Cranberry Nut Swirls

This recipe originated with my sister-in-law. It gets used a lot over the holidays when we want to pull a fast one on the guys in our family. They claim they don't like cranberries in any shape or form, but everyone enjoys these.

Cranberry Nut Swirls

Average Rating: 4.444444

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. + chilling Bake: 15 min./batch + cooling
YIELD: about 3-1/2 dozen.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup finely ground cranberries
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons milk

Instructions

  • 1. Combine butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl occasionally. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture, beating well. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
  • 2. Combine cranberries, walnuts and orange zest; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 10-in. square. Combine brown sugar and milk; brush over dough. Sprinkle with cranberry mixture to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up tightly, jelly-roll style. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until firm, several hours or overnight.
  • 3. Preheat oven to 375°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on well-greased baking sheets. Bake until edges are light brown, 14-15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 65 calories, 3g fat (2g saturated fat), 10mg cholesterol, 37mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.