Rich butter cookies studded with cranberries hold a sweet hazelnut-chocolate filling!
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Cranberries are so versatile, I always have a stash of dried cranberries in the pantry - for snacking, salads, to use in appetizers like this Goat Cheese Spread, and in sweets like these tender sandwich cookies.
Why you'll love this recipe
There is something just so delicious about chocolate, hazelnut, and dried fruit together. The Nutella in this recipe provides the chocolate and hazelnut as a smooth filling between the cranberry-studded butter cookies.
The butter cookie dough is a cinch to pull together, and you can cut out any shape you like for the holiday or season.
Nutella is easy to find at any store. It's so smooth and easy to spread that you'll be able to easily fill the cookies. And as I said above, the combination of flavors is sublime!
Here's another delectable cranberry recipe: Easy Christmas Muffins!
🔪 How to make Cranberry Nutella Sandwich Cookies
Step 1: Chop the cranberries
Use a food processor or a sharp knife to dice the dried cranberries into tiny pieces.
Step 2: Make the dough
Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the vanilla. Mix in the flour and salt, and finally add the diced cranberries. Squeeze the dough together by hand, then wrap and refrigerate it for a half hour.
Step 3: Roll the dough and cut out cookies
Roll the dough between two layers of parchment paper to a ¼ inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 4: Bake the cookies
Bake the cookies in a 325 degree oven until they're lightly browned. Remove them to a cooling rack and let them cool completely.
Step 5: Fill the cookie sandwiches
Spread Nutella on the bottom of one cookies and sandwich it with a second cookie. Continue until you've sandwiched them all!
Notes:
- A food processor is the easiest way to chop the dried cranberries, but you can also do it with a sharp knife. You want to chop them into very small pieces so that they make their way through more of the butter cookie dough.
In one little package you get the holiday vibe not only of cranberry but of indulgent chocolate treats, too!
The recipe is below, and here are a few more cranberry recipes you should try:
💬 Tell me what you think of these cran-licious cookies! Scroll down to leave a comment and a star rating!
Cranberry Nutella Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup butter, unsalted and softened
- 1 cup confectioner's sugar
- 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup milk
- ¾ cup Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
Instructions
Make the dough:
- Place the dried cranberries into a food processor or mini chopper, and process until the cranberries are chopped into small pieces. Set aside.
- Cream together the butter and confectioner's sugar for 3 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the bowl a couple of times during the mixing, it should be smooth. Add in the vanilla extract and beat the mixture on low to incorporate it.
- In a separate large bowl whisk together the flour and salt. Add this into the butter mixture and mix together on low speed, scraping down the bowl often, until the dough has come together. Sprinkle in the chopped up cranberries and pulse the mixer, until they are all incorporated into the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured area. Squeeze the dough together just a couple of times so that it is smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
Cut out the cookies:
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the chilled dough on a large piece of parchment paper. Move the dough to one side of the parchment and fold the other half of the parchment over the top of the dough.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough inside the parchment to a ¼-inch thickness. (Tip: on a toothpick, measure up from the tip ¼-inch and mark it with a Sharpie. To see if your dough is at ¼-inch thickness, poke the toothpick into the dough and check it against the mark.)
- Use a diamond-shaped cookie cutter (mine is 3 inches by 2 inches) and cut cookies from the dough. Place the cookies onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them.
- Roll scraps together and continue cutting cookies to fill the baking sheet. (Note: keep the rest of the dough wrapped in the fridge until you're ready to roll and cut the next batch.)
- Lightly cover and chill the cut cookies for 20 minutes before baking them.
Bake:
- Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the cookies with the milk.
- Bake the cookies for about 18-20 minutes, only until the edges of the cookies just barely show a little color. Carefully remove the cookies to a cooling rack.
- Continue rolling, cutting, and brushing with milk the rest of the dough until all of the cookies are done.
Assemble the sandwich cookies:
- Once the cookies are cool, spread about 2 teaspoons of Nutella onto the bottom of one cookie. Press the bottom of a second cookie over the Nutella to create a sandwich - press the cookies lightly together until the chocolate is visible at the edges.
- Repeat this with the rest of the cookies and Nutella.
- The sandwiched cookies can be stored wrapped or in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Makes about 16 sandwich cookies.
Notes
- A food processor is the easiest way to chop the dried cranberries, but you can also do it with a sharp knife. You want to chop them into very small pieces so that they make their way through more of the butter cookie dough.
- The chilling times are important, to make the dough easier to handle before cutting the shapes and to keep the cookies from spreading too much while baking.
Keisha
We have tried it my son and I..and it is delicious..😋😋thank you so much for this recipe
Nancy Mock
Hi Keisha, that’s wonderful to hear! I’m so glad you like these cookies and love that you made them together with your son. ❤️ Have a great day!
Diane
Your cookies look fantastic. Nothing is better than homemade sandwich cookies. Good job! Pinned.
Nancy Mock
Diane, thank you so much and thank you for pinning my recipe!
Christian
So good...even without the Nutella!!!!
Nancy Mock
Like you!
armchairsquid
You two are just adorable...
I can't eat Nutella. Sucks!
Nancy Mock
Well I’ll have to make you some with chocolate spread instead!