Sparkling Cranberry Gems

Cookies

1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour, organic preferred; or King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 cups (7 ounces) dried cranberries, packed

2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into pats

3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) milk

Coating

scant 1/2 cup (about 3 1/2 ounces) coarse white sparkling sugar

Place the flour and dried cranberries in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the cranberries are coarsely shredded. Imagine a single dried cranberry cut into about 4 pieces: that’s your goal.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

Whisk together the flour/cranberry mixture, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add the vanilla and butter, mixing until the butter is thoroughly distributed, but some pea-sized chunks still remain. Dribble in the milk while mixing; the dough will become cohesive.

Place the coarse sugar in a plastic bag; about 1-quart size should do.

Using a teaspoon cookie scoop (or a spoon), scoop the dough by 1 3/4-teaspoonfuls (about 1 ¼" balls) into the bag, 6 or 8 at a time. Close the top of the bag, and gently shake to coat the balls with sugar. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, and use the bottom of a glass to flatten them to about ¼" thick (about 1 ½" in diameter). Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bake the cookies for 16 to 17 minutes, until they’re set and barely, BARELY beginning to brown around the very edge; the tops shouldn’t be brown at all. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the pan.

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size, 1 cookie (15g); Servings per Batch, 36; amount per serving: Calories 60, Calories from Fat 20, Total Fat 2g(3% DV), Saturated Fat 1g(6% DV), Trans Fat 0g, Cholesterol 5mg(2% DV), Sodium 30mg(1% DV), Total Carbohydrate 10g(3% DV), Dietary Fiber 1g(3% DV), Sugars 7g, Protein 1g, Vitamin A (2% DV), Vitamin C (0% DV), Calcium (2% DV), Iron (0% DV).