While I am completely over pumpkin — please do not show me another pumpkin until next September, I’m still gah gah over cranberries.  I cannot get enough of the tart berries!  I’m putting them in everything, my margaritas, my breads — and granitas!  Oh cranberry granita!  They keep really well in the freezer so I hope you all are grabbing extra bags before their season runs out.  Enjoy them all year long!

Earlier this fall, I discovered my love for chocolate chip cookies with fresh cranberries.  The duo is really a perfect pair.  The tart cranberries cut through the richness of the chocolate, leaving your palate bright instead of overwhelmed with sweetness.  You could try dried cranberries but it will not have the same oomph.

Yesterday, my daughter asked for Christmas cookies and I thought, let’s bring those back!  She, of course, could not call them “Christmas cookies” without sprinkles, so she put her touch on them before they hit the oven. These are festive cookies without being overly in-your-face Christmas, which I love.

I purposefully kept the chocolate from the top of the cookies, mostly.  Brown just isn’t very Christmas.  Instead, make sure to add a couple cranberries to the tops before you bake them.  But inside — it’s all ooey gooey chocolate chunks with bright cranberry bursts.

They are soft and chewy, yet substantial — the perfect kind of cookie to dunk in milk! Savannah is so slick, I didn’t even notice her sneaking up on my mini-shoot here.  I couldn’t stop it though — she’s too cute when she’s excited!

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter (or substitute)
• 1/4 cup reduced fat cream cheese
• 1¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 2¼ cup flour
• 1¼ cup chocolate chunks
• 1 cup fresh cranberries, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 375˚.
2. In a stand mixer bowl with paddle attachment, whip together room temperature butter, cream cheese with sugars until fluffy. Add vanilla, egg, mix until everything is well incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, combine and whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.
4. Add flour to butter mixture and incorporate but do not over-mix.  Stir in chocolate chunks and cranberries.
5. Scoop cookies onto a cookie tray lined with parchment paper with an ice ream scoop (I used a #20). Place a couple cranberry slices on the tops for color.  Top with sprinkles.
6. Bake for about 12 minutes or until edges are lightly brown.  Remove from oven and leave on tray for 3 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

These cookies would also make great Christmas gifts.  Halve or quarter a few cookies, toss them and fresh cranberries in a mason jar, add a tag and a cookie cutter — perfect gift for neighbor, teacher, mailman, whoever!

Happy Holidays!