Super Duper!

Good grief. More baking. You’d think it was Christmas or something.

But these cookies are SO worth it! Our family’s favorite Christmas cookie (well, Sarah would inhale them if she could!) and I’ve been baking them since I saw this recipe in Sunset magazine a few years ago.

The picture is dedicated to my sister (Lori, you’ll know what it means…). This is another super duper easy recipe. I do recommend you haul out the super duper Kitchen Aid mixer to give you a hand. To get the dough right, you really need to mix this sucker. Don’t freak out at how crumbly it seems…it’s almost like sweet pie dough and when you press it into balls, it works perfectly. When you bake them, they WON’T turn golden brown. They’ll look like…well, dough. The edges should be just barely turning brown. They will harden up while cooling. If you like a crispier cookie, bake a bit longer. These cookies are a lovely gift, along with a special tea cup or coffee mug…the cookies beg for warm goodness to wash them down.

Coconut-Cranberry Chews

Makes about 6 dozen cookies

1 ½ cups butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup dried cranberries
1 ½ cup sweetened flaked dried coconut

1. In a large mixing bowl, with a mixer at medium speed, beat butter, sugar, orange peel, and vanilla until smooth.
2. In another medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, at low speed, then continue beating at low speed until dough comes together, about 5 minutes. Mix in coconut and cranberries.
3. Shape dough in 1 inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on buttered (or parchment paper…I like that better!) baking sheets.
4. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until cookie edges just BARELY turn brown, 8 – 11 minutes. If baking two sheets at once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.