Fresh Cranberry White Chocolate Orange Cookies with Citrus Glaze

Orange and Cranberry. 

Marriage made in heaven, right?

Double right, man. 

I had already used most of my bag of fresh whole cranberries and white chocolate chips for a lovely crumble recipe (to come this week!), and wanted to use up the rest quickly (even though they freeze beautifully). So I decided cookies would be a beautiful vessel for such a fun holiday fruit. I had an orange that was begging for attention as well, and a pile of almonds that had been neglected for too long. It all came together within an hour start to finish, and had such a perfect secret weapon:

glazing the crap out of them with orange/lemon drizzle. 

It completely transformed the cookie. The flavors were so sharp, but softened with the slight crunch from the toasted almonds, and the overall warmth of the dessert. If you decide on making a cookie with cranberry, this one blows the others right out of the water. 

xo, 

blondie

Fresh Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Orange Cookies with Toasted Almonds and Citrus Glaze
makes 2 dozen

ingredients:
1 C granulated sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 C butter, softened
2 t grated orange peel
2 T orange juice
1 egg
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 C coarsely chopped frozen or fresh cranberries
1/2 C chopped toasted almonds
1/2 C white chocolate chips

glaze:
1 C powdered sugar
1/2 t orange peel
2 T orange juice
1 T lemon juice

ingredients:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together sugars, butter, orange peel, orange juice. Add egg and mix until combined. Add in flour, baking soda, and salt, mix again until everything is incorporated. Stir in cranberries, white chips, and toasted almonds. Make little cookie dough balls (a little under an inch wide/tall), and place on prepared cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
3. Bake for 12 minutes, don't over-bake. Check them at 10 to make sure they're not golden. I take mine out a little undercooked. Cook completely on a wire rack.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together all glaze ingredients. If too runny, add a little powdered sugar. If a little too much like frosting vs. glaze, add more citrus juice. Drizzle glaze over cookies. Can be stored in an unsealed container (they tend to get too soft if stores in a tupperware covered).

recipe adapted from betty crocker