White Chocolate Mandarin Cranberry Christmas Cookies

Christmas shopping at the last minute with kids in tow means careful planning- if you want to get much done that is. This is something I learned with my own kids. Although, even with planning things didn’t always get accomplished. The fact is most kids weary pretty fast when shopping until they hit the teen years. This Christmas I have an eleven year old coming along which is a reset for me. No flying out the door and staying out as long as I need to. For example, yesterday about 20 minutes into a big grocery trip my nephew came hobbling to find me. He had growing pains in his leg. Ugh! Auntie well sympathized with wretched growing pains, so I hauled him home. When he was settled back at home, a creative mood struck, and the result was these White Chocolate Mandarin Cranberry Christmas Cookies. Lemons into lemonade!

New Christmas cookies are always welcome because it spices up the Christmas cookie tray while still enjoying the old favorites. And often Christmas cookies are chocolate, so today’s Christmas cookie is a departure from that with much-loved Christmas flavors such as sweet, tangy mandarins and sweet-tart cranberries. Almond extract and mandarin juice are the two ingredients that make these cookies extra yummy and special. White Chocolate Mandarin Cranberry Christmas Cookies cookies are crisp on the bottom and chewy on top, studded with dried cranberries and big chunks of white chocolate. Can I just say that these cookies scream out Christmas all over?

White Chocolate Mandarin Cranberry Christmas Cookies

Makes about 21 large cookies

1 cup of room temperature butter

1 1/2 cups of white sugar

1/2 tsp. of salt

1 egg

1 tbsp. mandarin juice

1 tsp. mandarin zest

1 tsp. almond extract

8 oz. chopped white chocolate

1 cup Craisins

1 tsp. baking soda

2 1/4 cup white flour

Firstly, begin by heating oven to 350. Secondly, combine butter and sugar in mixer. Next, to the butter mixture add salt, egg, mandarin juice, mandarin zest, and almond extract until combined. In another bowl combine flour and baking soda. After this, add flour mixture to wet mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in white chocolate and Craisins. Refrigerate the dough for a couple hours. Pull out the dough and scoop large balls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 11 minutes or until light brown around edges and just starting to set on top. Don’t over bake. Remove from oven and cool. Store cookies in a plastic container with lid.