Cranberry Orange Pecan Cookies

Every fall I stock up on fresh cranberries. It's the only time of year you can get them, and I love to bake with them. Last fall I got 6 or 7 bags and tossed them in the freezer.

Guess what? They are all still there.

I never got around to doing anything with them over the winter (for shame), so I figured there's no time like the present!

These cookies are soft, which I love. They are sweet enough to balance the tart cranberries, and have a little hint of citrus from the orange zest. Pecans add the perfect crunch. Still have some cranberries kicking around in your freezer? Make these today!

Cranberry Orange Pecan Cookies

Source: Adapted from Short and Sweets
Yield: 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 3/4 cup evaporated cane juice
• 1/2 cup sucanat
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• zest from one medium orange
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 cups cranberries, chopped or whole

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Grease or line cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add the orange juice and zest. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla extract.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Slowly mix flour into the batter. Add the pecans and cranberries, mix until just combined.
4. Using a spoon and your fingers or a cookie scoop, form rough balls of dough (approximately 2 tablespoons) and place them on your prepared cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 12-17 minutes, until the edges are slightly brown. Let cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely

Root Beer Float Brownies

It’s no secret around here that I love ice cream.  Since cracking open my ice cream maker several years ago, I’ve purchased ice cream from the store only a handful of times.  Lately, I’ve been finding that the store bought stuff just doesn’t live up to what I make at home.  It just tastes… off.  But, I digress…

Since ice cream is and always has been my favorite dessert, I’m no stranger to the various applications of ice cream in the dessert world.  Root beer floats are an excellent use of ice cream, and a great way to jazz up the plain vanilla variety.  Although, I have to admit – growing up, my favorite combination was actually ginger ale and vanilla ice cream.  They are great together!

I saw these brownies and knew I had to make them for the nostalgia factor.  I didn’t see how I could just leave it as a brownie and frosting, though – what’s a root beer float without ice cream??  The result is a delicious frozen treat, perfect for the summer.  In full disclosure, I actually found these to taste very little like root beer.  A disappointment, for sure, and in the future I will have to seek out the root beer extract to give the frosting a kick.  

Root Beer Float Brownies

Source: Slightly adapted from Coffee and Cannolis
Yield: 30 ice cream brownies

 

 

Ingredients

For the brownies:

• 2/3 cup flour
• 2 cups cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 oz. chopped semi sweet chocolate
• 3 oz. chopped white chocolate
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 8 oz. root beer

For the filling and frosting:

• 1 quart vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup root beer,simmered until reduced to 1/4 cup
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp root beer extract (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper liners.   
2. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl and set aside. 
3. Over a double boiler (or in microwave) melt the butter, semi-sweet and white chocolates together.  Remove from heat when just melted and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Using your mixer mix the eggs, sugars and vanilla together.  Slowly add in the cooled chocolate mixture.  Add half the flour and half the root beer. Mix on low, scraping the sides. Repeat with the remaining flour and root beer until just combined. Batter will be very thin.
5. Pour batter into your muffin tins, filling each about halfway.  Bake about 15 minutes, until the center is just set.  Let cool completely.
6. Let ice cream sit out to soften while brownies cool.  Once cooled, fill liners with ice cream.  Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. 
7. Meanwhile, prepare frosting.  Beat butter on medium speed until smooth. Slowly add in your powdered sugar and mix in.  Add concentrated root beer and extract, if desired. Beat on medium until smooth and all ingredients are incorporated.
8. Frost cupcakes, then store in the freezer until serving.