I’ve been doing lots of cookie baking lately, besides making them for friends and family, I also went to a cookie swap that my Italian/American club had this year. Each year I usually make most of my old standbys, but I always try to change things up and make something new and different.
This year I tried these colorful and tasty Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies, the recipe is seen here, on Epicurious. I love the way they look with their square shape and the vibrant colors of the green pistachio’s and red cranberries, that paired with the flavor of a shortbread dough, is a winning combination! They look cute peeping through cellophane bags tied with ribbon too, a great gift idea!
The recipe said they would last 5 days in an airtight container, well mine lasted 2 weeks and tasted just as good as the first day I made them. I kept them in a cool area, and they were perfect.So you can definitely make these in advance!
The colored sugar I used around the edges is what I had on hand, I tried to find plain white, but after 2 stores I gave up. Solid red, green, or white sugar would be really nice too.
At our cookie swap we had a Mandolin player who was treating us to beautiful Italian music, as we exchanged cookies, and of course sampled some along with our coffee.
Did you know there were different kinds of Mandolins?? I didn’t!
The table was huge, everyone was told to bring 3 dozen each for the swap, along with extra for eating that night, the recipe, and a family story about the cookie if you wanted to, and last but not least a container to take your goodies home in!
We’re in the process of making a club cookbook, so all these cookie recipes will be added into it.
This is peek into my container I brought home. Anyone else do a cookie exchange? It’s really fun, and you end up with tons of variety!
The colored sugar I used around the edges is what I had on hand, I tried to find plain white, but after 2 stores I gave up. Solid red, green, or white sugar would be really nice too. At our cookie swap we had a Mandolin player who was treating us to beautiful Italian music, as we exchanged cookies, and of course sampled some along with our coffee. Did you know there were different kinds of Mandolins?? I didn’t! The table was huge, everyone was told to bring 3 dozen each for the swap, along with extra for eating that night, the recipe, and a family story about the cookie if you wanted to, and last but not least a container to take your goodies home in! We’re in the process of making a club cookbook, so all these cookie recipes will be added into it. This is peek into my container I brought home. Anyone else do a cookie exchange? It’s really fun, and you end up with tons of variety!Happy Baking!!
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies
I, going to make these this year with tart dried cherries instead of cranberry
Great idea!
That is one beautiful looking cookie. I have made a similar recipe, but rolled the outside in just plain sugar. Yours are beautiful!
This so blows away anything remotely like fruitcake or cookies…this should be the new Christmas standard.
these looks aweseome! i love the pistachio addition. beautiful.
The cranberry pistachio cookies must taste amazing! Especially dipped in hot espresso and then eaten! I am a total dipper and these cookies are a perfect fit!
We’ll be right over for the cookies, put the coffee on! Thank God, you are in our family!
Love,
UJ & AJ
Wow these cookies look fabulous… I am a little late getting here but I am glad I came… what fun have a cookie exchange… I wish my friends & I could do something like that…. I am going to try to make those cookies… They look yummy and I love pistachios and cranberries… Thanks a ton… Have a great day
(((HUGS)))
Donna
These are gems.
Wow! Look at that cookie bounty! How fun that you are making a club cookbook that will include the cookie recipes. I love how colorful your Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies are. I bet they had great crunch! YUM!
Yum! so much to eat this time of year Marie… and so little time!
Pretty pretty cookies Marie…& so perfectly festive. I love the square shapes & even the coloured sugar looks so good. You must ave had fun at the swap…& the mandolin player seems to have made the evening even more worthwhile. xoxox
Great photos. I think I will make these too. There are some dried cranberries in my pantry, waiting to be used up. But why are they called icebox cookies? Yeah, you chill the dough. But that`s true for most eggless cookies. *scratches head* 😉
I love the cranberry and pistachio combination it is just so festive this time of the year. When I was teenager my friends and I used to go to the Italian club every Friday night for their dances.
I ove the cranberry/pistachio combo. Your cookies look tasty and festive. Looks like a nice haul from the exchange too. 🙂
Sorry It took me while! Check out King Arthurs. They have gorgeous sugars! These are beautuiful. Im up to my eyeballs in cookies too!But its great hoilday fun.
Looks like the Cookie Monster is out in full force in Chicago, Marie!
Your icebox cookies look divine — my next recipe to make is cranberry-pistachio biscotti — the colors of Christmas for sure.
Happy holidays!
I cannot say that I have heard of a cookie exchange here in South Africa, but maybe I should start the tradition! I love the colorful cookies that you have made!
I bet these do look so pretty in the cellophane bags. That’s what I’m looking for this year, something that looks so pretty and tastes even better. Might as well have a bit of color in style in there right? Good choice.
I’ve never had live music at a cookie swap. How cool is that?
Beautiful looking cookies!!! I like the different colored sugar around the outside! What a nice box of cookies you left with!
Marie you are so way ahead of the game! I’m not sure if I’ll get a chance to bake batches, and I’ve already taken the easy way out by gladly taking any and all treats that my mom-in-law wants to give us. Maybe after the dust settles around here I can put together at least a couple of favorites!
I bake a lot for Christmas every year, but this year I have to cut back because of travel. Our favorite cookies that I usually make for the holidays are gingerbread men, tricolor almond ribbon cookies and Italian fig cookies. I think I may add this pistachio cranberry cookies to the list this year — they look pretty and sound delicious!
I don’t do a cookie swap as not many of my friends bake — it looks like a lot of fun!
Let me know when your club cookbook comes out — I’d love to buy a copy!
Lucky you! Great assortment and your cookies were beautiful. How lucky to have that mandolin player on top of it all.
Your cookies are so pretty , I love the color’s in them. You made haul at your cookie exchange!! They all look good to me!!
I had a cookie swap last night and it was a success even though it was the first time for most (not so popular in Italy) – we had a great time and it’s becoming my favorite get-together! 🙂 Yours looks like it was fun, too.
Oh what a nice tradition. Your cookies are so festive Marie. I love your colored sugars too. So what was your favorite in that tin?
Hey thats just soooo festive…m all about colors! Sure they look so delicious.
These are some dandy looking cookies!
-DTW
http://www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com
This looks like so much fun! I’ve never done a cookie exchange before. I bet the mandolin music added a nice touch to the evening. I will show this post to my son, the music major, who is in love with all stringed insturments. He wants to get one of those someday.
I am planning on making these for the holidays, too. I just love how festive they are. I think the colored sugar adds a fun touch!
I don’t know about a cookie exchange, but I know UJ would definitely do some cookie eating! And dunking…
I know he is looking forward to some Italian fig cookies!
Those cookies look good! Cranberries and pistachios go well together.
I am not a cookie lover but you make me want to be a part of a cookie exchange 🙂
These icebox cookies look beautiful! They are so festive looking, and I love that they can be made so far in advance! I love cookie exchanges — I really ought to to organize one with my friends. And the mandolin player must have added such a nice ambience to the event! It looks like you can away with a nice assortment of cookies!
What a festive cookie 🙂
SO pretty! I’m undecided on what type to make for my cookie swap too. These would be unique!
They last 2 weeks? ha ha..I laugh at your 2 weeks! They’d be gone pronto around here!
Love mandolins!
Merry Christmas, my blog sister 🙂 xox
Very Festive cookies indeed.
I used to do a cookies exchange every year with a group of girlfriends that also went on an all ladies mountain hut cross country ski trip. It was a great group and fun times.
Marie,
Your photos are terrific.
The ice box cookies so pretty.
You had a mandolin player for the cookie swap?
What am I doing wrong?
Stace
Good lord, can I come next time:)
What fun! I love your cookies – such great colors and flavors.
I went to one once, it was awesome and soooo fun. I went with a girlfriend and we both popped open our containers on the drive home and had a ball. They also exchanged ornaments at the one I went to. I want to do one some day but lack the space in our tiny house. Those cookies look sooo yummy!!!
These just scream “Christmas”! They’re so beautiful. Your cookie exchange looks great. What fun.
Nice cookies. I love the sprinkles around them. I have a cookie swap on Friday and I am still undecided on the type. I need 10 dozen so it must be something easy.