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If you’re looking for a new and unique twist on a classic holiday cookie then look no further: Boozy White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies take the prize! With classic holiday colors and my favorite cookie base I amped up the flavor with boozy whiskey soaked cranberries!
This post is sponsored by Reynolds Kitchens®. Their Parchment Paper with SmartGrid® is my favorite for cookie baking!
It’s the countdown to the holidays which means it’s time for COOKIES! I bake so many cookies this time every year that sometimes it’s hard to come up with new exciting flavors.
We all love our classic holiday cookies (like gingerbread) but sometimes it’s fun to give our favorites a twist and that’s what I’ve done today: I’ve made White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies but added pistachios AND I’ve made the cranberries boozy.
The best BOOZY Cranberry Cookies!
That’s right: BOOZY cranberries – they’re soaked in whiskey before they go into the cookie! I couldn’t stop snacking on these – I know you’ll love them.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Cranberry Cookies
This cookie starts with my favorite cookie base:
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter and I start with it melted.
- Granulated and Brown Sugar: I love the softness and flavor you get by using the combination.
- Egg, vanilla, baking soda, salt: usual cookie ingredients
- Flour: I always use all-purpose flour.
- Whiskey and Cranberries: by soaking the dried cranberries in hot whisky you re-hydrate them AND add flavor.
- White Chocolate and Pistachios: to round out the cookie flavors.
How to make perfectly baked cookies
My secret to a perfectly baked cookie? I never bake my cookies straight on cookie sheets – I always use parchment paper. Reynolds Kitchens® Parchment Paper with SmartGrid® is my favorite and the only parchment paper I use and recommend.
Why I love this parchment paper:
- The paper itself offers a non-stick cooking surface – no spray needed – plus it makes for easy clean up.
- Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper is reusable up to 3 times per cookie baking session so you have less waste.
- I absolutely LOVE the SmartGrid® (a built-in gridline pattern) because it makes it easy to cut to fit your cookie sheet AND the grid tells me where to put my cookies for even spacing.
How to Make White Chocolate Pistachio Cranberry Cookies
The beauty of starting with melted butter is that you don’t need to use a hand mixer or stand mixer for this recipe (unless you want to). It’s easy to make with one bowl and a spatula!
Prepare the Boozy Cranberries: Bring whiskey to a boil then pour over cranberries in a heat-safe bowl. Let them soak at least 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry. Tip: the longer they soak the more flavor you’ll get!
Note: even though the whiskey is boiled, the alcohol doesn’t cook out, which means that these cookies are only for adults.
Mix the Dough: Place melted butter in a large bowl. Add granulated and brown sugars then stir until the mixture is smooth. Stir in egg and vanilla extract until combined, then stir in baking soda and salt. Slowly mix in flour and mix just until the batter is smooth and comes together.
Mix in the add-ins: Slowly mix in white chocolate, pistachios, and cranberries. Stir to combine.
Scoop the cookies: Line a cookie sheet with Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper. Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of dough onto the cookie sheet. You don’t have to space them at this point because we are going to chill the dough.
Chill the dough: because we start with melted butter you MUST chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Space the cookie dough balls out using the SmartGrid® on the Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper. Bake for 11-15 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden and the tops are no longer glossy. Thanks to Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper you can reuse the same parchment paper to bake the second batch of cookies.
Storing: store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.
Time for a Cookie Countdown
As we countdown to the holidays, Reynolds is hosting a Cookie Countdown to end 2020 on a sweet note! Be sure to follow along at @ReynoldsBrands on Facebook this month as they share a new cookie recipe for 21 days.
The combination of white chocolate, cranberry, and pistachio is a classic! Instead of making the same old cookie, be sure and try my boozy whiskey-soaked cranberry twist.
Be sure to grab some Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper when you buy all your ingredients – it will become your holiday baking BFF.
FAQ about these cookies
Is there alcohol in the cookies? Because the cranberries are soaked in whiskey that’s been boiled for just a few seconds, the alcohol doesn’t cook out. There is not much alcohol in them but it is there, so these are best for adults.
My cookies didn’t spread, what happened? If you followed the directions and used the right amount of ingredients, it could be that you chilled them longer than 30 minutes. You can chill these as long as you want but the colder they are the less they spread. To avoid this problem, press them slightly with the palm of your hand to begin flattening before baking.
How do I know my cookies are done baking? These are perfect when they are baked just right. Take them out of the oven when they just lose their glossy sheen and just begin to brown around the edges. For a perfectly baked cookie, bake these on Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper.
Can I freeze the dough/make them ahead of time/freeze them? Yes – all of the above. You can freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls or the baked cookies. You can also store unbaked cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Favorite Holiday Cookies
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Boozy White Chocolate Pistachio Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup whiskey
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup pistachios shelled
- Reynolds Kitchens® Parchment Paper with SmartGrid®
Instructions
- Note: This dough requires chilling.
- Bring the whiskey to a boil and then pour the hot liquor over cranberries in a heat-safe bowl. Allow to soak for at least 15 minutes (the longer you soak the stronger the flavor will be). You can soak them for longer (even overnight). Drain and pat dry before making the cookies.
- Place melted butter in a large bowl (you can use a hand or a stand mixer or mix this by hand). Add granulated and brown sugars then stir until the mixture is smooth. Stir in egg and vanilla extract until combined.
- Stir in baking soda and salt, then slowly mix in flour and mix just until the batter is smooth and comes together. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl during mixing. Slowly mix in white chocolate, pistachios, and cranberries.
- Line a cookie sheet with Reynolds Kitchens Parchment Paper. Scoop 2 tablespoon balls of dough onto the cookie sheet. Spacing doesn’t matter because you will be chilling the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the cookies out using the spacing grid on the parchment paper (about 2-inches apart). Bake half the cookies for 11-15 minutes, or until the edges are a light golden and the tops are no longer glossy, then reuse the parchment paper for the rest of the cookies. Let cool on the cookie sheets at least 10 minutes before removing.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to a month.
Recipe Video
Recipe Nutrition
White Chocolate Pistachio Cranberry Cookies are made with whiskey soaked cranberries! This classic cookie recipe is made unique with the boozy cranberries – it’s a twist on a fun holiday cookie recipe!
Hi there, loving your recipes all the way from Vietnam. Would love to ask if I can substitute dark chocolate for white in this recipe? Just trying to find a way to cut down the sweetness a bit. Thank you.
Yes of course! Any chocolate chips will work.
Would love to make these as I’ve had success with some of your other recipes I’ve tried; however, I’m not a whiskey fan.
Would these be equally delicious using regular, or even spiced, rum? Thank you!
Yes any alcohol will do!
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