Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies

Cranberries are a versatile fruit. 95% are processed into juices, sauces, jams and sweetened dried fruits. The rest are sold fresh to consumers. Cooking tip: Fresh cranberries disappear from the produce shelves soon after the holidays. So stock up now on the bags and freeze them as they will last up to 9 months. 
Jellied cranberry sauce is an indispensable part of Thanksgiving dinners. Even though it is  questionable how many people actually eat canned cranberry sauce it is a good idea to keep a can on reserve. One year I did not have it out as a coveted side dish and there was a bit of an outcry... something about tradition and it should be on the table.

This cookie recipe caught my attention with white chocolate, dried cranberries and macadamia nuts. What's not to like about those ingredients :)

Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies

adapted from Real Food magazine from Byerlys/Lunds grocery winter 2012

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter and 1 stick of margarine
• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. soda
• 1 cup of macadamia nuts that have been lightly pulsed in a food processor
• 1 cup of white chocolate chips
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups sweetened dried cranberries

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375
• In a mixing bowl cream butter, margarine, eggs, vanilla and brown sugar
• Add in flour, soda, salt and beat thoroughly
• Fold in nuts, chips and cranberries
• Chill dough in freezer for an hour
• Drop by spoonfuls on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes but start checking at 9 minutes-depends on how large spoonfuls are

Poinsettia Cocktail

A festive and quite easy drink recipe to usher in the holiday season.

In a champagne flute mix equal parts of cranberry juice and champagne. Pour on top of each glass 1 tsp. Grand Marnier,do not mix liqueur in and serve.

Salut!or Sante!