Friday, November 11, 2011

Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies


These chocolate and cranberry cookies were one of those recipes that caught my eye right away.  The combination of dark chocolate and chewy, tart, dried cranberries is just so promising.  Not to mention, this cookie seems perfectly fitting for this time of year. 

Since I enjoy my cookies on the chewy side, I usually tend to make them a bit larger than the recipe calls for.  For example, in her recipe, Tessa calls for one good teaspoon of dough per cookie.  I went with about 1/4 cup per cookie.  Instead of 30 bite-sized cookies I ended up with 10 big cookies. 

We really enjoyed these cookies.  The tart cranberries really help bring out the deep rich flavor of the dark chocolate.  This is a deeply satisfying cookie with rich complex flavors.  It would be perfect served with coffee.



Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
Adapted from Apples for Jam by Tessa Kiros
Makes about 10 large cookies or 30 teaspoon sized cookies

Tessa says, "These I learned from my American fried Sue.  When I first made them my children said they were the best ever and I must definitely put the recipe in this book - so here it is.  I also love them with dried strawberries instead of cranberries, and sometimes my girls prefer them without the cranberries, just chocolate.  I like these small so I make them no bigger than a good teaspoon of dough, but you might like to make them larger.  I also like to take them as a gift, packed in a lovely box and tied with a ribbon.  Unless you have a huge oven, you will need to bake these in batches so have the two cookie sheets ready."

5-1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup firmly packed soft brown sugar
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1 egg
a few drops of vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
salt
3/4 cup coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup dried cranberries (dried cherries would also be nice)

Preheat the oven to 375F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Mash up the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until well mixed, then whisk with an electric beater until smooth.  Mix in the egg and vanilla.  Sift in the flour and baking powder, and add a small pinch of salt.  Beat with the wooden spoon to make a soft sandy mixture.  Stir in chocolate and cranberries.

Lightly moisten your hands and roll teaspoons of the mixture into balls.  Arrange them on the sheets, leaving a fair space between for flattening and spreading.  Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden and darkening around the edges.  Remove from the oven, but leave them on the sheet to cool and firm up.  These will keep in a cookie jar for a couple of days.


Theme: Potluck


19 comments:

  1. So cool ....we all baked today. Too bad I can't have one of those cookies. Mmmmmmm

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  2. I'm not a big cookie eater but these actually sound great to me.

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  3. These look perfect for the holidays. YUM ;)

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  4. Nom, nom, nom, nom...love the combo and the cookies!

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  5. Big chewy cookies are really the only cookies I care to eat. Love that mix-in combo!

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  6. mmm, this is one of those treats that you want to enjoy when the house is quiet and you have time to get lost in your thoughts. delicious! love the cranberries.

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  7. I love the idea of chocolate and cranberries together, always a good pair. These look lovely!

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  8. I love how thick these are - gives you something nice and 'meaty' to bite into! Cranberries add extra chewiness too - a bonus in my book.

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  9. Lovely cookies! I have not made any in ages! Love cranberries, so this is perfect!

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  10. Ooo...I agree on the choc/cranberry mix! For Valentine's day, a friend made a snack mix of Valentine colored M & Ms, dried cranberries, and pecans and I was hooked. Never thought to mix into a cookie. Would make for easier eating!

    Good to see you post. Haven't "seen" you in a while.

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  11. I'm with you - give me big and chewy!
    Love the cookies, what a great idea to use dried cranberries. Maybe I can use this recipe to get around Harry's unnatural fear of raisins. ;-)

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  12. What a great choice...cookies are always a favorite at potlucks! Your photos are so great, the cookies look wonderful, and that little dish is beautiful. Putting these on the list to make and send to Matt at college...thanks for picking them!

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  13. I love chewy cookies too. These look fabulous--love the tart cranberries with the dark chocolate--such a great pairing. ;-)

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  14. Really have to go on a shopping hunt for cranberries;) can't buy them in my regular grocery store. I'd love to make these.

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  15. Your cookies look amazing! Nothing better in my book that tart cranberries with sweet chocolate. Yum!

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  16. Wow! Those cookies look amazing,Kim! I am drooling and very hungry :)

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  17. I love how evocative this is of autumn. I make chocolate-cranberry biscotti - so you know I'm going to be enchanted with these. Your photos just called to me.

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  18. Yum! I bet the cranberries really made them delicious. They look delicious!

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