Opinion
Fall faves include cranberry white chocolate chip cookies, other goodies
October 7, 2011
Fall is here. Look around and take in the striking crimson, orange, and saffron adorning the campus. Listen to the crunch of the leaves with every step, feel the brisk air reach the tips of your fingers and nose, and of course smell and taste all those warm, wonderful fall flavors you’ve been waiting for all year. Two important holidays are encompassed within this season: Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Start the decorating and baking early and make it last. There are all sorts of fall themed desserts that aren’t just reserved for the holidays. Many of this season’s cookies promise a burst of spice with every bite. Maple, pumpkin, caramel, apple and cranberry are just a few highlighted flavors. These flavors can be incorporated into a wide array of dishes. Be adventurous; try out some new flavors in your baking this year. Pumpkin is not just for pie. Thanksgiving isn’t here yet, but that shouldn’t limit our use of the usually seasonal ingredient.
Canned pumpkin, or pumpkin pie spice, can be found at Fall faves include cranberry white chocolate chip cookies, other goodies your local grocery store usually among the other pie fillings. Keep in mind you can also go straight to the source to get what you need for your baking…a pumpkin! The Halloween icon is everywhere this time of year. Canned pumpkin will often give your cookie a more cake-like consistency while pumpkin pie spice can be a little more versatile, allowing you to maintain the original texture with a surprise flavor boost.
The fruit, the flavor…the apple! There are myriad possibilities when dealing with this particular fall flavor. A majority of baking recipes will call for the apple to be peeled, cored, and then chopped, which is not too difficult of a process. You may be familiar with the usual apple crisps, apple pies, apple cakes, raw apple cookies, but another noted use for apple this particular season is apple cider. It seems to be popping up more and more. Apple cider comes in varieties and can be served hot or cold, so taste a few and find your favorite and make sure to have this season’s hot pick out at your Halloween party.
Last, but certainly not to be forgotten, are cranberries. They became a popular snacking fruit in the form of Craisins, but can add a surprisingly good twist when baked into cookies. Most raisin recipes can be altered to showcase cranberries instead. A good way to balance the tartness is by pairing it with something sweet like baking chips.
I am not a fan of cranberries, I avoid the sauce on Thanksgiving and would definitely go for a handful of raisins over dried cranberries, but branching out I tried a new recipe, Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies. This recipe is now one of my favorites. My sister and I love to eat them frozen. Give it a try; you may surprise yourself while your taste buds scream for more.
Cranberry white chocolate chip cookies
Ingredients:
- 2/3 c. butter, softened
- 2/3 c. packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ c. rolled oats
- 1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 ¼ c. dried cranberries
- 2/3 c. white chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the baking soda, salt, flour, and oats, mixing well. Stir in the dried cranberries and white chocolate. Note: If the dough is glistening this is a good indication it needs more flour.
- Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Note: Usually they will maintain a somewhat rounded shape so if you prefer a flatter cookie use the back of a spatula or the bottom of a glass to flatten out the teaspoons of dough.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in preheated oven, or until golden brown. If using convection the time will be shorter. Cool for a minute before removing from cookie sheets.
Enjoy with a glass of apple cider or your favorite fall beverages!
Brittney Pfenning-Wendt is a columnist for the Student Voice.