I had such a difficult time this year picking my holiday treat. My get healthy journey is going good so I didn’t want to do anything that might derail my efforts. Or willpower. My willpower can be iffy or moody or finicky. At the same time, it didn’t feel right to not share a holiday treat either. After much consideration (seriously, I spent hours on Pinterest) I ultimately craved a cookie. And not an ordinary, boring cookie but the perfect ying yang cookie.
It must be crisp yet soft. Sweet and tart. Gorgeous without much effort. A tall order for any holiday treat, but I found the perfect cookie that met my very, fussy requirements.
May I present the Cranberry White Chocolate Cookie.
She’s a beaut, right?
Santa and Your Loved Ones Will Love These Cookies!
Did you set out cookies for Santa Claus when you were little? I always did, much to the dismay of my parents. We spent Christmas Eve at my Grandma’s house, where we feasted, so ummmm … Santa apparently wasn’t super hungry. 😀 My parents tried to convince me that Santa didn’t need my cookies but I would not be deterred!
Santa must have cookies! I am on the nice list!
Seriously, though, these cookies are delicious. They also can easily be made in advance and frozen (see the directions for instructions) and enjoyed year-round.
Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies
Makes 22 Cookies | Recipe from Averie Cooks
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dried cranberries (plus extra for topping)
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (plus extra for topping)
Directions
- In a large bowl, add softened butter, sugars and beat on medium-high speed until well-combined, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mix for another 2 minutes or until well-combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add heavy cream and mix for another minute.
- Once again, scrap the sides of the bowl, then add the flour, baking soda and salt to butter mixture. Beat on low speed for 1 minute or until just combined. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips.
- Using a cookie scoop or your hands, shape 22 cookies (you can adjust and make them bigger or smaller) into balls. Place cookie mounds on a tray covered with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours. After chilling, flatten to half its original height. Place a few white chocolate chips and cranberries on top, if desired.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with Silpats or parchment paper. Place 8 cookies on each baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges have set. They may appear slightly undercooked but cookies firm up as they cool. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving or remove to a cooling rack.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to six months.
Special Notes
Be sure to chill dough prior to baking. I know it’s tempting to skip this step but cookies will bake thinner and spread. You want these babies to be a little plump, like Santa Claus!
You can keep unbaked cookie dough in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. I baked just a few cookies since I’m trying to be good 😀 and froze the remaining unbaked cookie dough. So when the mood strikes in the future, I can grab a cookie or two and bake as needed.
I’m not sure if I’m a wise woman for putting a bunch of these in the freezer or a fool. Time will tell but I do know for sure that they are delicious! They would make a great gift or addition to any holiday treat platter. I also love the fact that because they don’t necessarily scream CHRISTMAS, you can also make them year-round because trust me — you’ll want to eat them in July too!
What’s your favorite, must-have Christmas treat?
Tanya
I love white,chocolate chips. They just taste richer to me for some reason.,
Totally with you, Rebecca. I’m a huge fan of white chocolate chips, so yummy!
I don’t like cranberries OR white chocolate… but I feel like if you made these and put them in front of me I’d probably eat 25 of them… ha! And the colors are SO Christmasy! They’re the perfect treat for Santa!
I’m not sure if we can be friends any longer, Audrey. Just kidding! I adore white chocolate and cranberries but recognize it’s not a combo for everyone. My oldest nephew does not like chocolate, which I cannot comprehend. 😀 I love that the cookies look Christmasy and yet can be easily be made year-round too.
I think I’ve made these exact cookies before. Although I’m not a huge white chocolate fan, I love the combo and look of the white chips with the cranberries! Yum!
The combo is perfection in my mind. But I am a huge fan of sweet and tart. The white chocolate and cranberries just look gorgeous together and it’s killing my diet having these bad boys in my freezer, tempting me with their goodness.
these sound AMAZING. i think you found the perfect balance of all the things you want in a cookie. i am not a baker but if someone made these for me i’d eat all of them in one go. which is 100% the reason i don’t bake 😉 my willpower is not moody, it is never around 😉 lol. have a good weekend!
Honestly, I don’t really consider myself to be a baker, even though I do a fair amount of it. 😀 Sweets were always the most popular posts over at Eat Laugh Purr, so I baked a lot more than I normally would. But Christmas is all about the sweet treats and I plan months in advance what I’m going to make for Christmas. My willpower likes to go missing more than I’d like. It is moody, though. I can be all smug about how good I’m doing one minute and literally five minutes later, my hand is in the cookie jar.