Thanksgiving dessert is normally all about the pie, but sometimes you need a good cookie as well. Since I am all about the cranberries this year, I went with these white chocolate and cranberry cookies. The flavor combination is pretty classic and perfect for that additional Thanksgiving dessert.
Super Soft White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
What I love about this recipe is the texture of the cookies. They are super soft and chewy. Normally when I want to get super soft cookies, they stay soft right out of the oven, but as soon as they cool, they lose some of that soft texture. These don’t seem to have that issue. Even after a night in an air-tight container, they are still so soft. Want to know the secret? A few teaspoons of cornstarch. The cornstarch gives the batter a little more texture and thickens them in the process leading to super soft cookies. Who knew!?
Another factor in getting these cookies to stay super soft and chewy is the time they are in the oven. You’ll want to set that timer for 8 minutes and not one minute longer. Trust me on this one. I made these cookies in two batches and one sat in the oven for 10 minutes and they are not as soft. They are still delicious, but the ones in the oven for 8 minutes just taste better. Don’t worry if they look a little gooey when you take them out of the oven either. They will come together while they cool.
Loaded With Chocolate
I know white chocolate isn’t for everyone, but I absolutely love it. Something about pairing the super sweet chocolate with the tangy dried cranberries that just makes these cookies extra delicious. If you don’t love white chocolate and want to skip it, go for it. The cranberries will be great on their own. You can also swap them out for dark or milk chocolate.
These cookies are great for the holiday season, especially Thanksgiving. They are also easy to make if you need a last-minute dessert. Check out the recipe below and have a great Thanksgiving.
White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix together the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed, about 1 minute. Then add the sugars and continue to mix, about 3-4 minutes until the butter is a pale yellow. Then add in the egg and vanilla. Make sure everything is fully mixed together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the ingredients in two parts so it will be less messy. Mix fully to combine. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
- When the mixture is fully combined, add in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. Mix for less than 1 minute to combine.
- Prepare a sheet pan with parchment and scoop the cookie dough balls on it. The cookie dough balls should be about 1 tbsp big. Don't worry about crowding the pan with cookie dough as they as not going in the oven right away.
- Chill the dough. Wrap the dough on the sheet pan with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- After chilling the cookie dough, let the cookies sit out for about 5-10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment.
- Space the cookies about 2 inches apart and place in the oven. Bake for 8 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool on the pan until they are cool enough to move to a wire rack.
- The cookies will last about a week in an airtight container. They can be frozen as well for up to 3 months.
- If you want to premake the cookie dough and freeze it, freeze the dough in cookie dough balls. Place the cookie dough balls in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months
This recipe is inspired and adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Did you make this recipe?! Let me know and share it on Instagram. Tag @crispcrumble and use the hashtag #crispandcrumble.
