Recipe: Christmas treats - White chocolate, pistachio and cranberry cookies

The red, white and green flecks in these cookies make them festive as well as delicious.

The arrival of December gives me permission to start doing all the Christmas things. I don’t think anyone would argue it’s too early for Christmas cookies!

These soft vanilla cookies are laced with white chocolate, pistachio and cranberry - all quintessentially Christmas flavours and colours.

I use a mix of brown and white sugar, which gives them a nice soft texture.

I always veer on the side of ‘only just’ cooked cookies, as I love a soft centre.

If you prefer a crunchier cookie, simply bake a little longer - watch them carefully though, as a lot can happen in 30 seconds towards the end of baking. Nobody wants burnt cookies!

Another tip here is to freeze the dough before baking - this helps them not to spread as much, giving you softer cookies with more rise.

It is also really convenient, as you can prep your dough ahead of time, keep the unbaked cookie dough balls in the freezer, and simply bake as you need them.

These cookies will look great wrapped up as a gift (think Secret Santa or workmate/teacher appreciation gift), thanks to their pretty white, red and green flecks.

Or, if you’re making a batch for yourself, eat them straight from the oven while the white chocolate is still nice and gooey!

White Chocolate, Pistachio & Cranberry Cookies

Makes 10

Ingredients

• 125g brown sugar
• 100g sugar
• 100g butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 175g flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp white chocolate drops
• 2 Tbsp raw pistachios, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp dried cranberries

Method

1. In a large bowl, cream the sugars, butter, egg and vanilla using an electric beater for 3 minutes until light and creamy.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed butter mix and stir to combine, then fold through white chocolate, pistachios and dried cranberries.
3. Roll the mixture into balls the size of a golf ball, and transfer to a plate lined with baking paper. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 160C. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
5. Arrange the cookie dough balls on your prepared baking trays, giving them plenty of room to spread. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden, cooked through and soft to the touch.
6. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Enjoy fresh from the oven, or at room temperature.

• Olivia Moore and her Taupō business That Green Olive offer recipe development, food photography - in studio or on-location - for restaurants and cafes, recipe video creation and social media content creation. Visit Olivia’s website for more recipes: www.thatgreenolive.com.

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