I know. Everybody loves cookies with chocolate. But if you’re willing to try these cookies, they will, I promise, make your top two favorite cookies ever list. I’m not kidding.
Cranberries – fresh ones – so that they’re moist and bursting with flavor, pair with the fragrance and crunch of toasted hazelnuts in this cookie. Everything else is a pretty standard drop cookie dough. There’s just something about the cranberries and hazelnuts!
This recipe was actually published in Oklahoma Today magazine years ago. They didn’t want the recipe, per se, it just came with the article they asked me to write on cranberries. I jumped at the chance because, as with many of my fellow bloggers, if not all, I just love cranberries. They scream holidays for me.
Plus, they’re so verstile. They’re just as good in a cake or cookie, like this recipe, as they are in a cranberry compote or chutney – adding that tartness that is so unique and yet so necessary. I just have a love relationship with these little guys. Back in our lean years, I even made cranberry garlands for our Christmas tree. So beautiful and festive.
But back to the cookie recipe, here it is. I know you’ll enjoy its uniqueness and fabulousness as much as I do!
Cranberry Hazelnut Cookies
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup, packed, brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk or orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups chopped cranberries*
1 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts*
Before you begin, have all of your major players ready. Have your cranberries rinsed, dried, and chopped. Have your hazelnuts skinned (directions here), and have the flour sifted along with the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Place the butter in a large bowl, along with both sugars.
Beat the mixture with an electric mixer until fluffy. Then add the eggs, milk, and vanilla.
Beat the batter well. Then gradually add the flour mixture, beating at a low speed, until it’s almost all incorporated into the batter.
It will be slightly crumbly.
Switch to a spoon, and add the cranberries and hazelnuts.
Fold them in until they’re completely incorporated into the batter. At this point you can chill the dough for a couple of hours and continue with the recipe, or chill the dough overnight, which is what I did. To continue, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and let it warm for about 30 minutes.
Then, using a scoop, place balls of dough, approximately 1 1/2″ in diameter on a non-stick or greased cookie sheet, approximately 2″ apart from each other.
Bake them for approximately 15 minutes; the time will vary depending on how thick they are, your oven temperature, and the temperature of the dough. When they’re done they should be ever so slightly golden, but still soft to the touch.
After about a minute rest, place the cookies on a rack to cool. Then they’re ready to serve. Or hide, whichever you want to do.
I have frozen these cookies with good luck, so if you need to hide them from people, freezing is a great idea.
If people get to them, there will be none left. Guaranteed. Merry Christmas. Now you can’t say I never got you anything!
* To easily chop the hazelnuts, place them in a food processor and pulse until they’re the right size; for this recipe halved hazelnuts are fine – you don’t want hazelnut meal. Empty out the food processor jar, and then do the same with the cranberries! Easy chopping!
I love cranberry and macadamia cookies. Make them often….but have never made cookies with fresh cranberries. We don’t see the fresh ones normally in Singapore, but they are here for Christmas. I’m going to try these out. They look beautiful!
Thank you! I guarantee you will love them!
Really the perfect holiday cookie, they look so soft and moist. They look wonderful. Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Thank you! Merry Christmas!
These look amazing, especially with the fresh cranberries, Mimi! Happy holidays. :-)
Thanks, Shanna. Merry Christmas to your sweet family!
“If you need to hide them from people”… he, he, he…. loved it!
I have all ingredients, but the department is basically empty no more students around, and very few faculty members…. I think I’d have to wait for the New Year to make a batch of these beauties… they do seem amazing!
Happy Holidays!!!!!
They really really are!!!
Happy Holidays to you and your family!
These look great, Mimi! Happy X-mas!
Merry Christmas to you and yours as well, Stefan!
I love cranberries, can’t get enough of them. Looking forward to trying these cookies at home. Check out my recipe for cranberry and white chocolate chip muffins on http://www.surreyKitchen.com. Emma xx
Oh my. I’ve never had that combo in muffins! Merry Christmas!
Cranberries are such a wonderfully festive fruit, thank you for a delicious cookie recipe my friend :D
Happy Holidays!
CCU
Thank you! Happy Holidays to you and your family!
Wonderful flavour combo Mimi. Have a happy Christmas!
Thank you so much! Have a wonderful and warm Christmas!
These look delicious! What a great combo of flavors, and so festive! I hope you have a very Merry Christmas
Fresh cranberries and toasted hazelnuts really do make a fabulous combination. Merry Christmas Miss Catey Lou!
I know I’d ADORE these!
They’re pretty adorable!
My sister bugh cranberries by mistake yesterday…I know just how to use them now!
Hahaha! Wonderful. You’ll have to tell me what you think!
Cranberries and hazelnuts scream holidays to me! I love that this recipe uses fresh cranberries. If I ever bake (and eat) anything sweet again, I will certainly try these. Right now I don’t care if I ever see anything sugary again! :) Happy Holidays!
I know what you mean. I’m ALMOST sick of cheese…
Just made these and we like them! Think I should have used more cranberries. I used 2.5 cups cranberries, perhaps 2.5 cups chopped cranberries is more? I think these would also be great with chocolate chips added in :-)
Oh that’s great! Definitely, 2 1/2 cups chopped cranberries is more than 2 1/2 cups whole cranberries, but you get the idea. Even with their tartness, they’re fabulous in these cookies, aren’t they?!!