Guest Author - Launa Stout
These cookies turn out pretty enough that you could take them to a cookie exchange. Or arrange them on a pretty plate and send to school for your child’s teacher. You could also take a plate to the guys at the fire station (take them the recipe also).
Gather these ingredients:
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chopped cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Glaze ingredients:
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Follow these simple steps:
1. Turn the oven on to 375 degrees F to preheat the oven.
2. Use a large bowl and cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth.
3. Beat in the egg until well blended.
4. Mix together 1 teaspoon orange zest and 2 tablespoons orange juice, then add to the mixture in the big bowl.
5. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt and then stir into the orange mixture.
6. Using a wooden spoon mix in cranberries.
7. If adding walnuts then add them now and stir in with the wooden spoon making sure the cranberries and nuts are evenly mixed into the cookie dough.
8. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets. Cookies should be spaced at least 2 inches apart.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are golden.
This recipe makes about 48 cookies.
• If you use a cookie scoop you will have all the cookies turn out the same size and shape.
Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
Making the glaze
• Use a small bowl and mix together 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, 3 tablespoons orange juice and confectioners' sugar until smooth.
For a fancy presentation:
• Put the glaze in a Ziploc sandwich bag and seal.
• Cut off a tiny corner and then squeeze the bag and move your hand back and forth over the cookies and make little lines of glaze- first one way, and then the other.
Or just spread the glaze over the tops of cooled cookies.
Let them sit on the counter cooling rack until they are set.
