Cranberry-Orange White Chocolate Chip Cookies

It’s Friday in December, and what else could that mean but Time for Cookies!

So here we go with Cranberry-Orange White Chocolate Chip Cookies, which are quintessentially Christmassy and absolutely yummy. Citrussy with orange, tangy with cranberry, and richly sweet with white chocolate, these are cookies that have it all. With the big bonus of being studded with bits of bright holiday red.

Bake a batch or two of these easy cookies for sustenance during the gift-wrapping frenzy. Or wrap some up and give them to neighbors – they look perfectly giftable stacked in cellophane bags tied with red or green ribbons. Or keep them in your cookie jar or freezer and prepare to win the day. 

Citrussy with orange, tangy with cranberry, and richly sweet with white chocolate, these are cookies that have it all. 

Cranberry-Orange White Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 ½ cups dried sweetened cranberries 
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 ounces white chocolate chips

In a small bowl, stir together the cranberries and orange juice. Set aside to allow the cranberries to absorb the juice.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and orange zest and beat another 2 minutes. Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl, then add to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat until the dough comes together. Add the cranberries and any remaining juice and the white chocolate chips. Stir to combine. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake one baking sheet at a time, about 18 minutes, or until the cookies are golden. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining baking sheets.