Fresh Apple and Cranberry Cookies
Enjoy the fall flavors with this tart fresh fruit cookie and the sweet cinnamon icing.
Servings: 30 cookies
Calories: 223kcal
Ingredients
COOKIE DOUGH
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 3 ounces (3 ounces) Cream Cheese room temperature
- ⅔ cup (133.33 g) Sugar white
- ½ cup (110 g) Light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Vanilla extract
- 1 (1) Egg
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Lemon zest
- 2 ½ cup (312.5 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- 1 (1) Granny Smith apple cut into small pieces
- 1 cup (100 g) Fresh cranberries
ICING
- 1 ½ cup (180 g) Powdered sugar
- ½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
- 2 Tablespoon (2 Tablespoon) Milk
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Ground cinnamon
Instructions
COOKIE DOUGH
- Zest and juice the lemon and set aside. Reserve 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice for the cookie dough and 1 teaspoon to sprinkle over the cut apple pieces to stop the browning. Cut the Granny Smith apple into small pieces and sprinkle some of the lemon juice over the cut pieces. Add the cranberries to a food processor and use the pulse button about 5 times or until they are in small pieces.
- Weigh or measure your sugars together and set aside. In another bowl weigh or measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, I run a whisk through to blend.
- Add the cream cheese and butter together and blend using the medium speed on your mixer for 2 minutes. Add the sugars and mix for about 2 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides. Add lemon zest and lemon juice and blend until incorporated, then add the egg and mix. Turn the mixer down, and slowly add the flour mixture. The dough will be stiff.
- Stop the mixer, add the apple and cranberry pieces, then mix for about 30 seconds to get the fruit blended throughout the batter. Cover your cookie dough bowl lightly and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line 2 cookie pans with parchment paper setting them aside. Using a medium cookie scoop, space out twelve scoops onto a pan and bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 16-18 minutes. Pull them out of the oven and let them sit on the hot pan for a minute or two before moving to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before icing them.
ICING
- I start by creaming the butter for a minute, or two, then add the milk, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract into the mixer bowl. Start on a low mixer setting and gradually increase until you reach a medium-high speed. Mix for 5 minutes. It should be stiff enough to stay on the beater without drooping and be smooth to the touch and taste. Take a butter knife and spread icing onto all the cookies.
Notes
If you are using frozen cranberries, they hold water, so I use less than if they are fresh. When you run them through a food processor, you can see the difference. If you use 2 cups frozen, the batter will be wetter and take more time to bake. I used frozen cranberries, so my time is 16-18 minutes of baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 71mg | Potassium: 59mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 219IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg