I’ve been thinking about this recipe since I first made it for Christmas Eve dinner.  I admit it – I’m obsessed.  But sweet potatoes take so much of the starchy heavyness out of gnocchi (though they are still quite… Read the rest of this post

I’ve been thinking about this recipe since I first made it for Christmas Eve dinner.  I admit it – I’m obsessed.  But sweet potatoes take so much of the starchy heavyness out of gnocchi (though they are still quite toothsome) and the ricotta further lightens them up.  Then sage and brown butter, plus a few slivered almonds?  Elegant, and delicious.

I also loved that the gnocchi could be made several hours in advance – a lifesaver for this mutli-course meal.  (They were a first course – to follow was my mothers beef braciole, roasted beets and kale, and my Nana’s fig cakes)

This was a first attempt at pasta making for me – not as scary as I had feared. I’m still guessing at the purpose of the fork in rolling out the dumplings, but they looked about right, so I was happy.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter, Sage, and Almonds [Download PDF]

Based on a recipe from Bon Appétit

makes: 10 to 12 servings

ingredients:

2 pounds yams, rinsed, patted dry, pierced all over with fork
12 ounces fresh ricotta cheese, drained in sieve 2 hours
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 3/4 cups (approximately) all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter
6 tablespoons chopped fresh sage plus whole leaves for garnish
½ cup slivered almonds

how to:

Bake sweet potatoes in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool. (they can also be microwaved)

Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scrape sweet potato flesh into medium bowl and discard skins.  Transfer 3 cups of potato to large bowl. Add ricotta cheese; blend well. Add brown sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, and nutmeg.  Mash to blend together.  Mix in flour ½ cup at a time until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto floured surface; divide into 6 equal pieces. Rolling between palms and floured work surface, form each piece into 20-inch-long rope (about 1 inch in diameter), sprinkling with flour as needed if sticky. Cut each rope into 20 pieces.

With a fork sitting tines up on the cutting board, push your thumb into each dumpling, rolling it off the edge of the fork to create an indented roll.  Transfer the pieces to the parchment sheet, and cover with a towel.  Roll each piece over tines of fork to indent. Transfer to baking sheet.

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, boil gnocchi until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer gnocchi to clean rimmed baking sheet covered in parchment or wax paper. Let cool – they can sit out for up to 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until butter solids are brown and have toasty aroma, swirling pan occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add chopped sage  – the butter will bubble.  Turn off heat. Season sage butter generously with salt and pepper.

Transfer half of sage butter to large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add half of gnocchi. Sauté until gnocchi are heated through, about 6 minutes. Empty skillet onto rimmed baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining sage butter and gnocchi.  With the remaining butter, toast the almonds slightly.

Divide gnocchi and sauce among shallow bowls. Garnish with sage leaves and almonds.

Apple butter was a staple at my preschool – on mini-bagels or bits of rice cake, the sweet, brown, gooey stuff was an alternative to the regular doses of peanut butter.  But I grew sick of the over-sweet grocery… Read the rest of this post

Apple butter was a staple at my preschool – on mini-bagels or bits of rice cake, the sweet, brown, gooey stuff was an alternative to the regular doses of peanut butter.  But I grew sick of the over-sweet grocery store variety, and when the fall gave me a big bag of farmstand mixed apples, I decided to try out making my own.

These gave me two opportunities – to use the last of the real cinnamon I bought in Israel, and to try canning for the first time.  I used both the clamp jars in the photo and more standard ball jars, and a basic water bath technique I found various places online.

They’ve been a big hit with my holiday gift recipients, and I’m still eating jars of it now – often with my favorite Cherry Glen cheeses (their Monocacy Ash is nothing short of exquisite)

Brown Sugar Apple Butter [download PDF]

Based on a recipe from 101cookbooks.com

makes: about 40 ounces

equipment: big heavy pot, immersion blender, candy thermometer

ingredients:
4 pounds of apples, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks (I used a pie mix – gala, fuji, braeburn, and granny smith)
1/2 gallon of apple cider
1 3/4 cups of brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Juice of one lemon

to do:

Prepare your jars. Heat the jars in a warm oven (225 degrees) on a baking sheet to sterilize – at least 20 minutes.  Boil the lids in a small pot of water for 10 minutes and set to dry on a clean towel.

Make the butter: In a big, heavy pot over medium/med-high heat add the apples and enough apple cider to just cover. Bring to a simmer. Skim the foam off as it collects.  Cook the apples until they are tender, 25-30 minutes.  Let the apples cool, then use a immersion blender or regular blender to puree (be careful so the hot liquids don’t spatter).

Put the puree back in the big pot over medium heat. Bring puree to a simmer.  Let it get to 220 degrees on a candy thermometer.  While stirring, add the sugar, spices, vanilla, and lemon juice.  Continue to simmer over medium-low heat.

Let it cook for 1 ½-2 hours, until the butter starts to thicken and bubble like lava.  Stir it regularly to keep it from sticking.  It’ll sputter and plop once it’s getting close to done.  Remove from heat and let it cool.

Can your apple butter: Fill your your biggest, deepest pot with water and bring to a rolling boil. The water level will need to cover the jars.  Using pot holders remove the jar from the oven and fill to ¼ inch from the top with the apple butter.  Wipe the rims with a clean paper towel.  Place the lid on and close tightly.  A few jars at a time, boil for 10 minutes. 

Take the jars out of the water and place them on a towel-covered baking sheet.  Let cool overnight and check the lids to make sure they’ve sealed properly.

My boyfriend, a Cincinnati native, is visiting this week.  He was all amped up for the Bengals football game this afternoon, and determined to master a classic food of his home city – the Cincinnati Chili.  This particular food… Read the rest of this post

My boyfriend, a Cincinnati native, is visiting this week.  He was all amped up for the Bengals football game this afternoon, and determined to master a classic food of his home city – the Cincinnati Chili.  This particular food combines a sweet-ish beef chili with spaghetti (two-way), cheese (three-way), onions or kidney beans (four-way, five-way with both).  I’d had it before, at both Gold Star and Skyline, and was a definite convert.  But now, having had it at home, in his particular recipe, I don’t know that I can go back to the fast-food…except for for Coneys at 2 A.M.

It can’t quite erase the pain at seeing the Bengals lose and continue their 19 year streak…but it comes close.

Todd’s Cincinnati Chili
serves 6

ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 big or 2 normal size white onions, finely chopped (reserve 1/2 cup for topping)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart water
2 pounds ground beef
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons of chili powder, (try 1 if you don’t like it as spicy as Goldstar, can add up to 3)
2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 can of kidney beans
1 1/2 pounds of spaghetti
finely shredded cheddar cheese
oyster crackers

to do:

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter. Saute all the onion except the reserved amount and all the garlic until onions have softened.  Pour in the water and bring it to a boil.  Add the ground beef and stir to break up any pieces.  Add the crushed tomatoes, spices, salt, bay leaf, vinegar, Worcestershire, and brown sugar.  Keep pot uncovered and return to a simmer.

Turn heat to low. Cook for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.

About 30 minutes before serving, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.  Heat the kidney beans.

Assemble according to taste – a two-way, chili and spaghetti, three-way adds cheese, for or five-way with beans and reserved chopped onions.

And my last installment!  It’s actually only 11 cookies, but frankly, I am cookied out.  So I thought I’d finish with something pretty, simple, and highly gift-able.

The peppermint crackles have crushed starlight mints in them, along with a… Read the rest of this post

And my last installment!  It’s actually only 11 cookies, but frankly, I am cookied out.  So I thought I’d finish with something pretty, simple, and highly gift-able.

The peppermint crackles have crushed starlight mints in them, along with a touch of peppermint extract.  I added bits of candy canes to the top for a special flare.

It’s time for actual Christmas, and the eating of cookies.  Happy holidays, all!

Chocolate Peppermint Crackles

adapted from Bon Appétit

makes about 36

ingredients:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup finely crushed red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies
6 1/2 tablespoons sugar

3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1-2 candy canes, broken into pieces
powdered sugar

how to:

Combine bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan.  Stir over low heat until chocolates melt and mixture is smooth. Remove pan from heat. Mix in finely crushed mints and 6 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Cool mixture to lukewarm, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Whisk eggs into chocolate mixture, 1 at a time, then whisk in vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl to blend. Mix dry ingredients and chocolate chips into melted chocolate.  Cover batter and chill until firm enough to shape, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

About 20 minutes before you’re ready to bake, take the dough out of the oven to warm up. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Scoop about a tablespoon of dough for each cookie, and roll it between the palms of your hands to create 1 1/4-inch balls.  Place the balls on the parchment-lined baking sheet about 1 inches apart.  Bake 1 tray at a time until puffed and crackly on the top, about 11 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes, then press the pieces of the candy cane into the still-soft cookies and let cool all the way.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar once they are completely cool, if you want.

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The 12 Days of Cookies Participants:

Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dogs
Renee of Flamingo Musings
Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project

Dried mustard in a cookie?  Really?

Yes, really.

These spicy, complex little cookies are nearly perfect – a lovely crumbly texture, balance of flavors, and not too sweet.  They could easily be dressed up with a coat of icing… Read the rest of this post

Dried mustard in a cookie?  Really?

Yes, really.

These spicy, complex little cookies are nearly perfect – a lovely crumbly texture, balance of flavors, and not too sweet.  They could easily be dressed up with a coat of icing or drizzle of chocolate, but I love them just as-is.

I’ve also fallen in love with my tiny star cookie cutter – it makes 1-inch or so cookies, that are perfect for single bite snacking.  Yum.

Spicy Spice Cookies
Makes about 60 small or 20 large cookies

based on a recipe by Dorie Greenspan, from Bon Appetit

ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

how to:

In a large bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice, nutmeg, and mustard.

In a separate medium bowl, whip the butter with an electric mixer until it is smooth and creamy. Add the brown sugar and egg and beat again until well blended.  Add the molasses, egg, grated ginger and vanilla.  Beat on low until well mixed.

Add the dry ingredients and beat until well blended and the dough comes together. Gather the dough into a ball, and divide into four thin-ish discs (you’ll have to roll it out to 1/4 inch thickness).  Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Take the dough out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you want to roll it out.  Place the unwrapped dough between two sheets of waxed paper and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness.  Using your favorite cookie cutter, cut out cookies and arrange about 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake for 8-11 minutes, until golden.  Cool on racks.

Cookies can be decorated with icing after cooling, or coarse sugar sprinkled on before baking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 12 Days of Cookies Participants:

Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dogs
Renee of Flamingo Musings
Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project

Though Linzer Tarts are a little heavy on the construction, they are infinitley worth it – particularly these, where the cookie dough is filled with ground hazelnuts and cinnamon, and then the cookies ooze with wonderful blackberry flavor.  I’ll… Read the rest of this post

Though Linzer Tarts are a little heavy on the construction, they are infinitley worth it – particularly these, where the cookie dough is filled with ground hazelnuts and cinnamon, and then the cookies ooze with wonderful blackberry flavor.  I’ll be bringing this one back for valentines day!

Hazelnut Blackberry Linzer Tarts
Makes about 36 sandwiches.

Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appetit by Karen DeMasco

ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar plus more for decorating
zest of 1 large orange
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups hazelnuts, finely ground in processor (about 1 1/2 cups ground)
powdered sugar
Blackberry jam

to do:

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.

Beat the butter, sugar, orange and lemon zest until fluffy.  Add the egg yolks and beat.  Add the dry ingredients in four parts, then beat in nuts.  Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disc.  Chill for 1 hour (up to 1 day)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Roll out the dough to about 1/8 thickness.  Cut out 2-inch circles.  Cut the center out of half of the cut circles to make rings.  (I baked off the centers on a seperate sheet just to eat)

Bake cookies until golden, about 22 minutes.  Rotate sheets halfway through. Let cool on racks.

Assemble the cookies – sprinkle the cookies with holes in the center with powdered sugar.  Put a heaping teaspoon of jelly on the solid cookie and gently press the two halves together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 12 Days of Cookies Participants:

Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dogs
Renee of Flamingo Musings
Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project

Channeling the green box that the girl scouts love to tote, these little minty chocolaty cookies were a nice change.  Slice-and-bake instead of rolling out makes for slightly less even rounds, but the chocolate drizzle adds some elegance, and… Read the rest of this post

Channeling the green box that the girl scouts love to tote, these little minty chocolaty cookies were a nice change.  Slice-and-bake instead of rolling out makes for slightly less even rounds, but the chocolate drizzle adds some elegance, and makes for a pretty present cookie.

Three more to go…

Chocolate Chocolate Thin Mints
adapted from Bon Appétit

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen

ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1 large egg

6 ounces good quality very dark chocolate

to do:

Mix flour, cocoa powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in peppermint extract and vanilla extract, and sugar.  When blended, add the egg and beat again.  Add the dry ingredients and make a sticky-ish dough.

Divide dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, and form into a 2-inch diameter log.  Wrap thouroughly and refrigerate until slice-able, a few hours to a day.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Slice the dough into 1/4 inch slices.  place slices on baking sheets about 1 inch apart.  Bake until edges are dry, about 15 minutes.  Let cool on racks with parchment underneath to catch the chocolate drizzle.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a boiling pot of water. Let sit about 10 minutes to cool.  Dip a fork into the chocolate and shake back and forth across the cookies to drizzle.  I did it both ways to make a cross-hatch pattern.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 12 Days of Cookies Participants:

Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dogs
Renee of Flamingo Musings
Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project

Ok, so I might have promised 12 days of cookies, but did I say they would be in a row????  Zing!

Life gets in the way of baking sometimes, but I’m still having fun with these, and now my… Read the rest of this post

Ok, so I might have promised 12 days of cookies, but did I say they would be in a row????  Zing!

Life gets in the way of baking sometimes, but I’m still having fun with these, and now my friends and coworkers have these sad puppy dog eyes when I don’t carry cookies everywhere I go.  So for my last week of baking, I’m getting back into the swing of things and trying a few more cookie recipes.

These look a lot like the last ones…mostly because I don’t have fun cookie cutters.  But they couldn’t taste more different – light and airy, citrus and ginger, with just a touch of plain glaze to set them off.  Way too easily munch-able for my waistline’s sake.

Orange Ginger Cookies

based on a recipe from Bon Appetit

makes about 3 dozen

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar
5 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

equipment:
parchment, cookie sheets, cooling racks

to do:

Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, nutmeg and salt to combine.  In a large bowl, beat the butter with a mixer until light and fluffy.  Add the sugar and beat until blended.  Stir in the molasses, egg, orange zest, and vanilla.  Add the flour mixture in 3 parts and beat until just blended.  Gather dough into a ball and divide into 4 pieces.  Flatten each piece into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until cold and firm, at least 4 hours and up to 3 days.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.  Roll out one peice of dough at a time to 1/4 inch thickness, and cut using your favorite cookie cutter.  The cookies won’t spread much, so they can be placed close together.  Gather scraps and re-roll dough, rolling and cutting until finished.

Bake for 5 minutes, then rotate sheets and bake an additional 5 minutes (time will need to be adjusted based on the size of your cookie – these timings based on a 2-inch round.)  They will be done when cookies are puffed and look slightly darker around the edges.

Cool cookies on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to the cooling rack with an additional sheet of parchment underneath.

Whisk together the powdered sugar, water, and extract, until you have a thick gluey paste (add more water or sugar as necessary).  Pour into a pastry bag or zip-top plastic bag, and snip off the bottom corner.  Drizzle the icing back and forth across the cookies.  Let set until hardened,  at least 3 hours.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 12 Days of Cookies Participants:

Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dogs
Renee of Flamingo Musings
Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project

It had to happen eventually – I missed a day.  I call excuse from the fact that I spent Sunday crossing three time zones and losing many hours in the process.  But I’m back, and at least today…there are… Read the rest of this post

It had to happen eventually – I missed a day.  I call excuse from the fact that I spent Sunday crossing three time zones and losing many hours in the process.  But I’m back, and at least today…there are cookies.

These ones scared me a bit – I had no idea what juniper berries were, and upon hearing that they were “piney”, I wasn’t sure the taste of wood translated into deliciousness.  But I was pleasantly surprised – the glaze does have a green, Christmas-y aroma, that goes very nicely with the gingerbread cookies.  The cookies are a perfect crispyness and nice crunch, softened just a touch by the sugar glaze.

Juniper Gingerbread Cookies
makes about 32 cookies

ingredients:

cookies:
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons dark molasses

glaze:
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup dried juniper berries, crushed
1/2 pound powdered sugar

equipment:
squeeze bottle or plastic bag, parchment, electric mixer

to do:

Whisk together flour, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  In a separate bowl, beat the butter until fluffy.  Add the sugar and molasses and beat again until well combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until it becomes a dough.  Divide into 2 parts, form into discs, and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill for at least 4 hours.

Make the glaze:  bring the half and half to a simmer, and add the juniper berries.  Cover and let chill for 4 hours.  Strain the liquid.  Place powdered sugar in a bowl, and mix in the liquid by tablespoons until it forms a glaze.  Put in a squeeze bottle or ziplock bag for decorating.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let warm slightly.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line the baking sheets with parchment. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut with a cookie cutter and lay the cookies about 1 inch apart on the cookie sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, until they begin to darken.

Let cool on a rack.  Drizzle with the glaze from the bottle or by cutting a small corner off the plastic bag.  Let sit until glaze is set.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 12 Days of Cookies Participants:

Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dogs
Renee of Flamingo Musings
Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project

These are…well….delightful.  Like the best thing a chocolate chip cookie should be.  I’m a big fan of the cranberries, if you haven’t noticed, and adding the macadamia nuts adds not only some nutty flavor but also a bit of… Read the rest of this post

These are…well….delightful.  Like the best thing a chocolate chip cookie should be.  I’m a big fan of the cranberries, if you haven’t noticed, and adding the macadamia nuts adds not only some nutty flavor but also a bit of salt.  I’m also not usually a white chocolate fan, but here it works – nuggets of sweet silkiness.

These are the easiest cookies thus far – mix, fold, drop, bake.  And that’s all I have to say about that.

Cranberry White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

makes about 2 dozen cookies

ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped roasted salted macadamia nuts

equipment:
parchment paper, cookie sheets

how to:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, baking soda and salt together to combine.  In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until it is fluffy.  Add the sugars and beat until blended.  Mix in the egg and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  Add the cranberries, chocolate, and nuts and fold in gently with a spatula.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.  Make 1 1/2 inch balls of dough with your hands and set them about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet, pressing them down gently. Bake until golden, about 18 minutes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The 12 Days of Cookies Participants:

Andrea of Andrea’s Recipes
Courtney of Coco Cooks
Di of Di’s Kitchen Notebook
Judy of No Fear Entertaining
Kelly of Sass & Veracity
Michelle of Big Black Dogs
Renee of Flamingo Musings
Sandy of At the Baker’s Bench
Tiffany of The Nesting Project