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Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

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Ingredients

Warning0 allergens identified

Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

½ cup dark chocolate(from bars, or use dark chocolate chips)

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup pecans(toasted pieces)

8 ounces unsalted butter(softened)

⅔ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp salt

2 large egg yolks

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 ½ cups all purpose flour(for dough)

all purpose flour(for work surface)

butter(softened, optional, for pans)

Instructions

Chop the chocolate if using bars. Coarsely chop the cranberries, and chop the pecans if pieces are large. Set aside in a mixing bowl.

Combine the butter, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

Gradually add the flour with the mixer on low, beating until almost combined. Add the chocolate, cranberries, and pecans and mix until just combined.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide in half. Shape each half into a log about 9 inches long. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour, or up to a few days.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or grease with butter.

Cut the logs into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange slices on the prepared baking sheets about 1/2-inch apart.

Bake the cookies on upper-middle and lower-middle racks of oven, switching pan positions halfway through cook time, until barely starting to brown at edges and set in middle, 13-15 minutes.

Check to see that cookies are done. Remove from oven or add time as needed.

Transfer baking sheets to a cooling rack. Serve cookies warm or at room temperature.

Video Tutorial Bite Tutorial

Nutrition

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Tips & Tricks (5)

Chill Dough Thoroughly for Clean Slices 🧊
Wrap your dough log and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or freeze up to 3 months) before slicing—this prevents spreading and ensures clean, defined cookie edges with visible chocolate and cranberry pieces.
Toast Pecans for Deeper Flavor 🥜
Lightly toast your pecans at 350°F for 8-10 minutes before chopping and adding to the dough to unlock their rich, buttery notes that complement the dark chocolate and tart cranberries.
Use Quality Dark Chocolate (60-70% Cocoa) 🍫
Chop high-quality dark chocolate into varied chunk sizes rather than using chips—larger pieces create elegant pockets of chocolate that showcase the premium nature of these shortbread cookies.
Bring Butter to Room Temperature 🧈
Let unsalted butter soften completely (about 20 minutes) before creaming with sugar to achieve a light, fluffy texture that creates tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies with better ingredient distribution.
Don't Overbake—Bake Until Just Set ⏱️
Remove cookies from the oven when the edges are lightly golden but centers still look slightly underdone; they'll continue cooking on the hot pan and result in perfectly buttery, tender shortbread rather than crispy cookies.