This cookie has become a tradition in my family and always makes an appearance during the holidays!
Chunks of silky white chocolate help you ease into the holidays, while warm and slightly spicy hints of brandy tickle your tongue. Plus with cranberries in full season, taking advantage of these sweet-tart garnet gems just makes sense.
With or Without Brandy
We soak the dried cranberries first in brandy for extra flavor. Any brandy will work great with these; Cognac, Armagnac, and Kirschwasser (a cherry brandy) are excellent.
If you want, you can forego the brandy altogether and just soak the cranberries in water to plump them.
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies Recipe
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cook time: 12 minutes
- Cranberry soaking time: 1 hour
- Yield: Makes 24 to 30 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup of brandy (enough to soak the cranberries in, then saving 1 1/4 teaspoons of it for later)
- 1 cup of dried cranberries
- 1 cup (two sticks) of butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup of lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of white chocolate chips
Method
1 Soak the dried cranberries: Put the cranberries in a wide and shallow bowl. Add enough brandy to surround the cranberries. Cover and aside for 1 hour. Strain out the plumped cranberries, reserving remaining brandy.
2 Preheat oven to 375°F.
3 Beat butter and sugars: Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until light, fluffy and well incorporated.
4 Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and add 1 1/4 teaspoons of the brandy that the cranberries soaked in (as for the rest, I suggest popping it in a glass and topping it off a bit for yourself). Beat well until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl midway through to ensure even mixing.
5 Whisk dry ingredients, add to wet: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add to the mixture a bit at a time, beating until just mixed.
6 Fold in the brandy soaked cranberries and white chocolate chips. Let chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.
7 Spoon out dough onto lined baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (a baker’s best friend) and place rounded spoonfuls down on the sheet.
8 Bake: Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
*I find that adding the baking soda separately seems to form softer cookies. This is how my mom and grandmother taught me, and if there is actual science behind it, I’m not aware but it seems pretty consistent, and it won’t ruin the cookies if you try it this way.
