Tag Archives: baking

Cranberry-Raisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

After making the Chocolate Covered Rice Krispie Treat ‘Pops’ for Valentines day, I had a bag of leftover white chocolate chips.  They have been haunting me from the pantry ever since.  If they were regular chocolate chips, I probably would have just eaten them straight from the bag.  White chocolate chips are not my favorite on their own, but absolutely have potential when mixed with other delicious things.  So, that’s just what I did; I mixed them into a cookie with cranberries, raisins, and oats.  They turned out perfectly!

Cranberry-Raisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I can’t take all the credit for these yummy morsel’s, as they were born from the recipe on the back of the Ocean Spray Craisins box.  Click here for that complete recipe.  Mine were just barely adapted.  For example, I just about doubled the white chocolate chips (2/3 cup was not nearly enough), and instead of all cranberries, I used 1/2 cranberries, and 1/2 raisins.

Cranberry-Raisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies:

2/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
 
Preheat oven to 375°.  Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.  Cream together the eggs and brown sugar until smooth.  Add eggs and mix until fluffy.  

Add Eggs

Cream Butter & Brown Sugar

Add dry ingredient mixture slowly, mixing until smooth.  Stir in white chocolate chips, cranberries, and raisins.

Stir in the Goodies

Add Dry Ingredients

Form the dough into 1 inch balls and place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Very gently flatten the tops for a better cookie shape (not shown).

Form Cookie Dough Balls

Finished Cookie Dough

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375°.  Let the cookies cool on a wire rack (for as long as you can stand) and enjoy!

Cranberry-Raisin White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Extra Chocolatey* Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Unfortunately, I have not reinvented the wheel (or the chocolate chip cookie), and these delicious morsels were born from the recipe on the back of the Toll House semi-sweet chocolate chip package; with just a few slight adjustments.  This classic cookie couldn’t be easier to make, and I haven’t met a single soul who doesn’t love them.  This particular batch was thrown together as a gift for my sons teacher.  I have all sorts of little treat bags and bakery boxes on hand for those last minute gifts that seem to come up the night before (at midnight).  Even a simple batch of chocolate chip cookies can be impressive to the gift recipient if you put some thought into the presentation.

Extra Chocolatey* Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Most craft stores have a good selection of packaging for baked goods.  I bought these window-top cake boxes at Michaels (my local craft store), as well as the tissue paper.  If you don’t have a large craft store nearby, restaurant supply stores are another great option (but be prepared to buy in bulk!).

All Wrapped Up

As the title of this post suggests, my version of this classic cookie is EXTRA chocolatey.  Just the way I like it!

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

*Instead of regular sized chocolate chips, I used the mini ones for better chocolate distribution.  I also threw in the entire bag of mini chocolate chips instead of the recommended 2 cups.  I have never understood why anyone would want only 2 cups of chocolate chips in their cookies.  I want the maximum chocolate-to-cookie ratio, so the more chips the better!!  Another adjustment I made with this batch was to add 1 cup of rolled oats instead of chopped nuts.  I like the added texture it gives.  Oats are a little smoother than nuts and I feel they better compliment the chocolate chips.  Personally, I could do without nuts in most desserts.  They’re just too crunchy!  I want my dessert to melt in my mouth with little, to no, chewing.  The flavors should slowly dissolve into my taste buds.  Nuts are simply too much work (and they get stuck in my teeth).

The moral of today’s post:

Cookies are a great gift, but you have to make them pretty (no crumpled paper sacks, or ziplock baggies).  And, once you’ve added the chocolate, ADD MORE.