Fresh Cranberry and Walnut Frosted Cookies

A fresh cranberry and walnut frosted cookie on a wooden plank.

5 from 1 vote

Fresh Cranberry and Walnut Frosted Cookies

This cookie is filled with so much cranberry taste along with the added crunch of the walnuts. Just a hint of orange to go along with the vanilla frosting.

Prep Time30

Total Bake Time36

Frosting30

Total Time1 36

Course: Cookies, Nuts

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Medium

Servings: cookies

Calories: 171kcal

Ingredients

½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
¾ cup (150 g) Sugar white
¾ cup (165 g) Light brown sugar
1 (1) Egg room temperature
¼ cup (61 g) Milk whole
2 Tablespoon (2 Tablespoon) Orange juice fresh
3 cups (375 g) All-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Baking powder
½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Baking soda
2 cups (200 g) Cranberries, chopped fresh
1 cup (117 g) Chopped walnuts

FROSTING

½ cup (113.5 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
2 cups (240 g) Powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoon (1.5 teaspoon) Vanilla Extract
2 to 3 Tablespoon (2 Tablespoon) Half & Half

Instructions

MAKE COOKIES

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line 2 cookie pans with parchment paper. In a food processor, add the fresh cranberries. I pulsed them about 6 or 7 times to get them to the size I wanted. This is up to you how chunky you want your pieces. You want 2 cups of chopped cranberries when you are finished. You will also have to juice the orange. I buy my walnuts already chopped. If you do not, you will need to chop enough walnuts for a cup.
In a separate bowl, weigh or measure the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Take a whisk and run it through the dry ingredients to blend. Set the bowl aside. Weigh or measure the light brown and white sugars and add them to another bowl and set it aside.
Cube the butter into the mixer bowl. You want to cream the butter before adding the sugar. Add the sugar and mix on a medium mixer speed for 3 minutes. There is more sugar than butter, so it will still look like mostly sugar. Next, add the milk, egg, and the orange juice to the butter-sugar mixture and turn the mixer to medium-high and mix until it looks fairly smooth about a minute or two.
Turn your mixer down to low and gradually add the bowl with the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt to the wet mixture. Mix for about a minute. Try not to over mix. Scrape down the bowl sides and mix for a few seconds more. Take the bowl off the stand mixer and stir in the chopped cranberries and chopped walnuts. I find this helps to keep the cookie dough from turning really red from the cranberries.
I use a medium size cookie scooper to place 12 scoops of cookie dough onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan. Bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 12-14 minutes. Leave them on the pan for a minute before moving them to the cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely before starting the frosting.

FROSTING

Cube the butter into the mixer bowl and cream the butter so you have soft peaks. This should take a minute or two. Add the powdered sugar on top of the creamed butter, and on a low mixer speed, blend them together. Stop and scrape down the sides and add the vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of the Half & Half. Turn the mixer to a medium-high setting for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and mix for another minute. If you like your frosting a little thinner, you can add the other tablespoon of Half & Half. I just used an ordinary butter knife to frost the tops of all my cookies.

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