When I signed up for the 4th Annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, there was no doubt in my mind which cookie I would be making. Everyone seems to love this cookie. It’s not frilly or fussy like a lot of holiday cookies. The combination of dark bittersweet chocolate chunks, tart cranberries and salty, crunchy pistachios is divine. The festive dark red cranberries and the bright green pistachios make this the favorite Christmas cookie at our house. It may become the favorite at your house too!
Santa’s Favorite Chunky Chocolate, Cranberry, Pistachio Cookies
(inspired by David Lebovitz, Chocolate Chip Cookies, from Ready for Dessert)
(I doubled this recipe)
2 1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup organic packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup pistachio nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
14 ounces bittersweet chocolate chunks
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed just until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, beating 3-5 minutes after each egg. Add 1/2 the flour mixture and gently mix on low one or two minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add the remaining flour, nuts, chocolate, and cranberries and mix with your hands until all is thoroughly incorporated.
On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into thirds. Shape each third into a log. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, preferably for 24 hours. (You can refrigerate up to 2 weeks or freeze up to one month.) When ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature about 15 minutes, while oven heats.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Slice the logs into disks 3/4 inch thick and place the disks 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. If the nuts or chips crumble out, simply push them back in.
Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through baking, until the cookies are very lightly browned in the centers, about 10 minutes. If you like soft chocolate chip cookies, err on the side of under baking. Cookies always continue to bake a little after they have been removed from the oven.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to handle, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack.
Santa will be so pleased to find these cookies waiting for him on Christmas Eve!
Happy Holidays from More Savory, Less Sweet.
Cookies??? Did someone say cookies????
These look delicious. I cannot wait to add them to my cookie repertoire, though having dough in the house sounds dangerous!
We actually bake about 6 at a time. Nothing like a warm, fresh baked cookie!
THESE WERE ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! My roommates, my fiancé, my friends, and my neighbor think so too. Real good, thank you! Hope you keep on bringing a smile to others with your cooking!
If you’d like to know what I made… Salted Dulce de Leche and Ginger Alfajores are waiting for you here: http://bit.ly/DulcedeLecheGingerAlfajores
Happy holidays!!