Cranberry Cinnamon Caramelized Walnut Cookies

Cranberry Cookies are one of my favorite Christmas cookies. So many things you can add to them that make your cookies unique and just plain delicious. When creating this cookie, I was thinking of all the smells and flavors of Christmas when looking for my flavor combinations. The first thing that comes to mind is walnuts, then oranges, and finally, cinnamon.

I wanted something different then just walnuts. My thought was how to dress them up for this cookie, candied or caramelized walnuts would be the perfect touch. You can purchase or make your own caramelized walnuts. I have added instruction on how easy it is to whip up a batch.

Ingredients

• Butter unsalted 
• Cream Cheese 
• Powdered sugar
• Sugar white
•  Dark Brown Sugar
• Egg
• Orange zest
• Orange juice
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Kosher Salt
• Ground cinnamon
• Dried cranberries
• Cinnamon Chips
• Caramelized walnuts*

Make Your Own Caramelized Walnuts*

You can purchase them at certain stores or on-line but honestly they only take about 15 minutes to make them at home. Don't use small chopped walnuts, they burn easily. I caramelize the walnuts first, then chop them into smaller pieces. I found this same recipe all over the Internet, but you can add a few other things to spice it up. Two peas in a pod has one with cayenne pepper and cinnamon. The one I used was from Carlsbad Craving.

Start with a nonstick frying pan and add:

• 1 cup of walnuts
• ¼ cup of white sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of unsalted butter

Heat over medium heat and continuously stir. You want the sugar to melt and thicken enough to coat the walnuts. Don't let it get too thick or it will have a burnt taste. It should only take about 5 to 6 minutes for this part.

I got a sheet pan and lined it with parchment paper. Then added the coated walnut and separating them. I let them cool for about 10 minutes.

After they cool, I add them to a cutting board and chop them into smaller pieces for the cookies.

This is about the size I used for my cookies, but you can make them smaller if you like. Just put the chopped caramelized walnuts into a measuring cup so you have 1 cup for the cookie dough.

Making the Cranberry Cookies

To me, this is a great cookie to start fall with. I really like to use the dried cranberries since I do not have to wait for them to be harvested and they don't turn my cookie dough red. These are so versatile and brighten any cookie up.

Prepping

In a bowl, weigh or measure the powdered sugar, white sugar, and dark brown sugar and set it aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour. Add to the flour the baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. I run a whisk through the flour mixture to blend them together.

Since the walnuts are taken care of, you will need to zest and juice an orange.

Mixing the Cookie Dough

Cube the room temperature butter into a mixer bowl and add the cream cheese. Blend for about 1 minute on a medium mixer speed.

You can tell if the butter is room temperature by how long it takes to get soft peaks and the cream cheese and butter are mixed. If it is still a little too cold, it may take a little longer.

Now, add the 3 sugars and start on a low speed. The powdered sugar tends to fly everywhere until it is incorporated. Then bring to a medium speed for 3 minutes. The mixture will look silky and creamy.

Next, add the orange zest and juice. Break an egg into a small dish to make sure there are no egg shells before adding to the cookie dough. Mix until the orange and egg are incorporated. This is about a minute on a medium speed.

Scrape down the sides and across the bottom and turn the mixer to a low speed. Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture at a time. This only takes about a minute. I scrape the sides again and add the nuts, cranberries, and chips. Mix for 10 seconds.

Finally, taking a strong spatula finish blending everything together. I make sure the add-ins are as evenly distributed as I can make them. Lightly cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Scoop and Bake the Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) grab 2 cookie sheet pans and line them with parchment paper. I use a medium cookie scooper for this cookie. Add 12 scoops of cookie dough to one of the prepared cookie sheet pans.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes. I leave them on the cookie sheet pan for a minute after I pull the pan from the oven. Then move the cookies to a cooling rack.

I leave them on the rack to finish baking and to firm up. Sometimes when using powdered sugar in cookies, they need a little time to set.

Enjoy!

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