Hello!
Today marks the start of my Christmas Cooking & Baking series. On Sunday I’ll be in the kitchen with my sister in law, Louise, making the mincemeat for the mince pies and as the weeks progress I’ll be combining some test recipes for the book with all of my Christmas baking and cooking. I suspect I’ll also be outgrowing most of my clothes as I need to test all of these recipes, naturally, but needs must and all that! * contented sigh *
So today I’ve got White Chocolate & Cranberry cookies for you. Follow this recipe to the letter, don’t let them bake for too long in the oven (you want yellow cookies not dark brown) , and enjoy the chewy tasty soft delights that sits piled up in your kitchen daring you to resist them. An exercise in futility if ever there was one! I know this…..I’ve already had four this morning.
Makes approx 2 dozen large cookies
225g butter (softened)
400g caster/superfine sugar
375g plain (all purpose) flour
2 free range medium sized eggs
1 & 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
10ml hot water
1/4 tsp salt
150g of dried cranberries
100g good quality white chocolate
Heat the oven to 200c
- Mix together the sugar and the butter until light and creamy
Note: I used a food mixer to mix the ingredients but these ingredients can also be mixed by hand. - Dissolve the baking soda in 10ml of hot water and then add to the bowl
- Whisk the eggs and mix in to the bowl with the vanilla and salt
- Sift in the flour and mix for a good couple of minutes until creamy
- Stir in the cranberries and the roughly chopped chocolate
Tip: If you are smashing your own chocolate into chips for your cookies, remember to chill the chocolate bars first as this will make the chocolate more easy to break. - On a large greased or lined baking tray place golf ball sized amounts of dough per cookie. Try and leave at least a couple of inches between each cookie as when they bake they grow and spread!
- Bake your first batch of cookies in the oven for 12-14 minutes, once removed from the oven the cookies should be slightly browned on top but still remain fairly soft to the touch which will mean that they will be good and chewy. Perfect!
- Repeat the above until all the cookie dough has been used
- Allow the cookies to cool slightly before serving
- These cookies freeze magnificently
When I posed my Christmas question several of you asked for recipes that were not only great for freezing bit were also good to give as gifts to others. Well this recipe is fantastic for freezing. Make the cookies ahead of time, place in an airtight container or bag and freeze for as long as you need to. Take them out of the freezer a few hours before serving and allow them to come to room temperature.
They are also really, really lovely to give as a gift. With cranberries being synonymous with this time of year and the white chocolate lending a snowy feel. If you need a foodie present to rustle up really quickly for a last minute event or invitation I made this entire batch in under an hour. So I would recommend them.
We’re really in the swing of it now and I have more prep ideas, craft projects and lots of foodie bits to follow.
Fah, la, la, la, laaahhhh!!
I love you. Have a great day.
Cherry x
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Hi,
Would love to try this recipe. I’m a first timer though and possibly quite hopeless in baking. So few questions to ask. What oven temperature should I use (pre-heated)? When you said golf ball size on the baking tray, do you mean flattened or round-ish?
Thanks.
[...] I still contribute to the lunch, and this year I departed from my usual mince pies to make these White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies. They looked delicious on the website and I felt I just had to try them, although I was rather [...]
[...] Cranberry, white chocolate and macadamia cookies [...]
Thank you for this recipe! I’m definitely going to try it. The cookies look gorgeous in your pictures
Good Morning Cherry
I made these at the weekend and have popped some in the freezer too, they went down a treat at both my office and my husband’s office so thank you soooooo much xxxx
Cherry thank you! I’ve just made this recipe and they are seriously yummy. I halved the recipe to make a smaller quantity and I added more cranberries because I cannot get enough of them. Next time I’m going to half the cranberries and make up the amount with macadamia.
xxx feeling christmassy.
Hello Cherry,
I can’t use butter because my daughter doesn’t eat dairy products (she’s “lactose intolerant”)
I usually use olive oil instead of butter for baking. Do you have any idea how much oil I should use for your receipe?
Why can’t don’t you put the whole batch of cookies together in the oven on two trays, one above the other, instead of baking twice?
Thanks fot the information,
Véronique
Thanks for this recipe Cherry, I really appreciate recipes for food that freezes well. Makes it all a little easier in the long run!
Lovely Cherry: I can almost smell the aroma of the cookies! This weekend I’m going to try your recipe.
love
Verónica
Yes I loved the ribbon tied so beautifully. What a great gift when times are hard already for some.
Have made the cookies and they ARE scrummy. Followed your recipe and instructions to the letter because I am no baker and the family’s reaction was evident in the way they scoffed the lot. Must have a pile of these for Christmas. Great for people popping in.
I love Thanksgiving but must admit to a bit of envy the Christmas season is longer outside the U.S. I could do with one of these cookies right now!
Why no picture of Anais eating the cookies? I’m sad. I miss her so.
Hi Cherry. Forgive me if I am being stupid but when you say you can freeze them. Do you mean after you cook them? x
Not a stupid question, I should have explained. You can actually do both, freeze the dough or bake them and freeze. I bake them and defrost at room temp. That way the job is all done and I can simply eat them…..all! Cx
Gracias, gracias, gracias !!!! for the mince pie recipe!!!! I just read that you have to do it lots of weeks in advance as well as the christmas pudding, I didn´t know that!! That´s why this sunday is called stir up sunday. I guess that´s why my grandma used to make the fruitcakes many weeks before Christmas, so the flavor got more intense.
My grandparents were like americans living in Mexico. Both of them in different times of their life used to live in the States. My grandfather used to work in the British Chamber of Commerce in Mexico. I grew up with many traditions that were not exactly latin ones, which takes us to the point that she baked mince pies. My mum doesn´t remember the recipe so I am eager to learn. I read that some recipes use suet? I hope not because that means we all will need to do lots of work out.
Thanks again, Paty
These look very similar to ones I bake myself and they are a success each time I bake them! For variation you could add a tablespoon of honey, some pecans and oats…..fantastic.
Looking forward to your other Christmas recipes ;o)
Rin x
Yum, lovely cookies to kick start our Festive baking, thank you x Pat
Two of my favorite things, chocolate and cranberries, together in a cookie! I will be making these this weekend, for sure.
One thing that I particularly paid attention to was your presentation of the cookies. I love the way you tied the white heart ribbon around the stack of cookies. What a difference just that touch of ribbon makes! Love it!
Hope to see more interesting and creative ways to decorate gifts.
Marilyn (in Dallas)
They look gorgeous, and what a bonus they freeze. I can at least make some early and feel organised (thats if they make it to the freezer in my house!!!).
Anything cranberry is always a hit around here; I’ve printed the recipe and these will definitely be made in December. Ooh, yummy with a cup of tea in the afternoon, I’m thinking..
Mmmm, these look lovely Cherry. Will look forward to making these very soon xx
I love your blog, I’m relatively new to it and enjoying reading past posts. I’ll be trying these out tomorrow, I cam into possession of a french dresser yesterday and it’s my favourite place to be at the moment!
I love this combination and will definitely be making some as a gift for friends we’re staying with over new year, so thank-you.
I’ve found Christmas quite stressful the last couple of years and not really enjoyed the festive season as much as i’d have liked. But this year feels different. I’ve done a fair bit of shopping already, prompted by the fact that I know others here are starting, so it’s definitely not too early and i’m using your checklist and I feel quite organised. In fact this morning, a gorgeous box of delights from Fortnum and Mason turned up, now I just have to bring myself to part with them (well, I did sneak in a little something for myself too).
Really looking forward to sharing all your Christmassy ideas Cherry and keeping up the momentum i’ve found. Thanks for the inspiration as usual!
Take care, Bex.x
Cant wait to make and then eat! yummy!!!
yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum! You’ve outdone yourself with this recipe Cherry, it’s perfect for Christmas. I have to give it a try.
All we need now is a good dollop of snow!
I’m doing some festive baking today, though it won’t be for eating. I’m baking the parts for a gingerbread house. Normally I do it a bit last minute, and it shows, so this year I’m trying to take my time and do it slowly. So when December rolls round and I start decorating, the houses are all done and ready to put out. They never get eaten, so I’m not worried that I’m starting so far in advance. I’ll make a teeny one for The Girl, that she can decorate herself and eat the sweeties from.
Happy testing!
x
Hi Cherry
These look delicious! As a very novice baker, I have a very silly question …. when you say ‘golf ball sized amounts of dough’, should you then flatten them, or do you put them in the oven still round? Told you it was a silly question!
Love the blog,
Andrea
Not at all silly. I patted them down a little but not too much as I like a chunky cookie. Cx