The Opinionated Ramblings of a Certified Holiday Cookie Snob . . .

When I was growing up the time would come each Christmas when my mom {The Queen} would get out her faded and stained Holiday Cookie recipes. She would assemble the ingredients and then days of baking would begin. I would watch her form beautiful poinsettias and Christmas trees from a metal cookie press.  I would drool as she poured toffee into pans sprinkled with chopped nuts and dipped peanut butter balls in delicious, shiny melted chocolate. And then I would get my chance to help by rolling ginger snap dough, chocolate crinkles and Russian teacakes in sugar. For me it was truly a magical time to be in the kitchen with my mother.

But it only happened once a year.

Because in our family, Holiday Cookie baking was a special occasion.  In other words, the cookies that were made for Christmas were not your run-of-the-mill cookies.  Never, in all my years, did I see my mother put a chocolate chip cookie on a Christmas plate for neighbors. Never once did a Snickerdoodle or peanut butter cookie get passed off as a cookie worthy of the Christmas season. Because those were the types of cookies we had all year long.  And this was Christmas!

So it came to be that I am a certified a cookie snob. Don’t get me wrong. I love all cookies {except raisin filled}.  Don’t believe me? Check this, this, this or this out. But when it comes to Christmastime, I am very selective about what I make. 

Though I make many of the Christmas cookies I grew up with {hello gingersnaps!} each year, I am always on the lookout for a worthy new cookie.  Here are the standards by which I judge a new cookie contender:

1. Does it look/sound/smell DELICIOUS?
2. Is it “Christmasy” in appearance or ingredients?
3. Is it the kind of cookie I put in my kids’ lunchbox all year long? {if so, it’s not a Christmas cookie}
4. Can I see myself nibbling on it with a mug of hot cocoa in hand while sitting in front of the tree, listening to Bing Crosby singing White Christmas?

Using these standards, I have scoured the blogosphere and Pinterest in search of a new cookie to try this year.  And I found a winner here.  Of course, I had to dip the cookie to take it to the next level.

Welcome to the club Pistachio Cranberry dipped in White Chocolate. You are delicious. And I love you.

Pistachio Cranberry Cookies {White Chocolate Dipped}

1 pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix

1 box (4 serving size) pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 cup dry roasted salted pistachio nuts, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl stir cookie mix, pudding, and flour. Add melted butter and eggs and stir until incorporated.

Add pistachios and cranberries and mix well.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. The only way you can ruin these cookies is to overbake them! If you bake them too long you will lose the soft texture and they won't be as green. They will not look done but take them out and let them sit on the pan for about 2 minutes. Trust me.

Cool on a wire rack. Dip half of cookie in melted white chocolate. I used a double boiler on top of the stove to keep my chocolate melted to a nice consistency. Set on drying rack to let excess chocolate drip off. Sprinkle with white nonpariels and place on cookie sheet in refrigerator to set.