A variation on Fresh Pear Cookies, these tasty treats come from Cake Mix Cookies and combine fresh cranberries and ginger with vanilla cake mix. For an added sweetness, drizzle cookies with melted white chocolate. The combination of cranberry and white chocolate is festive and sure to put you in the holiday spirit, try serving these cookies with hot cocoa and peppermint sticks. These cookies would also be great for brunch.

Fresh cranberries are too tart to eat on their own, but with this recipe they become soft and sweetened with brown sugar and a punch of spice from the ground ginger. The original recipe calls for 1 cup finely chopped pecans, but here they are omitted. If desired, sprinkle chopped nuts over white chocolate drizzle while still warm for a crunchy twist.

Fresh Cranberry Cookies

1 box (18.25 oz) vanilla cake mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries
White Chocolate Drizzle (see below)

Preheat oven to 350F and coat baking sheets with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, place half the cake mix, butter, light brown sugar, eggs, and ginger. Blend with an electric mixture for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, stir in remaining cake mix and cranberries until all dry ingredients are moist and pears are well incorporated.

Drop by rounded teaspoons on to baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake 10-13 minutes on until cracked in appearance and just barely set in the center. Cool 1 minute on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack with a spatula to cool completely. Prepare White Chocolate Drizzle and top cookies.

White Chocolate Drizzle

1 cup white chocolate chips
1 tbsp vegetable shortening

Melt chips and shortening oven low heat in a small saucepan until smooth. Transfer to a small plastic baggie and gather at the top, using a corner as a tip. Snip the corner of the baggie and drizzle white chocolate over cookies. Let sit until chocolate cools and hardens.

A combination of winter baking and fall flavor, these cookies are sure to please. This recipe comes from Cake Mix Cookies by Camilla V. Saulsbury, and uses fresh pears and nutmeg with vanilla cake mix to create soft, tasty cookies. Pears are still in season, but not for much longer…so don’t delay trying these fruity delights. Creamy icing with the subtle, slightly nutty taste of browned butter provides the perfect winter comfort food. No need to peel the pears as baking will soften the skin, but be sure to scoop out the core. The original recipe calls for 1 cup finely chopped pecans sprinkled on top of the cookies, but I left them out due to a lack of availability and personal preference.

Can’t get your hands on pears? Use fresh cranberries and substitute ginger for nutmeg, or try peeled apples and use cinnamon instead of nutmeg. Substitute equal amounts.

1 box (18.25 oz) vanilla cake mix
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 to 2 cups coarsely chopped pear (about 2 medium)
Browned Butter Icing (see below)

Preheat oven to 350F and coat baking sheets with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, place half the cake mix, butter, light brown sugar, eggs, and nutmeg. Blend with an electric mixture for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth. Using a wooden spoon, stir in remaining cake mix and pears until all dry ingredients are moist and pears are well incorporated.

Drop by rounded teaspoons on to baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake 10-13 minutes on until cracked in appearance and just barely set in the center. Cool 1 minute on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack with a spatula to cool completely. Prepare Browned Butter Icing and spread over cookies.

Browned Butter Icing

6 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2+ tbsp milk

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue to heat until butter begins to brown slightly (be careful, it can burn quickly). Remove from heat.

Stir in powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tbsp milk. Continue to add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until mixture is spreadable. Stir well until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies.

This recipe combines cappuccino and vanilla flavored chips to create a fudge that is slightly sweet and rich with a hint of coffee flavor (think gas station “Cappuccino”). The World Market sells Guittard Baking Chocolate, which includes cappuccino, green mint, and butterscotch flavored chips.  

2 cups Guittard Cappuccino Baking (12 oz pkg)
1 2/3 vanilla baking chips (10-11 oz pkg), divided
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk 
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Line a 9×9 inch pan with wax paper.

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt cappuccino chips with 1 cup vanilla chips, sweetened condensed milk, and salt, stirring constantly until smooth.

Remove pan from heat and stir in cinnamon and remaining 2/3 cup vanilla chips (vanilla chips do not need to melt completely, this will create a streaking effect in the fudge).

Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto cutting board and peel off paper. Cut into squares (makes 40-50 squares of fudge).