Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

November 27, 2012 | 1 Comment

You may have noticed that I have not been around for a few days. Dominic, our girls and I drove to California for our Annual Thanksgiving family reunion. Dominic’s family has been getting together for reunions for over thirty years, and I feel blessed to be a part of them and his remarkable, incredible family.

Bop bop, Dominic’s dearly departed grandfather and Patriarch of our family, was not with us this Thanksgiving, and he was sorely missed. I feel sure he was with us in spirit though, and was thrilled that we are continuing the tradition.

We not only got to spend quality time with family, but as a bonus we also got to see some very dear friends, and catch up a bit. I baked a small batch of these cranberry chocolate chip cookies, and brought them along on our car trip to share.

I have been cooking a lot with fresh cranberries lately, and I thought I would add them to one of my favorite basic chocolate chip cookie recipes. In the end, I also threw in some white chocolate chips, and they were amazing with the fresh cranberries. This is a sweet cookie despite the tart cranberries. Feel free to store this cookie dough covered in the refrigerator for a few days. You can also flash freeze individual balls, and store them in a freezer bag until ready to bake.

Cookie dough parties are right around the corner, and this is a great dough to bring. They would look beautiful in a holiday cookie tin, and anyone who receives them is sure to feel very special.

I like these soft, so I bake them until they get puffy, slightly crinkly on top, and a touch golden around the edges. They deflate a little after you take them out of the oven, and get lumpy, bumpy and pretty. If you like a crispy cookie, cook them a few more minutes so they get a little more color. Either way you like them, let them cool a bit on the sheet tray, as they will be more sturdy, when you transfer them to a wire cooling rack.

This recipe is adapted from Lovin’ From The Oven, Best Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies and Mel’s Kitchen Cafe, Best Chocolate Chip Cookie. I hope you make and enjoy these cookies, with your family and friends, for the holidays and beyond.

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe type: Cookie,Dessert

Author: Jillian

Serves: 2-3 dozen

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup(1 1/2 sticks)unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp Blackstrap molasses(optional)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 cup chopped dark chocolate chips, or dark chocolate bar
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup chopped fresh cranberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line sheet trays with parchment paper, or Silpat
Place flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl, and whisk to combine
Set aside
In a medium bowl, by hand, or with hand mixer, cream together the melted butter, and brown sugar
Beat in the molasses, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy
Mix in the dry ingredients, until just combined
Stir in the chocolate chips, cranberries by hand using a wooden spoon, dough spoon, or spatula
Drop cookie dough 1 Tbsp at a time onto the prepared sheet trays
Cookies should be about 2-3 inches apart
Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden, for a soft cookie
If you like crispy cookies, bake for a few minutes longer
Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes
Transfer cookies to wire racks, to cool completely.