Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ok. I know you come for the recipes. But I have to tell a funny story about these cookies. They did not start out as cranberry white chocolate chip cookies. I actually had found a pomegranate white chocolate chunk cookie recipe over at Two Peas. Seeing how pomegranates are in season right now and I wanted to attempt cooking with them, I decided to give that recipe a go. The pomegranate arils I got out were pretty large and I was a little worried about how the cookies would be with the crunch of the seed in them. So I made up my cookie dough and added pomegranate arils to just 3 cookies and baked them. A taste test for me, Brian, and one of our friends who was here at the time. In the back of my mind I thought, "Brian is not going to like these so I don't want to make a whole batch of them if he doesn't. The texture of the seed will definitely be a turn off for him." So we cooked up the 3 cookies. Our friend and I tried them and thought they were so-so--the pomegranates here are not nearly as dark in color as they might be in other parts of the world so we didn't feel it actually offered any flavor to the cookie. And the seed was a little weird, but not bad. So we let Brian try his. I saw it on his face in the first bite! The following was the conversation:
Me: You don't like it do you?
Brian: The seed is a little weird.
Me: You're not even going to finish that cookie are you?
Brian: No, I don't really want to.
Me (to friend): See I told you!
I like to think after over 8 years of marriage that I've learned a few things. So, being inspired by the Cranberry White Chocolate Mocha I'd had at Starbucks earlier in the afternoon, I ended up adding dried cranberries to the rest of the dough. I think they're really good. Still not sure if Brian just loves them. So, whether you try these with pomegranate or cranberries, I hope you enjoy them! I think they are super yummy and chewy! They just look like a fun Christmas treat with the bright red!

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8-1/4 tsp salt (if butter is salted, use 1/8 tsp, if butter is unsalted, use 1/4 tsp)
1 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup white chocolate chips or chunks (Dove carries a white chocolate candy bar in China)
1/2-3/4 cup dried cranberries

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Mix in baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour just until incorporated. Stir in oats. Add white chocolate chips or chunks and dried cranberries. Using a tablespoon or small ice cream scoop, make uniform sized, rounded cookie dough balls and place on baking sheet. Bake at 375F (195C) for 10-12 minutes. Remove to rack to finish cooling.

Variation: If you'd like to use pomegranate arils, omit the cranberries. Make round cookie dough balls and push 6-8 little pieces of pomegranate around the dough ball. Bake the same way.

Notes: I didn't even get a full 2 dozen cookies out of this recipe. So it doesn't make a ton. I found they were a little underdone still at 10 minutes but didn't need a full 12. If you live in China, you can get 3 pound bags of Craisins on Taobao. Often times you can find a seller who has some that are discounted because they are close to expiration! I used white chocolate chips someone had sent me, but you can also chop up a white chocolate candy bar--Dove makes them in China and they are sold in most larger grocery stores I've seen around here.