Cranberry & Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Meet the most holiday-inspired chocolate chip cookie yet: this brown sugar egg yolk chocolate chip cookie dough is super chewy and packed with chunks of dark chocolate, ginger spiced pecans and dried cranberries for a burst of tart.
Some holiday inspired chocolate chip cookies: these have ginger candied pecans and some dried cranberries too!
The only time I’d candied pecans before was for this Chevre Deviled Dates recipe and I adore them there. For that recipe you’d use warmed agave nectar and chinese five spice but I wanted this recipe to be much more straight-forward and with ingredients most households would already have on hand: maple syrup and ground ginger. A simple stir of the nuts with these two (and a pinch of salt), spread them on a cookie sheet and bake until ‘candied’. They make a fantastic snack! Try to save some for the cookies though 😉
Recipe Ingredients
Pecans: Pecan halves, raw or toasted should be fine.
Ginger: Ground ginger. Not a must but it gives the pecans and cookies a little kick. If you absolutely hate ginger try something more mild like cinnamon. If you like a really spicy candied nut, use more ginger or add a few more spices.
Dried Cranberries: If you must you can leave these out. I think they bring a good chew and brightness in flavor and round the whole cookie out.
Chocolate: Dark chocolate of about 70% cocoa solids checks the sweetness of the overall cookie but you do you!
Brown sugar: Light or dark will work for these cookies, or even a mix. Don’t sub with granulated unless you are adding molasses to make your own brown sugar.
All purpose flour: Avoid a high protein flour like bread as the cookies will come out a bit tough and not spread as well.
Egg yolks: From large eggs, room temp or cold is fine.
FAQ on Cranberry & Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Can I pre-make and freeze this dough?
Yes – make the dough and then scoop into dough balls. Set in the freezer on an open plate or cookie sheet for about 10 minutes. Once solid, transfer to a ziplock bag and freeze.
Bring the dough mounds to room temperature before baking, then bake as directed.
How long are the cookies good for?
Like most homemade brown sugar cookies these are good for about 3-4 days and afterwards they’ll start to dry out a bit. Keep them in an airtight container.
Can I candy a different nut?
Yup, walnuts, hazelnuts or even cashews would work. For smaller nuts (smaller than pecan halves) you might need a few less minutes in the oven.
Can I use a different chocolate (other than dark chocolate)?
Anything you like, white and milk would both go well here. If you are not a fan of very sweet cookies, stick with dark.
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Candied Pecans and Cranberries
Cranberry Candied Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
Candied Pecans
- 1 cup pecans 110g
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Pinch salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Cookies
- 130 g European-style butter unsalted and softened
- 220 g brown sugar can use light and dark or just one
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 200 g all purpose flour
- 100 g chocolate chopped
- 70 g dried cranberries about ½ cup
- Candied pecans from above
Method
- To make the candied pecans: preheat the oven to 375 F and toss the pecans, syrup salt and ginger together in a bowl. Spread the nuts over a greased and lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 14 minutes, turning them halfway. Let cool completely before adding to cookie dough.
- To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (grease the pans first, so the parchment sticks).
- Beat together the butter and brown sugar for a solid 5-7 minutes, until very light and fluffy. Add the yolks, one at a time, with the beater on. Beat for another few minutes, until well-blended. Add the flour, salt and baking soda and beat until combined. Fold in the pecans, cranberries and chocolate.
- Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough and space the cookies so they have room to spread. Bake for 10 minutes.
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