White chocolate and cranberry cookies

It’s one of my favorite months of the year and I think you can understand why without me explaining. Something happens when December comes because I am not particularly fond of cookies. They are usually easy to make, with a non-complex flavor. Not interesting enough for me to make them, except in December when almost all I bake are cookies. Just happens. And since nobody complains when they receive a cookie or two, it’s all good. Let’s make the most of it!

I am starting this happy month with a batch of soft, white chocolate and cranberry cookies.

These cookies have a soft and fudgy texture with white chocolate that gives them the perfect sweetness, while the dried cranberries give you tartness so you don’t taste only sugar. If you are wondering why there is pudding mix in cookies, it is because it gives them the softness that we are looking for.

Easy and quick to make.

170 g room temperature butter
150 g brown sugar
30 g sugar
1 egg
250 g flour
2 tsp vanilla pudding mix/powder
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
140 g white chocolate chips / chopped white chocolate
100 g dried cranberries

In a bowl whisk together flour, pudding mix, soda, and salt. In another bowl beat together butter and both of the sugars with a mixer – until smooth and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and blend them in. When everything is nicely incorporated start slowly adding the mixture from the first bowl (with the mixer on a low speed) and mix just until both wet and dry ingredients are combined. Don’t over-mix! Then add your white chocolate chips and dried cranberries and quickly blend them in so they are evenly distributed.

Cover the dough in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least an hour. When you are ready to bake preheat the oven to 180°C, take your cookie dough out of the fridge, scoop some dough (about 1 tbsp) and roll it into balls. If the dough is too hard, let it sit on room temperature for 10 min. Place cookie balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them for 8-10 min. They will look very soft when you take them out but they will harden when they cool down so it’s important to not over-bake them. Let them cool on a baking sheet for 5 min and then place them on a cooling rack to cool completely. Before baking another batch, let the baking sheet cool.

Keep the baked cookies in an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from: Anna Olson