Barres de Shortbread Cranberries & Orange

Ingredients

• 200 g Unsalted Butter (softened at room temperature, cut into cubes)
• 100 g Granulated Sugar (fine white sugar)
• 250 g All-Purpose Flour (sifted)
• 30 g Cornstarch (helps create a tender crumb)
• 80 g Dried Cranberries (finely chopped with a large knife)
• 1 Orange (organic, unprocessed; zest only)
• 150 g White Chocolate (break into pieces for melting)
• 1 drop Pink Food Coloring (liposoluble (oil‑based) for chocolate)
• 20 g Pink Colored Sugar (sprinkles for finishing)

Instructions

1. Zest the orange into the sugar

   Place the granulated sugar in a mixing bowl. Using a microplane, grate the zest of the whole orange directly onto the sugar and rub the mixture between your fingers until fragrant.

   Time: PT2M

2. Cream butter with the sugar‑zest mixture

   Add the softened butter to the bowl and beat with a hand mixer for a few seconds until the mixture looks creamy and homogeneous.

   Time: PT1M

3. Incorporate flour and cornstarch

   Add the sifted all‑purpose flour and cornstarch. Stir with a spatula, then finish mixing by hand until a smooth dough ball forms.

   Time: PT3M

4. Fold in finely chopped cranberries

   Finely chop the dried cranberries with a large knife (pieces should be very small) and fold them into the dough until evenly distributed.

   Time: PT3M

5. Shape the dough

   Place the dough on a silicone mat, press it into a square, then roll/pat it to about 1 cm thickness. Trim to a rectangle roughly 22 cm × 14 cm.

   Time: PT5M

6. Chill the dough

   Transfer the shaped dough (still on the silicone mat) to the freezer and chill for 45 minutes until very firm.

   Time: PT45M

7. Rest and cut bars

   Remove the dough, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then using a sharp knife cut 11 bars about 2 cm wide. Cut gently to keep the cranberry pieces intact.

   Time: PT5M

8. Second chill before baking

   Arrange the bars on a perforated baking sheet lined with a silicone mat and return them to the freezer for another 20 minutes.

   Time: PT20M

9. Bake the shortbread bars

   Preheat the oven to 150 °C fan (convection). Bake the bars for a total of 20 minutes. After 13–14 minutes, remove the tray, reshape each bar gently with two large knives to restore the rectangle shape, then return to the oven for the remaining 7 minutes.

   Time: PT20M

   Temperature: 150°C

10. Cool completely

    Transfer the baked bars to a cooling rack and let them cool to room temperature before decorating.

    Time: PT30M

11. Prepare pink white‑chocolate glaze

    Melt the white chocolate in a saucepan over low heat (or in short bursts in the microwave). Add a drop of liposoluble pink food coloring and stir until evenly colored.

    Time: PT5M

12. Decorate the bars

    Fill a piping bag (no tip needed) with the pink chocolate and pipe gentle back‑and‑forth strokes across the top third of each bar. Use a small amount of plain white chocolate to add a second stripe color if desired, then sprinkle pink colored sugar over the top.

    Time: PT10M

13. Set the chocolate

    Place the decorated bars in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes until the chocolate hardens.

    Time: PT15M

14. Serve and store

    Enjoy the bars at room temperature. Store in an airtight box at room temperature for up to 10 days, or refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.

    Time: PT0M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

359

Protein

3 g

Carbohydrates

45 g

Fat

20 g

Fiber

2 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Unsalted Butter: Margarine (use only for non‑vegan)
• Instead of Granulated Sugar: Caster sugar
• Instead of All-Purpose Flour: Pastry flour
• Instead of Cornstarch: Additional flour
• Instead of Dried Cranberries: Dried cherries, Raisins
• Instead of Orange: Lemon zest
• Instead of White Chocolate: Milk chocolate (adds sweetness)
• Instead of Pink Food Coloring: Beet powder (natural)
• Instead of Pink Colored Sugar: Regular colored sugar

Equipment Needed

• Mixing Bowl
• Hand Mixer or Whisk
• Spatula
• Microplane Zester
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board
• Silicone Baking Mat
• Perforated Baking Sheet
• Freezer
• Oven
• Saucepan
• Piping Bag (no tip needed)
• Cooling Rack (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Zesting orange into sugar
• Shaping dough to uniform thickness
• Chilling dough (45 min and 20 min)
• Reshaping bars halfway through baking
• Melting and coloring white chocolate

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use an organic, untreated orange for the most aromatic zest.
• Finely chopping the cranberries prevents large chewy bites and helps them stay embedded in the shortbread.
• A cold dough yields a tender, melt‑in‑your‑mouth crumb; never skip the chilling steps.
• When reshaping the bars mid‑bake, use a gentle hand to avoid breaking the delicate texture.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Up to 3 weeks in an airtight container

Freezer: Can freeze for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before serving

Room temperature: Up to 10 days in a sealed box, away from direct sunlight

Make-Ahead Tips

• The dough can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead; keep it wrapped and refrigerated.
• Baked bars freeze well; re‑heat gently in a 150 °C oven for 5 minutes before serving.
• Chocolate glaze can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator; re‑warm slightly before piping.

Frequently Asked Questions