cranberry-white chocolate {holiday} cookies.

So…let’s talk holidays. Holiday baking, to be exact.

Have you been baking all sorts of fantastic goodies in your kitchen lately? I bet you have. You’ve probably been very busy back there, you know, baking cookies for cookie exchanges, for your neighbors and friends…for, ahem, yourself.

Not yet, you say? Perhaps I am a bit early here – it is only the first full week of December. Last week, we were still kindasorta in November. Last week, you were living in sweatpants after stuffing yourself silly with deep-fried turkey skin turkey, oyster stuffing with tons of fresh herbs, the creamiest homemade salted caramel ice cream ever, and waaaaay too much apple-cinnamon sangria.

Nevermind. That was me. I supposed I got confused for a second, because we’re just so…similar.

To start, we both love cookies.

Do we both love big, fat cookies packed with white chocolate, dried cranberries, and salty toasted macadamia nuts? I hope so.

Because these cookies are good. So good, that if you’re anything like Daniel, you’ll find yourself leaving your warm and cozy bed at all hours of the night for more – and if you’re anything like me, than I pity the bed full of crumbs you must sleep in.

Still not convinced? I have a very good friend who came over the other night for an event we attend every year – it’s called Christmas on Las Olas, and it’s an outdoor event where they close down the streets and 40,000 people fill the area to eat, drink, and be merry – anywho, this friend…I won’t name names…he took these cookies with him in his pockets and proceeded to eat them throughout the evening. I’m fairly certain he even saved a few for the next day. Some call it willpower, some call it crazy – I call it the power of a damned good cookie.

White Chocolate, Cranberry, and Macadamia Nut Cookies

Adapted from Tyler Florence via Bon Appétit

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips (about one 11-ounce bag)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped roasted salted macadamia nuts (about 4 1/2 ounces)

A note on the nuts: Make sure to buy them salted – and if they’re not roasted, you can do it yourself. Just toast them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree-oven for about 5 – 7 minutes, or until they become golden and fragrant. This really brings out the flavor.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Using spatula, stir in cranberries, white chocolate chips, and nuts.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing 1-1/2 inches apart. Bake cookies until just golden, about 18 minutes for large cookies and about 15 minutes for small cookies. Cool on sheets.

Store airtight at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 weeks. Makes about 40 cookies.