Nut and Cranberry Cookies
When I bake anything, I give most of it away. I have to, or my baking addiction would make me as big as the side of the house. Anyway, I didn’t give many of these Nut and Cranberry Cookies away. I also felt I could eat these without too much guilt because they don’t have quite as much sugar as many other biscuit recipes.
Why you’ll love these Cookies
These cookies strike the perfect balance between healthy and indulgent. With their chewy centre and crispy edges, they deliver wonderful texture and complex flavours from the dried cranberries and nuts. They’re also incredibly versatile – perfect for breakfast on the go, afternoon tea, or a thoughtful homemade gift.
Health Benefits
These cookies are packed with fibre from the oats and protein from the nuts, making them a more nutritious option than traditional cookies. The reduced sugar content and natural sweeteners make them suitable for those watching their sugar intake.
What sort of nuts should you use?
I don’t think there’s a nut I’ve met that I don’t like. 😂 My favourites for this kind of biscuit would have to be hazelnuts, almonds or peanuts.
Storage and Tips
These cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days. For longer storage, freeze them before baking and only bake what you need in your air fryer. Alternatively, you can freeze them for up to three months; however, the texture may change slightly when they defrost. You can always give them a quick blast in the oven or air fryer to crisp them up a bit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you could substitute it with gluten-free flour. Make sure your gluten-free flour has Xanthan gum or phillum husks on the ingredient list. You could also add some almond flour to the gluten-free flour. Try substituting 1/2 of it.
You could reduce the sugar slightly, although they’re not super sweet. These are fairly healthy anyway.
Yes! These cookies freeze brilliantly. Shape the dough into balls, freeze on a tray until solid, then store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the cooking time.
Cranberry and Nut Cookies
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becs-table.com.auEquipment
- 1 Thermomix or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 250 g plain flour all-purpose
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt I like flaked
- 100 g brown sugar
- 180 g butter unsalted, cold cubes
- 1 large egg
- 5 g vanilla extract
- 70 g cranberries
- 50 g chopped nuts I used mixed nuts and chopped by hand
- 30 g chopped nuts optional for topping as above
- 20 g sunflower seeds
- 20 g pepita seeds
Instructions
Thermomix Method:
- Read the recipe and prep your ingredients first.
- Weigh the flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar into the TM bowl, blitz to combine and break up any brown sugar lumps you may have. MC in, 5 sec/speed 7.
- Weigh in the cold cubed butter, mix 10 sec/speed 5.
- Weigh in the egg and vanilla, mix 5 sec/speed 5.
- Weigh in the fruit and nuts and mix for 5 sec/reverse/speed 5. Lift and scrape down then repeat 5 sec/reverse/speed 5.
- Weigh up 35g portions of dough, roll into balls and gently press onto a baking sheet. Leave a good (4cm) gap between each one. Continue until you’ve used up all the dough.
- If you like you can press some of the chopped nuts into the top of each dough ball for decoration.
- Set the cookie sheets into the fridge to chill. *see tips
- Turn the oven on and allow it to come to temperature. 170°C fan (190°C no fan)
- Once the oven is at temperature, bake until golden; Mine took around 15 minutes to cook.
- Leave on the trays for 5 mins until cool enough to handle then transfer to a cooling rack.
Conventional Method:
- Read the recipe and prep your ingredients first.
- Allow the cold cubes of butter to soften for 10 minutes on the bench.
- In the meantime prepare the remainder of your ingredients. Weigh the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl, whisk well to combine.
- Break up any lumps you may have in your brown sugar.
- Crack the egg into a small bowl and add the vanilla to it.
- Weigh the cranberries, nuts and seeds into a bowl. Weigh the optional topping separate if using.
- Once the butter is soft, add it and the sugar to a bowl and beat until soft, and fluffy.
- Add in the egg and beat again until combined.
- Now add ½ the flour mix and beat in until you can’t see any more flour then add the remaining flour and beat again until incorporated.
- Stir through the nuts, cranberries and seeds.
- Weigh up 35g portions of dough, roll into balls and gently press onto a baking sheet. Leave a good (4cm) gap between each one. Continue until you’ve used up all the dough.
- If you like you can press some of the chopped nuts into the top of each dough ball for decoration.
- Set the cookie sheets into the fridge to chill. *see tips
- Turn the oven on and allow it to come to temperature. 170°C fan (190°C no fan)
- Once the oven is at temperature, bake until golden; Mine took around 15 minutes to cook.
- Leave on the trays for 5 mins until cool enough to handle then transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
- If you chill the cookies well before turning on the oven, they’ll stay pretty much the same shape as you formed them. You can even bake these from frozen. In my opinion, these cookies taste way better if they’re golden brown, but don’t overdo it, or the nuts will burn. Set your timer for 10 minutes to check on the progress; this will give you some indication of how much longer they’ll be.
- These cookies will stay crunchy if you allow them to cool completely before storing, providing you’ve baked them until golden brown.
- You can make these cookies any size you like, but watch your baking times; larger cookies take longer to bake.
- I like to use chopped nuts on top, but you don’t have to.
Want to know more?
Would you like to learn how to make awesome cookies with your food processor or thermo appliance? Our Perfect Cookies 1 (or 2) Course will make you an expert. It’s online, quick, fun and easy.
Hi Bec, all your recipes look and sound awesome. I am going to try them all. I like baking unusual combinations and can’t wait to try your recipes. Keep them coming …… regards Adele (from South Africa)
Thank you Adele,
I hope you enjoy making them as much as I have over the years.
Hey Bec, 2 questions for you…..can I use 250g self raising flour no baking powder?
When I chill dough balls, do I chill the entire metal baking tray too, or just the doughballs?
Hey Trace,
I talk about ratios of making self-raising flour in my courses. There’s no set standard for commercial self-raising flour, it can be slightly different depending on your brand. Because of the amount I’ve used in these cookies if you’re going to use SR flour you’ll probably still need to put in 1/2 a tsp to create the same texture. But in saying all that sure, you could give it a test and see if you’re happy with it.
I chill the dough balls straight on the metal tray, but I suspect that depends on the size of your fridge. They’re not in there all that long, and I prefer not to double handle them. If you like making cookies you should check out my course.
Very easy to make and not a sweet biscuit. A good mixture of fruit and nuts.
Thank you Janne, I hope you enjoyed them. In a couple of weeks I’m going to share another biscuit that is a little sweeter. I hope you’ll get the chance to have a go at those as well. 😉
Looks great. But set the oven and bring to temperature….what is the temperature please, or have I missed it?
You’re quite right, Marilyn,
Thank you for pointing it out. I teach cookie temps in my cookie course, but I seemed to have left it off this post. It’s up there now.
Regards
Bec