Frosted Cranberry Orange Drop Cookies

 

It's never too early to start thinking about holiday baking. You'll want to put this recipe top of your list to try. 

Frosted Cranberry Orange Walnut Drop Cookies

A soft tangy cookie with a hint of orange zest. Each bite is irresistible and perfect for your Christmas plate or with your next cup of coffee or tea.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home  and makes 3 dozen. 

Cooking Tip: Keep dough chilled and do one batch at a time. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/4 cup whole milk or half and half
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4  teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups frozen fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped in half 
• 1 cup toasted chopped walnuts

Frosting Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2-4 tablespoons milk

Directions:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add milk, egg, orange zest  and orange juice; mix well. Whisk together in a separate bowl flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in cranberries and nuts.
• Chill dough in freezer 20 minutes. Flour hands and roll dough into 2 inch balls. 
• Place on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees 11-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
• For frosting, heat the butter in a saucepan over low heat until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes; transfer to a small bowl. Add in sugar and vanilla. Beat in milk a tablespoon at a time, until frosting reaches desired consistency. Frost the cookies.
  
  
  

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
Established by former President George Bush Sr. in 1990, Native American Heritage Month, also referred to as “American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month,” was created to raise awareness and pay tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans by providing a platform for Native people in the United States of America to share their culture, traditions, music, crafts, dance, and ways and concepts through special events, ceremonies and festivals.
Federal Agencies are encouraged to provide educational programs for their employees regarding Native American history, rights, culture and contemporary issues, to better assist them in their jobs and for overall awareness.

In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, Ever Ready will be featuring a variety of resources, special programs, books, teacher resources and recipes that highlight their heritage. I found this a helpful link. 

http://www.nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/

Native American wisdom has some timely messages.