Cranberry Macadamia Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate

We used to have a hard and fast rule in the house about when the Christmas decorations went up and when the Christmas playlists started playing and all the rest :: no Christmas until the weekend after Thanksgiving. We kept everything tucked away in storage tubs and didn’t go hunting for a Christmas tree and didn’t start playing Christmas songs until we’d cleaned up all the mess from Turkey Day and all the relatives had departed and we’d given the house a good cleaning.

Used to be that stores didn’t break out their Christmas stuff until at least after Halloween, too. This year, they didn’t even wait until then. And all the decor bloggers had their Christmas tours up well before Thanksgiving, and the gift guides were already out everywhere while we were still deciding between sourdough or cornbread stuffing.

Our rule has crept back a little bit, too. When the cold snaps hit after Veterans’ Day, I had my Michael Buble holiday playlist on in the car and I started sneaking little things out of storage for some festive cheer here and there. But we didn’t go get the tree or put the lights up or hang the wreath and all the rest until Thanksgiving had passed. And we definitely waited for our tummies to settle after our Turkey Day feast before I started my holiday baking.

I probably gave it a full 24 hours.

Maybe less. I wasn’t counting. Tryptophan naps throw your whole sense of time out of whack.

Either way, these cookies shouldn’t count. They’re happy little bits of cranberry deliciousness that would be just as at home during Thanksgiving as they are during Christmastime. But there’s something particularly holiday-ish about them that makes them feel appropriate to make now.

Whenever you make them, though, I can guarantee you that they’re delicious!

Cranberry Macadamia Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

What You’ll Need:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup steel-cut oats
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

How to Make It:

1. In a mixer, beat the butter on medium-low speed until it is soft and fluffy. Add the sugar and brown sugar, and beat on medium until the mixture is fluffy again.

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add the dry ingredients gradually to the mixer and beat until combined.

4. Slow the mixer to low speed, and add the white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, and dried cranberries and beat until just combined.

5. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

6. Preheat your oven to 350F. Roll the dough into balls and drop onto a baking sheet lined with parchment or a baking mat. Let the cookies bake 12-13 minutes, or until the edges are golden and just starting to brown.

7. Let cookies cool to your preference and serve!

What kind of cookies will you be serving up this holiday season?