Description
These Sparkling Sugarplum Cranberry Cookies are chewy in the center, crisp on the edges, and bursting with tart dried cranberries and sweet dried plums. Rolled in sparkling sugar, they’re festive, bakery-worthy cookies perfect for holidays, cookie swaps, or cozy winter baking.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup chopped dried cranberries
- ½ cup chopped dried plums (prunes)
- Sparkling or coarse sanding sugar, for rolling
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom.
- Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth.
- Combine: Gradually mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in cranberries and dried plums.
- Shape: Scoop tablespoon-sized portions, roll into balls, then roll generously in sparkling sugar.
- Bake: Place on baking sheets 2 inches apart. Bake 10–12 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool: Cool on pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
- Butter: Use softened, not melted, butter for best texture.
- Fruit size: Chop dried fruit finely for even distribution.
- Flavor boost: Orange zest adds a lovely citrus note.
- Freezing: Dough balls freeze well and bake straight from frozen.
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: Sparkling Sugarplum Cranberry Cookies, cranberry cookies, cookies with dried cranberries, holiday cookies, festive cookie recipes