These cookies are super soft with creamy white chocolate chips paired with sweet cranberries. It is a DELICIOUS combination! These cookies are perfect to bake for Valentine's day.
The inspiration...
There is nothing better than baking a warm fresh cookie to eat and enjoy. I was looking for a different cookie recipe to try that had a fun combination of mix-in ingredients. My go-to is always to use semi-sweet chocolate chips and to bake a classic chocolate chip cookie. For these, I decided to go with white chocolate chips and cranberries. It is a great combination of flavors because the white chocolate chips are not as sweet as regular chocolate chips so the flavor balances well with the sweet dried cranberries. The base of these cookies is the same as any cookie dough. It is a recipe that never fails to deliver the perfect chewy, thick, and soft cookie.
This recipe is quick and easy to make even though you do have to refrigerate the dough for a short period of time. It is standard for me to always add in extra baking time to let my cookie dough rest in the fridge or freezer. I use the freezer technique when I am baking in a rush. I will add the cookie dough to the freezer for 15 minutes to let the dough set or I will shape the cookie dough into balls and then let the tray sit in the freezer. I would highly recommend never skipping the refrigeration step because it really goes a long way in ensuring you get the perfect round and slightly puffy cookie shape.
A new cookie technique...
Another new technique I have been playing around with is to shape the cookies into perfect circles after they bake. I discovered this from Instagram where many professional bakers will shape the dough after they bake. Don't you always wonder how cookies come out so perfectly round? I do. All you need is round cookie cutter shapes of different sizes. Then when the cookies come out of the oven you take a cookie-cutter larger than your cookies and circle around the edges. This will create a nice round shape. Alternatively, you can directly cut a smaller round cookie by cutting off the edges. It is a neat trick and you should try this out next time you make cookies.
A few tips...
Refrigerate your dough - refrigeration is a must for these cookies because they will fall apart in the oven since the dough is really wet.
Storage - these cookies store well in an air-tight container for about 4 days.
Dried Cranberries - I like to chop my cranberries into smaller pieces so I don't get very large chunks in my cookies.
White chocolate - I use high-quality white chocolate because it does not taste artificial. I like the Ghirardelli white chocolate brand.
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Serving size: 18-20 cookies
Total Time: 45 minutes
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a cookie baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Step 2: In a stand mixing with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars for about 3 minutes. The butter and sugar mixture should be light and fluffy.
Step 3: Add the eggs and vanilla to the mixing bowl and mix for 5 minutes or until the mixture doubles in volume.
Step 4: Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined. Fold in white chocolate chips and dried cranberries into the cookie dough. Let the cookie dough sit in the fridge for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Step 5: When the dough is ready, scoop 2 tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie onto the baking sheet. Bake for 11-12 minutes. The cookies should brown and puff up on the outside and be soft on the inside. Let the cookies sit for about 5 minutes before eating.
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