Scroll to the bottom of the post to get ALL the “12 Days” recipes from 2019 – 2024!
Welcome to Day 8 of
The 12 Days of Holiday Treats!
Once again, this year, from December 1st-12th I’ll post a new holiday treat recipe every day – inspiration for your holiday entertaining!
The recipes I’m sharing are small-er batch – each recipe makes 1-dozen or a few more smaller-sized treats that are simple to prepare and that use everyday ingredients and equipment so hopefully you’ll be able to whip up any of these on a whim. Check out the treats from 2019 – 2024 at the bottom of this post too for more inspiration!
Today’s treat is one that isn’t necessarily “holiday” themed – apart from the red, green and white colours in the cranberries, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and white chocolate chips – it’s a riff on my Game Day Cookies that works well as a cookie to gift, to serve at a holiday gathering OR to enjoy as you power through your “to do” list!
They’re a reasonable-sized cookie – i.e. substantial without being humongous (you know those cookies…) and this recipe makes exactly 24. You can freeze the unbaked dough and have a stash on hand to bake on a whim (useful for when last-minute guests show up!).
Bonus? These come together pretty quickly and use what I would consider pantry staples so you can make them whenever the urge for cookies strikes!
Cranberry, pepita and white chocolate cookies
Cookies featuring colours of the holidays - white, red and green!
Ingredients
- 225g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 113g (8 tablespoons/ 1/2 cup) salted butter, room temperature
- 100g (1/2 cup) firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 100g (1/2 cup) white chocolate chips
- 50g (1/3 cup) dried cranberries, chopped small if they are large
- 50g (1/3 cup) pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and baking soda and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or using electric hand beaters, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed until smooth and slightly pale in colour (2-3 minutes).
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla and continue to mix on medium speed until the egg is fully mixed in.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and, with the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Add the chocolate chips, cranberries and pumpkin seeds and mix until they are evenly distributed through the dough.
- Portion the cookies using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, placing the scooped cookies close together on a large plate or tray that you can fit in your fridge. Cover the dough balls with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line three large baking trays with parchment paper.
- Remove the cookie dough from the fridge and place the cookies approx. 2 inches apart on the trays (they will spread as they bake). Bake for 8 minutes, then remove the pans from the oven, one by one. With your thumbs (in oven mitts!) holding the parchment paper on the trays, bang them on the countertop 5-6 times until the cookies flatten.
- Return pans to the oven and bake for 4 more minutes until the cookies start to turn golden-brown and the centres are just about set (they might look a little “wet”).
- Place the trays on wire cooling racks for 5 minutes then carefully transfer the cookies (still on the parchment paper) to wire cooling racks to cool to room temperature.
Notes
You can scoop all the cookies at once, freeze them immediately and just bake off what you need. Baking from frozen, they might need a couple of extra minutes, but the best advice is to just keep an eye on them as they bake.
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Stay tuned to see what treat I’m baking up next! Just a few days to go for this year’s series!
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Check out 2024’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Browned Butter Holiday Rice Krispie Squares
Day 2: Orange Shortbread
Day 3: Festive Macaroons
Day 4: Chocolate Wheatie Cookies
Day 5: Raspberry Coconut Squares
Day 6: Lemon Curd Tartlets
Day 7: Granola Cookies
Day 8: Lemon Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
Day 9: Cranberry Almond Squares
Day 10: Chocolate Caramel Cups
Day 11: Cheese Crackers
Day 12: No-bake Almond Cranberry Slice
Check out 2023’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Holiday Speckles
Day 2: Soft Chocolate Mint Sugar Cookies
Day 3: Funfetti Thumbprint Cookies with Ruby Drop Centres
Day 4: Chocolate Orange Creme Cups
Day 5: Chocolate Filled Shortbread Cups
Day 6: Pistachio Fruit Bread Crackers
Day 7: Pistachio Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies
Day 8: Iced Mocha Financier Bars (GF)
Day 9: Lemon Meringue Thumbprint Cookies
Day 10: Chocolate Hazelnut Financiers
Day 11: Cranberry, Almond and Pistachio “truffles”
Day 12: Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies (GF)
Check out 2022’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Chocolate Peppermint Creme Cups
Day 2: Chocolate-Dipped Wafer Cookies
Day 3: Gingerbread madeleines
Day 4: Funfetti Cookies
Day 5: Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Day 6: Coffee Financiers
Day 7: No-Bake Strawbery Cheesecake Cups
Day 8: Holiday Joys
Day 9: Holiday Spice Marmalade
Day 10: Soft Molasses Cookies
Day 11: Coconut Roughs
Day 12: Holiday Lights Jam Sandwich Cookies
Check out 2021’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Speculoos financiers
Day 2: Chocolate Dipped Orange Sugar Cookies
Day 3: Madeleines à la Clémentine
Day 4: Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies
Day 5: Sunbutter and Jam Chocolate Cups
Day 6: Hot Chocolate and Marshmallow Cookies
Day 7: Linzer Cookies
Day 8: Chocolate-Hazelnut Sandwich Cookies
Day 9: Choc-Mint Thumbprint Cookies
Day 10: Pailles (Puff Pastry and Jam Cookies)
Day 11: Strawberry Santa Hats
Day 12: Mulled Wine Jam
Check out 2020’s 12 Days of Holiday Treats:
Day 1: Rice Krispie Wreaths
Day 2: Cranberry Cheesecake Bars
Day 3: Peppermint Bark
Day 4: Orangettes
Day 5: Rocky Road Chocolate Crackle Slice
Day 6: Candy Cane Sugar Cookies
Day 7: Orange Pim’s
Day 8: Mendiants
Day 9: Chewy Chocolate Mint Crackle Cookies
Day 10: Apricot, Coconut and Cranberry “truffles”
Day 11: Chocolate, Cherry and Almond Brownies
Day 12: Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Check out 2019’s 12 Days of Holiday Cookies:
Day 1: Easy Three Ingredient Shortbread
Day 2: Jam Drops
Day 3: Chocolate Caramel Slice
Day 4: Melting Moments
Day 5: White Christmas
Day 6: Langues de Chat
Day 7: Chocolate Coconut Slice
Day 8: Cornflake Biscuits
Day 9: Rocky Road
Day 10: Honey Joys
Day 11: Rum Ball Truffles
Day 12: Giant Florentine Cookie (to share)
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