White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup of brandy (enough to soak the cranberries in, then saving 1 1/4 teaspoons of it for later)
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Soak the dried cranberries: Put the cranberries in a wide and shallow bowl. Add enough brandy to surround the cranberries. Cover and aside for 1 hour. Strain out the plumped cranberries, reserving remaining brandy.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F
3. Beat butter and sugars: Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until light, fluffy and well incorporated.
4. Add the eggs, vanilla extract: and add 1 1/4 teaspoons of the brandy that the cranberries soaked in (as for the rest, I suggest popping it in a glass and topping it off a bit for yourself). Beat well until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl midway through to ensure even mixing.
5. Whisk dry ingredients, add to wet: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add to the mixture a bit at a time, beating until just mixed.
6. Fold in the brandy soaked cranberries and white chocolate chips: Let chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.
7. Spoon out dough onto lined baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (a baker’s best friend) and place rounded spoonfuls down on the sheet.
8. Bake: Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. *I find that adding the baking soda separately seems to form softer cookies. This is how my mom and grandmother taught me, and if there is actual science behind it, I’m not aware but it seems pretty consistent, and it won’t ruin the cookies if you try it this way.