Christmas is finally in the air in Wroclaw. The lights are up, the snow is sticking & the Rynek Christmas market is as busy as ever. And if it can get any better—my medical exams have finished for the semester annnnnnddd…. I’ve moved! Yes! I’ve finally escaped the dormitory trap and have now settled in with my lovely cousin in our cozy apartment with a kitchen! Ah, a kitchen.

After many days of unpacking and settling in—I decided some Christmas goodies were in order. I ran into these beautiful Cranberry Bliss Cookies from Gimme some oven the other day and couldn’t stop thinking about them; my favorite Starbucks cranberry bliss bar turned into a cookie!? Yes. Please.

Cranberry Bliss Cookies (Recipe & directions from Gimme some oven)

For the Cookies

3 cups of flour

1 tsp baking soda

1tsp salt

1 cup butter, softened (roughly 2 sticks)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup white chocolate chip

1 cup dried cranberries

For the Frosting:

 1 8 oz bar cream cheese, room tempature

½ cup white chocolate chips metled in the microwave or double boiler

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups of powdered sugar

 For The Topping:

1 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped

1/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted in the microwave or double-boiler

Some very sexy additions that you may consider adding to your cranberry bliss cookies:

1. Orange zest
2. Coconut Flakes
3. Subsititute white choclate Lindor balls insteadof chocolate chips (fancy!)
4. Add 1 tsp of egg nog to the frosting
5.  GET CREATIVE!

Cookie Directions :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt until well-blended. Set aside.

Using an an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating in between to incorporate. Then reduce the speed to low, and slowly add in the dry ingredients.

Increase the speed to medium, and continue beating until well-combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips and cranberries, and mix until just-combined. (Do not overmix.)

Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour. Then place dough by rounded tablespoon-fulls onto a baking sheet that has been prepared with parchment paper, at least 2.5-inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges.

Remove pan, and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack until cool. Repeat with remaining dough until all cookies are baked. Wait until cookies reach room temperature before adding frosting and toppings.

Frosting Directions: 

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese and melted white chocolate until combined. Add in the vanilla and mix until combined. Then reduce speed to low and add the powdered sugar. Mix until incorporated. Then use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat once more for 1 minute on medium speed until the frosting is smooth. You can add more powdered sugar for a thicker frosting.

Spread the frosting on the cooled cookies. Then immediately sprinkle the frosted cookies with the chopped dried cranberries. And use a fork to drizzle on the frosting, swishing it back and forth over the cookies.

Hope these morsels of Christmas goodness brighten your day.

Ps see you in 2 weeks Vancity.

-r xo