtual cookie swap, I couldn’t think of a better person to ask than Anne at From My Sweet Heart. I don’t think she realizes how often her kind comments have touched my heart – so often on days when I needed it most. I was thrilled when she said yes, and see, she didn’t come empty handed!
I was so thrilled when Jen asked me to participate in her Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies! She is one of the first people I “met” when I first started blogging. I am in awe of her culinary abilities and her outstanding photography! Her blog is such a fun place to visit, that when she asked me to participate, I felt like I had been invited to one of the best Christmas parties online!
I love cookies, but I actually only really bake (and eat!) them around Christmastime. And because of that, I really don’t have a Christmas cookie tradition. This means, that every year I try a few new recipes. This year’s recipe most definitely will grace my holiday table again. And I hope it will grace yours as well. You may adapt it to use other dried fruits. But I thought the color was just perfect for Christmas!
Thank you so much, Jen, for inviting me! And I wish you and your readers a very happy and healthy and DELICIOUS holiday season!
Cranberry Cherry Ribbons
Yield: 3 dozen cookies
Cranberry Cherry Filling:
5 oz. dried sweetened cranberries
½ cup cherry jam or preserves
1 ½ Tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
11 Tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
For the filling: Place the cranberries, jam and sugar in a food processor and process until it is coarsely pureed. Transfer to a small saucepan and heat over medium-high, stirring occasionally. When the mix just comes to a boil, remove from heat and let cool. Stir in almond extract and cover and refrigerate for 1 hr. and is well chilled. This can be made up to 4 days in advance.
For the Dough: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. With an electric mixer on medium, cream sugar and butter until smooth and well blended. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts and beat till well blended. Add the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated.
Line a 4 ½ by 8 ½ inch bread pan with tin foil, leaving about a 3 inch overhang over the long sides of the pan. On top of the foil, repeat this procedure using 2 long pieces of plastic wrap.
Divide the dough into quarters. Gently roll one quarter of the dough into a shape that will roughly fit the bottom of the bread pan. Place the dough into the pan and pat it to spread as evenly as possible. Smooth 1/3 of the filling over the top of the dough. It will be stiff, but an offset spatula works best to push the jam evenly over the dough. Repeat the process in the same way with the remaining dough and jam. Wrap the plastic wrap over the top of the dough and place the pan in the freezer for at least 1 ½ hours or longer.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line your baking sheets with parchment or spray your pans with nonstick spray. Remove the dough from the pan using the tin foil ‘handles’. Remove the plastic wrap. Cut the loaf crosswise into thirds. Trim and cut the sides as necessary to make sure the blocks of dough are straight and not flared. Work with one block at a time, keeping the others in the fridge, and cut each third into ¼ inch thick slices. Wipe your knife clean between cuts if necessary. Place each slice on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time, in the upper third of your oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until just slightly brown at the edges. Immediately transfer to wire racks to cool.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze for up to a month. Enjoy!
Aren’t they gorgeous? I hope you’ll please take a moment to go and visit Anne over at her blog, so appropriately name From My Sweet Heart.
Don’t forget there’s still time to enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
A great post indeed from Anne and awesome pics too!
What a super guest post, Anne. These cookies look so stunning with the layers and love that you’re using cranberries. So festive and wonderful photos, too. What a super cookie team here with two of the sweetest bloggers! Enjoy the preparations and more cookies to Christmas.
Those are the prettiest ribbon cookies I have ever seen. Pinning!
Yay! Great seeing Anne and her phenom baking skills over here
Love these cherry ribbons!
Wow! They look so pretty! Wonderful recipe
Anne is a whiz in the kitchen and I love this recipe and the pics are great too. Molding the dough in the pan is one of the coolest ideas ever. Thanks Jen and for inviting Anne to your place.
What a lovely addition to your series! Great guest post!
Oooh-this looks like a winner from Anne! By reading the ingredient list and looking at the picture-no doubt these are a delicious item to put on the cookie plate this year! I am saving this one-can’t wait to try.
Good to see foodie friends working together on posts this time of year. You two have a wonderful day!
These are absolutely stunning!
Oh those cookies are gorgeous!
I will have to give them a go, as they would be perfect gift for 3 kids teachers
These cookies look divine! I love the combination of the cherries and cranberries and then the almond extract. So many flavors and such beautiful cookies! You’re right – perfect for the holiday season!
Ooohh I love cookies with a jam filling! I bet these are absolutely fantastic! Keep the cookie recipes coming, they’re all great!
Two of my favorite food bloggers together.. LOVE IT! Anne already knows how stunning and in awe of her tasty treats I am… this cookie just exemplifies her excellence!! I mean she knows how to bring it to a cookie swap… and she brought it alright!! Well done Anne! Thank you Jen for hosting such a great event.
Thanks Jen….for inviting me to your blog and to everyone for their really kind comments! I’m not cookie’d out yet and I’m staying tuned for more!!!! : )
Wonderful guest post Anne and thank you Jen for your fun holiday series.
I love that you added cherry to the cranberry in your delightful filling Anne. And the way that you’ve applied the filling in these biscuits is so innovative and beautiful. Just like colourful ribbons indeed. The addition of almond extract in the dough is lovely too… what a fabulous cookie you’ve put together for us!
Jen I am so glad you asked Anne to do this. Love this woman to pieces. She is a kind soul. Now this cookie recipe is outstanding. I am in awe, mine never turn out so perfectly.
These are beautiful cookies! Absolutely gorgeous!
I just saw these over at Anne’s blog and I am totally drooling! They look so incredibly good!
Oh. My. Goodness! Those are absolutely stunning! What a great cookie – almost too beautiful to eat! A FAB guest post and poster! Bravo Anne & Jen!
Christmas is baking season – of course – and every year e look for a new cookie o bring in to the fold. Looks like we found a winner. These are just beautiful and as delicious as they are festive. Santa’s going to be happy with us this year!
Beautiful cookies! Cranberry and cherry combination sounds delicious and I like how these cookies look (beautiful strips!). Thank you Anne for the great recipe, and thank you Jen for hosting this cookie swap! It’s such a fun idea!!
These are pretty and so inviting…a perfect Christmas cookie, especially looking so sophisticated.
What a cute treat! Thanks for the idea…and the Sugar Rush!
Found your ribbon cookies through this sweet collection. Just in time for a perfect Valentine tea party! Thanks for sharing!
These beautiful and delicious cookies allowed me to win “Best In Show” at a cookie exchange this week. I added clear Wilton Cake Sparkles (clear sugar flakes) for great sparkle on each cookie.
Thanks for posting the recipe!