The best holidays always feel like coming home to family. That’s our theme at Sonata Senior Living. And nothing feels more like home than the heavenly smell of freshly baked Christmas cookies.

A festive preview to the dining creations future residents look forward to at our newest community Sonata Lake Mary, enjoy these White Chocolate Cranberry Christmas Cookies courtesy of Chef Brandon Rowley.

The Lake Mary White Chocolate Cranberry Christmas Cookie

Ingredients:

¾ cup Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)

½ cup Brown Sugar

½ cup White Sugar

1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract (I like to use Madagascar Bourbon)

1 Egg

1 Large Egg Yolk

2 cups All-Purpose Flour (plus 2 Tablespoons)

2 teaspoons Cornstarch

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

add pinch Salt

1 cup Dried Cranberries

1 cup White Chocolate Chips or Chunks

Instructions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar & white sugar with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and egg to combine. Lastly, beat in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and pinch of salt until a soft dough has formed. Stir in the cranberries and white chips by hand.

Refrigerate the cookie dough for AT LEAST 1 HOUR. You can chill it overnight if you’d like, but one hour chill time is mandatory to prevent cookies from spreading and to create that light, soft and chewy texture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with silicone liners or mist lightly with cooking spray. Remove chilled dough from fridge and roll into Tablespoon-sized balls. Place onto the cookie sheets about 1-2″ apart from one another.

Bake for approx. 8-10 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure an even cook. Cookies may appear slightly undone, but do not over-bake them! They will continue to set up more as they cool.

This is one recipe you will treasure for its simplicity.