These Panettone Fruitcake Shortbread are soft and buttery cookies featuring the popular flavors of candied fruits, citrus, and almonds.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
These shortbread cookies are a slice and bake icebox cookie recipe.
Studded with candied fruits, orange, and nuts to bring a lot of flavor and color, these are inspired Italian cookies perfect for a holiday and Christmas.
These are a great way to bring color to a cookie platter with popular flavors!
What is Panettone?
Panettone is a traditional Italian sweet bread originating from Milan. It is typically enjoyed during the Christmas season but is available year-round in many places. The dough is enriched with ingredients like eggs, butter, and dried or candied fruits.
Panettone has a light, airy texture and a tall, cylindrical shape. It often contains raisins, candied orange, and lemon peel. The top is usually adorned with powdered sugar or a sweet glaze.
Filled with candied fruits, it is almost like the Italian version of the fruitcake but much, much better!
The bread has a buttery flavor and when paired with the flaky and airy texture, you will see why they love it so much!
These cookies use those same flavors as inspiration.
Ingredients
All Purpose Flour
Butter
Powdered Sugar – this will make the cookies soft. If you want crisp, hard cookies, use granulated sugar instead.
Orange Zest – optional but bring a great light, bright flavor
Almonds – you can omit if you prefer
Candied Fruit Mix – sometimes called fruitcake mix, made of dried cherries, pineapple, and citrus
Water
Salt
White Chocolate – optional, for decorating
Instruction Overview
Full recipe instructions and details can be found in the recipe card below.
First blend the dry ingredients together in a food processor to combine.
Then add the butter and water and pulse until the dough just starts to come together.
Add the dried fruit mix and additional almonds and pulse just to combine.
The dough should look a little dry but hold together when you squeeze it in your hand. If not, add a touch more water and pulse as needed.
Roll the dough into a log approximately 2 inches wide and wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Chill at least 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 325F.
Slice the dough log into cookie slices approximately one half inch thick.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet at least one inch apart.
Bake approximately 20 minutes until just starting to turn light golden brown on the edges.
Let cool completely before decorating, if desired.
Kim’s Tips
It is important not to add too much liquid to the dough. You want just enough to hold it together.
Modifications and Substitutions
These cookies are soft. Want a crisp shortbread? Swap out the powdered sugar for the same amount of granulated sugar.
FAQs
What is the secret to making good shortbread cookies?
What are common mistakes when making shortbread?
What makes shortbread taste like shortbread?
Should you refrigerate shortbread dough before baking?
More Shortbread Cookie Recipes
Shortbread Cookies
A collection of delicious shortbread cookies!
Panettone Fruitcake Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring spoons
- Plastic Wrap or parchment paper
- Silicone Baking Mats or parchment paper
- Knife
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, 226 grams) cold, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 ½ Tablespoons water more as needed
- ½ cup candied fruit
- ⅓ cup almonds
- 2 Tablespoons almonds if you want some chunks in the cookies as well
- ½ cup white chocolate optional, for decorating, or bright white candy melts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F with the rack in the middle position.
- In a food processor, add the flour, sugar, salt, orange zest, cinnamon, and almonds. Pulse together a few times to mix.2 cups all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup powdered sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon orange zest, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅓ cup almonds
- Add the butter chunks around the flour along with the orange juice. Pulse again until the dough starts to come together. Do not over process. It should still look crumbly. The dough should stick together when squeezed. If too dry, add a little more water or lemon juice and briefly incorporate.1 cup unsalted butter, 1 ½ Tablespoons water
- Add the dried fruit and additional almonds (if you want chunk pieces of almonds in the cookies) and pulse just to combine.½ cup candied fruit, 2 Tablespoons almonds
- Dump the dough onto a large sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Start pressing it together into a log shape, and roll up the paper around it to help make it into a log approximately 2 inches wide and 12 inches long. Twist the ends and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dough log from the paper and using a serrated knife, slice the dough into ½ inch (or thinner) pieces.
- Place the cookies on a silicone mat or parchment lined baking sheet at least one inch apart. Bake approximately 20 minutes, until the bottom edges that touch the baking sheet are just starting to turn a golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven. Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool.
- If desired, dunk or drizzle with the white chocolate when the cookies are cool. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.½ cup white chocolate
