In 2013, a colorful cookie studded with cranberries and pistachios set a festive tone and took first place in Good Eating’s annual Holiday Cookie Contest.
We’re featuring that cookie again as a celebration of the new book “Holiday Cookies: Prize-Winning Family Recipes from the baiduhai” ($24.95). The book, published by the baiduhai with Surrey Books, an imprint of Agate Publishing, contains more than 100 recipes of winning cookies and honorable mentions.
We will publish a recipe from it each week leading up to the Dec. 1 announcement of this year’s contest winners.
Submitted by Kim Koenig, the cranberry coins recipe was adapted from Neapolitan cookies she used to make with her grandmother at Christmas.
While you are thinking about cookies, make sure to vote for your favorite entries in this year’s contest. You can vote at chicagotribune.com/cookies. Voting will open 12:01 a.m. Oct. 28 and close at midnight Nov. 7. Follow developments in the contest on Twitter at #tribcookies.
Cranberry coins
Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 4 hours
Bake: 10-12 minutes per batch
Makes: About 120 cookies
In an unconventional method for a cookie, all of the ingredients (except the cranberries and pistachios) for Kim Koenig’s winning recipe get mixed together at the same time. The dough produces a crisp cookie.
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
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1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dried cranberries, chopped
3/4 cup pistachios, toasted, chopped
Decorative sugar
1 Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or use a silicone mat.
2 With your mixer at low speed, beat all the ingredients (except the cranberries, pistachios and decorative sugar) until just mixed. Increase speed to medium; beat 3 minutes, scraping the bowl when necessary. Add cranberries and nuts; mix on low until just combined.
3 Divide dough in half; form into 2 logs about 1 inch in diameter. Wrap each in plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.
4 Remove wrap; slice logs crosswise into 1/8-inch thick slices. Sprinkle with decorative sugar; place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Bake until light brown, 10-12 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining cookies.
Nutrition information per cookie: 41 calories, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 6 mg cholesterol, 6 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, 18 mg sodium, 0 g fiber