Warm a dry sauté pan over medium-high heat, then toss the almonds in it for about 30 seconds or until aromatic and set them aside to cool. The nuts should smell toasted without developing dark patches.

Cut the cooled almonds and dried cranberries into small bits, then reserve them for mixing. Evenly chopped pieces will fit into the dough without creating large breaks in each slice.

Gather the softened butter, powdered sugar, almond extract, and salt in a stand mixer bowl or a large bowl for a handheld mixer. The butter should hold its shape while yielding easily to pressure.

Begin beating at low speed, then raise the speed gradually to medium and continue for about 3 minutes. Stop with a smooth, light mixture rather than a heavily whipped, fluffy mass.

Reduce the speed to low and feed in the flour and orange zest gradually, mixing for about 2 minutes or until the dough comes together. The mixture should gather into a cohesive dough with no loose flour remaining.

Distribute the chopped almonds and cranberries through the dough with about 30 seconds of mixing, then scrape the bowl and transfer the dough to a clean work surface. The fruit and nuts should appear throughout the mixture rather than in concentrated clumps.

Press the dough into a ball and roll it into an even cylinder about 18 inches long. A smooth, pliable log without open seams will hold together better during slicing.

Enclose the log snugly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm. The cylinder should resist gentle pressure instead of flattening beneath your fingers.

Set the oven to 325°F as the chilling period nears its end. The dough should remain firm while the oven finishes heating.

Unwrap the refrigerated log and cut 1/2-inch-thick rounds with a sharp knife, rotating the log a quarter turn between cuts. Each slice should offer slight resistance without collapsing or breaking apart.

Arrange the rounds on a non-stick cookie sheet with at least 1 inch between them and bake for about 15 minutes, checking after 10 minutes. Remove them when the edges first show a faint golden color while the tops remain pale.

Leave the cookies on the sheet for about 5 minutes before carefully moving them to a cooling rack. The rounds should become sturdy enough to lift without bending or breaking.