Chocolate Cranberry Bliss Cookies
Author: 
Recipe type: Cookie
Prep: 
Cook: 
Total time: 
Serves: 48
 
Cranberry bliss bars have a new chocolatey cousin!
Ingredients
  • COOKIES:
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup dried cranberries
  • FROSTING:
  • ¼ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
  • 4 oz (1/2 pkg) cream cheese, room temperature
  • ⅛ cup cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp water
  • 3 cups powdered sugar (aka confectioner’s sugar/icing sugar)
  • TOPPING:
  • 1 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
  3. Reduce speed to low and slowly add in the dry ingredients. Beat until well-combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and cranberries.
  4. Place dough in the fridge for about 10 minutes while your oven heats up. (You can leave it longer if you want – 10 minutes is about my patience max :))
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease lightly.
  6. Place dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden only around the edges. Remove pan, let sit 1 minute, and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack until cool. Repeat with remaining dough until all cookies are baked. Wait until cookies reach room temperature before adding frosting.
  7. FROSTING:
  8. Melt chocolate in the microwave in a small bowl, heating for 30 seconds, then stirring and heating in additional 10 second increments until almost completely melted. Stir until melted completely. Set aside.
  9. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese and cocoa until combined. Add melted chocolate and blend well.
  10. Reduce speed to low and add the powdered sugar, vanilla and water. Mix until incorporated, adding more powdered sugar or water if necessary to reach desired spreading consistency.
  11. Spread the frosting on the cooled cookies. Immediately sprinkle the frosted cookies with the chopped dried cranberries.
Notes
Store iced cookies in the fridge or freezer. To thaw from frozen, put frozen cookies in the fridge.
Recipe by Hidden Ponies at https://hiddenponies.com/2013/03/saturday-sweets-chocolate-cranberry-bliss-cookies/