White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
So we gave up chocolate for Lent.
We knoooooowwwwwww. Uuuuuuuggghhh!!! WHAT WE WERE THINKING?!?!? Our dreams are filled with Cadbury Creme Eggs, Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow Eggs and Dark Chocolate Cadbury Mini-Eggs and the frozen remaining half of the Dark Chocolate Mousse Cake in the freezer.
We feel like we're being hazed. By Easter candy.
As a result, we have developed VERY loose standards on what can be really considered 'chocolate.' We are not eating chocolate for religious reasons but we are eating chocolate. There is a fine distinction.
Cocoa powder, for example, is clearly not chocolate. Reese's Peanut Butter cups? Half chocolate but not totally chocolate. There is a percentage factor in our definition. Less than 50% is clearly not chocolate. Anyhoo. Jell-O pudding cups? Not chocolate. Chocolate ice cream? Not chocolate depending on the flavor profile. Ritter Sport bars? Chocolate. Trader Joe's Chocolate-covered frozen banana slices? Fruit.
Needless to say we are considering white chocolate in the 'not chocolate' category and thus we made (um, and inhaled) these divine cookies from the truly fabulous Brown-Eyed Baker. (She also has eyes and bakes!! Yay!)
This is the problem with Lent. We find ways around it.
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Makes 24 cookies
Adapted from Brown-Eyed Baker
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat baking mats.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract until well mixed. Scrap the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Then, with the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture until just combined. Using the rubber spatula, stir in the oats, white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. The dough will be very thick and somewhat crumbly.
Roll the dough into 2"-ish balls and place on the baking sheets. Flatten the tops sightly with your fingers. Bake both cookie sheets for 10-12 minutes, rotating and reversing the pans halfway through baking, until the tops are light golden brown. Cool on the pan for a minute and remove to a wire rack to cool further.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
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Reader Comments (6)
Haha! You've got to love those loopholes ;)
Great looking cookies by the way
Yum! These look awesome!
My mom makes these every year aroung Christmas, they are among my favorite cookies!
I just finished baking these and not only does my house smell amazing, but these cookies are amazingly delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe!!!
these look so yummy. totally just pinned them.
Um, yes. I make white chocolate and cranberry scones. Cookies have to be even better.