Cranberry almond cookies
These fresh cranberry almond soft batch cookies will get you in the mood for holiday baking.
These cranberry cookies are easy to throw together, pretty with a pop of red, and balanced by the sweet almond flavor in contrast to tart, fresh cranberries.
The Kitchen Paper
Happy Tuesday! Have you digested all that turkey yet? Pumpkin pie? Pumpkin cheesecake? STUFFING!? Oh man. I’ve been making sure to move extra this week (even if that means riding my bike in 32 degree F., weather and FREEZING) to get over the Thanksgiving full-belly conundrum. The good news? I’m over it! The bad news? That means I’m making things like these delicious cookies to keep it going!
These little pillows of joy are my current holiday obsession. They’re so poofy! And soft! And flavorful! You know I have a thing for fresh cranberries (and, just to warn you, TKP is gonna be on cranberry overload here in the next few weeks!), as evidenced here and here and here. So while I’m making all things cranberry, I also NEVER run out of cranberries because I always like to have extra for when I take pictures. It’s the never-ending cranberry box, and I am certainly not complaining about it.
I wanted some soft almond cookies, and with the aforementioned cranberries on hand, figured I’d combine the two. WINNER! Good choice. These are easy to throw together, pretty with a pop of red, and balanced by the sweet almond flavor in contrast to tart, fresh cranberries. Could this be our new favorite holiday cookie!? IT COULD BE!
I’m not really in full on Christmas-cookie mode (YET), but figured I could ease my way in with these cuties. And by “ease my way in” I mean accidentally eat 10 straight out of the oven. Oops/notsorry.
Cranberry almond soft batch cookies
Makes 18 cookies
3/4 cup white sugar
2/3 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chopped cranberries
1. With a mixer, cream together the sugar and butter until smooth. Add the egg, and again mix until smooth before incorporating the almond extract.
2. Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt before adding the dry ingredients to the butter in the mixing bowl.
Mix until the ingredients have just come together, then add the chopped cranberries and mix again only to incorporate. If the dough is sticky, refrigerate for 30 minutes (my house is cold enough that this wasn't necessary).
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., and line a baking sheet with parchment.
4. Scoop dough in 1/8 cup balls and place 2-inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set but not yet browning. They will not look very done! Remove, let cool for 2 minutes on the pan, and then move to a rack to fully cool.
Related post on The Kitchen Paper: Cranberry Scones with Wild Orange Essential Oil