Triple Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Next up in my menagerie of holiday cookies is this recipe for triple chocolate cranberry cookies. It’s hard to go wrong with cranberries this time of year, and I fondly remember the time my husband and I visited a cranberry bog when we were on holiday. Cranberries don’t grow everywhere, but they do grow here in Washington State. They are wonderful in recipes, and it’s a classic to pair them with white chocolate chips.

I planned to take these to work, as we are wrapping up the quarter. Several of my colleagues have dietary needs, so I decided to bake these cookies with no dairy (except eggs) and no gluten. I used vegan butter and used dairy free chocolate and white chocolate chips. I found Kosher and dairy free white chocolate chips under the King David label, which are a great find. As this recipe only called for ½ cup flour, it was very easy to use the gluten-free flour mixture that I have for that small amount.

This recipe makes a lot of cookies! I ended up making 4-1/2 dozen, which is the largest batch I have made in a long time. I melted the chocolate and butter in the microwave, but you could also do this in a double boiler. Letting the cookies stand before baking was fine, as it took that long to heat the oven. Rotating the baking sheet half-way through the time is the biggest challenge, if you can call it that! These cookies a very fudgy, but that is balanced by the white chocolate and pecans. You can’t taste the cranberries all that much, but you do occasionally get that nice chewy bite.

Triple Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup butter or vegan butter
1/2 cup flour or gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a medium microwaveable bowl, combine the chocolate chips, unsweetened chocolate, and butter. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and espresso powder on medium for four minutes, until thick and pale. Add the melted chocolate mixture and stir on low to combine. Stop the mixer half-way through this process to scrape down the sides of the bowl, as this will help incorporate the chocolate. With the mixer running on low, add the flour and mix for 30 seconds. Fold in the white chocolate chips, pecans, and cranberries with a spatula. Allow the mixture to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Scoop the dough onto the baking sheets, using about 1-1/2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie.

Bake for 14-16 minutes, rotating the baking sheet half-way through the baking time. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Bobbie Lloyd, The Magnolia Bakery via People Magazine