White chocolate is sweet to the point of argument, which is exactly why dried cranberries belong next to it: their sharpness resets your palate between bites. This is a soft, chewy dough built on brown sugar, and the ten minute cranberry soak is the small step that stops the fruit baking into leather.
Everything you need
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, soft
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ¾ cup (90 g) dried cranberries
- ¾ cup (128 g) white chocolate chips
Weigh, don't scoop. Measuring flour by cups can overpack it and dry out your bake. Tap any ingredient to open its converter.
Method
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Cover the cranberries with boiling water and leave 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Plumped fruit stays soft through the bake.
For this step
- ¾ cup (90 g) dried cranberries
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Beat the butter and both sugars until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
For this step
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
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Fold in the flour, baking soda and salt until nearly combined, then the cranberries and white chips.
For this step
- 1¾ cups (219 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ¾ cup (90 g) dried cranberries
- ¾ cup (128 g) white chocolate chips
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Chill 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and line two trays.
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Scoop into 20 balls, space them out, and bake one tray at a time for 10 to 11 minutes until the edges are golden and the centres pale and puffed.
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Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then on a rack. They fall and wrinkle slightly as they cool, which is the chewy texture announcing itself.
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Worth knowing
- White chocolate scorches easily. If your oven runs hot, bake these on the middle shelf and pull them at the first sign of colour on the chips.
- The soak also stops the cranberries stealing moisture from the dough, which is why unsoaked fruit makes a dry cookie.
Make it your own
- Add the zest of an orange to the butter for the full holiday version.
- Swap cranberries for chopped dried cherries and the white chips for dark.
Storing & freezing
Airtight for 5 days. The dough balls freeze for 3 months and bake from frozen with 2 extra minutes.
Frequently asked
Should you soak dried fruit before baking?
For cookies, a 10 minute hot water soak plumps the fruit so it bakes jammy instead of tough, and stops it drawing moisture out of the dough around it.
Why did my white chocolate chips go brown?
White chocolate has no cocoa solids to protect it and toasts fast. Bake at 180°C or below, middle shelf, and take the cookies out while the chips are still ivory.
Cooking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.
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A note on cooking safely. Recipes are provided for informational purposes only and are not medical or nutritional advice. Cooking times, temperatures and quantities are suggestions: use your own judgement, and check that meat, poultry, fish and eggs are properly cooked before serving.
Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making dietary changes, particularly if you have allergies, a medical condition or specific nutritional requirements.