White Chocolate, Dried Cranberry and Macadamia Nut Cookies

These cookies have it all!  Fruit, nuts and chocolate.  They are so delicious and pretty for the holidays with the red berries. Feel free to use dried cherries, raisins or any other dried fruit.  Go nuts and use your favorite nuts instead of macadamia.  Use dark chocolate chips or butterscotch chips instead of white chocolate.  After all, recipes are only a vehicle for our imaginations! 

Rest assured, if you go with the recipe, as written, you will be rewarded with a mouth-watering cookie for your holiday cookie platter. 

~Susan

White Chocolate, Dried Cranberry and Macadamia Nut Cookies

Adapted from a Tyler Florence Recipe
Printable Recipe

3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (dried cherries would be a great substitute)
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup roasted and chopped salted macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350°F and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.

Spread macadamia nuts on a small cookie sheet and roast in the oven for about 5-7 minutes until golden and fragrant, being careful not to let them burn. Let them cool before using.

Sift flour, baking soda and salt together into a medium bowl . Using and stand mixer, beat butter until fluffy. Add sugars and beat until just blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Using a spatula, gently stir in the dried cranberries or cherries, white chocolate, and nuts.

Drop dough by heaping spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake until lightly golden, about 15-18 minutes. Cool on sheets.

Can be made ahead and stored in an airtight at room temperature for 2 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.