Cranberry Pistachio Ribbon Cookies
“I lost my last grandparent this year, so I based this recipe on my grandmother's recipe for ribbon cookies,” wrote Jen Wolf of Wauwatosa. Her grandmother used poppy seeds, but Wolf wanted to experiment for our Layered Wonders category. “They’re still good for dunking (according to my kids), and no one has to pick poppy seeds out of their teeth!”
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1 ⁄2 cups sugar
1
1 egg
2 ⁄2 cups flour
1
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons pistachio pudding powder (such as Jell-O)
1⁄2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
In a large bowl or using a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture a little at a time. Mix until combined.
Separate dough into three equal portions among three bowls. Mix one portion with cocoa powder; mix the second with the pistachio pudding powder; mix the third portion with just the cranberries, washing the beaters or spoon between flavors.
Line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with wax or parchment paper. Press first layer into bottom of pan, being sure to reach the edges and get it as even as possible. Crumble second dough over the first and then press into loaf pan, again being sure to reach the edges and get the layer even as possible. Repeat with final layer. Cover dough and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
When dough is thoroughly chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove dough from loaf pan and slice lengthwise into three equal sections using a sharp knife. One at a time (keeping the other sections refrigerated), slice each section into 1/8- to 1⁄4-inch-thick pieces so you have about 24 to 30 thin squares. Place squares flat on an ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.
Bake in preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes or until golden on the edges. Do not bake too long or they will lose their color. Let stand on cookie sheet 1 to 2 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.