Pistachio Cranberry Holiday Cookies

Pistachio Cranberry Holiday Cookies: this buttery vanilla cookie dough holds chopped pistachios, dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and dark chocolate chunks. 

Every holiday season I have grand plans of making dozens of different cookies to share with friends and family. All year I search and compile the cookies recipes I plan on making. I tell myself that I’ll start baking immediately after Thanksgiving.

Eventually, things get in the way and my cookie making plans get pushed aside. My list of a dozen different cookies narrows to ten, then to six, and by the week leading up to Christmas, I’m down to three cookie varieties.

Perhaps this year will be better. We’re only a week into December and I’ve already got a batch of cookies in the freezer. (Yes!!!) It can be a bit difficult and overwhelming deciding what cookies to make and share during the holidays. These pistachio cranberry holiday cookies make it a little easier.

Pistachio Cranberry Holiday Cookies

These cookies are packed with all sorts of yummy goodness: chopped salted pistachios, tart dried cranberries, milky white chocolate chips, and rich dark chocolate chunks. There’s a little something for all taste buds.

There’s also the buttery vanilla cookie dough batter that I’m so tempted to eat straight from the bowl. (But don’t do that. You may a stomachache from the raw egg and raw flour.)

I use a large cookie scoop (about 1/4 cup) to portion out these out. These big cookies allow you to have an ample amount of all the different mix-ins.

Because this recipe uses melted butter, the cookie dough requires a little chill time before baking. If you’re pressed for time, you can freeze the cookie dough balls at this point and save them from later baking.

Pistachio Cranberry Holiday Cookies

Yield: makes 21 cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Chill: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 22 minutes minutes

Servings: 21

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Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 Tablespoon milk, or cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate chunks
• 1/2 cup chopped salted pistachios

Instructions

 

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer), combine melted butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light in color.
• Add egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until well combined. Add in flour and salt. Stir together until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour. Scrape down bowl as needed.
• Fold in cranberries, white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, and chopped pistachios. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for one hour.
• Preheat oven to 350° F. Use a large cookie scoop to portion out chilled dough. Space cookie mounds about 2-inch apart on parchment lined baking sheet.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set. Cool in pan for 5 minutes before unmolding and transferring to wire racks to cool completely. 

Author: Maryanne Cabrera

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: holiday cookies, pistachio cranberry cookies, drop cookies

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