My Winter Cookie Secret
I want to share my favorite winter cookie with you. It is the Ginger Glazed Cranberry Cookie. These are not too sweet. They have a little tang and a little spice. I make them every year when the air gets cold.
My grandson calls them “confetti cookies.” He loves the red cranberry bits. I still laugh at that. The ginger glaze makes them extra special. It is like a cozy sweater for a cookie. Doesn’t that sound nice?
A Little Story From My Kitchen
I first made these for a snowy day. My friend Margie was coming over. I wanted something cheerful. I had dried cranberries and some crystallized ginger. I decided to put them together.
The whole house smelled like warm gingerbread. It was amazing. Margie ate three cookies right away. Now she asks for them every winter. This matters because food made for friends tastes the best. It is made with a happy heart.
Why These Flavors Work
Let’s talk about the taste. The cookie is buttery and soft. The cranberries are chewy and a bit tart. They make your mouth happy. Then comes the ginger glaze.
The glaze is sweet and spicy. The crunchy ginger on top is the best part. *Fun fact: crystallized ginger is just ginger root cooked in sugar syrup.* It is a sweet heat. This matters because balancing flavors is a good life lesson. Not everything should be just one note.
Let’s Get Baking Together
The dough is very simple. You mix everything in one bowl. Use your hands to roll the dough into balls. It feels wonderful and soft. Your fingers will smell like vanilla.
Do not worry if the dough looks crumbly at first. Just keep mixing. The cream cheese is the magic. It brings it all together. What is your favorite smell in the kitchen? Mine is vanilla and butter.
The Fun Part: Dipping & Decorating
Wait for the cookies to cool completely. This is important. If they are warm, the glaze will melt right off. Make the glaze nice and thin. You want it to drip a little.
Then, dip each cookie top in the bowl. Next, dip it into the minced ginger. Let them dry on a rack. The glaze will get a pretty, shiny crust. Do you like to decorate cookies? I find it very peaceful.
Your Turn to Share
I hope you try these cookies. They are perfect with a cup of tea. Or a glass of cold milk. Share them with someone you like.
Tell me, what is your favorite cookie to bake in cold weather? Do you have a special ingredient you always add? I love hearing your stories. Maybe I will find a new recipe to try.
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unbleached all-purpose flour | 2 ½ cups (12 ½ oz / 354g) | For the cookie dough |
| Superfine sugar | ¾ cup (5 ½ oz / 156g) | For the cookie dough |
| Table salt | ¼ teaspoon | For the cookie dough |
| Unsalted butter | 16 tbsp (2 sticks) | Cut into pieces, cool room temperature |
| Vanilla extract | 2 teaspoons | For the cookie dough |
| Cream cheese | 2 tablespoons | For the dough; at room temperature |
| Dried cranberries | ¾ cup | Finely chopped, for the dough |
| Cream cheese | 1 tablespoon | For the glaze; at room temperature |
| Milk | 3 tablespoons | For the glaze |
| Ground ginger | 1 teaspoon | For the glaze |
| Confectioners’ sugar | 1 ½ cups (6 oz / 170g) | For the glaze |
| Crystallized ginger | 6 tablespoons | Minced, for coating |
My Cozy Cranberry-Ginger Hugs
Hello, my dear. Come sit. The oven is warming up. Today we are making my Ginger Glazed Cranberry Cookies. I call them my “hugs.” They are buttery and sweet with a little spicy kick. Doesn’t that sound lovely? The red cranberries look like tiny jewels in the dough. I first made these for my book club years ago. They were gone in minutes. I still laugh at that.
Let’s begin. You will need a mixer or a strong arm. We start with the simple dough. It comes together like magic. Here is how we do it, step-by-step.
Step 1: First, mix your flour, sugar, and salt. Just a quick stir. Then add the cool butter, one little piece at a time. The mix will look like wet sand. That’s perfect. Now add the vanilla, cream cheese, and those pretty cranberries. Mix until it forms clumps. (A hard-learned tip: Your butter must be cool, not melty. This keeps the cookies nice and tall.)
Step 2: Now, use your hands. Roll the dough into little balls. They should be about the size of a walnut. Place them on a baking sheet. Give them room to breathe. You can chill the dough if you need a break. I often do. Then I have cookie dough ready for surprise visitors!
Step 3: Into the hot oven they go. Bake until the edges are just golden. Your kitchen will smell amazing. Rotate the pan halfway. This gives every cookie a fair chance to brown. Let them cool completely on a rack. This is important for the glaze. What’s your favorite baking smell? Share below!
Step 4: Time for the glaze! Whisk the cream cheese, milk, and ground ginger. No lumps, please. Whisk in the powdered sugar. It should be thin enough to drizzle. Now, dip each cool cookie top into the glaze. Then, dip them into the minced crystallized ginger. The sparkly ginger bits are the best part. It’s like giving each cookie a fancy hat.
Cook Time: About 12 minutes per batch
Total Time: About 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: About 3 dozen cookies
Category: Dessert, Cookies
Three Fun Twists to Try
These cookies are wonderful as written. But sometimes, it’s fun to play. Here are three little twists I’ve tried over the years.
Orange Zest Joy: Add the zest of one orange to the dough. The orange and cranberry are old friends. It’s a sunny flavor.
White Chocolate Drizzle: Skip the ginger glaze. Instead, melt white chocolate. Drizzle it over the cooled cookies. So pretty and sweet.
Pecan Crunch: Add a half cup of chopped pecans to the dough. They give a wonderful crunch. It feels very festive.
Which one would you try first? Comment below!
Serving Them Up With Style
These cookies deserve a nice presentation. I love to stack them on my grandmother’s china plate. You could also place them in a little gift box. Tie it with a ribbon. What a sweet gift for a teacher or friend.
For a real treat, serve them with a hot drink. A cup of chai tea pairs beautifully. The spices dance together. For a non-alcoholic option, try warm apple cider. The tart apple loves the ginger. For a grown-up pairing, a small glass of sweet dessert wine is just right.
Which would you choose tonight?
Keeping Your Cookies Cozy
These cookies stay fresh in a tin for a week. Just layer them with parchment paper. You can also freeze the dough balls for later.
Pop the dough balls on a tray and freeze them solid first. Then toss them in a bag. This is called a “flash freeze.”
I once forgot a batch in the freezer for a month. They baked up perfectly for a surprise guest! Batch cooking like this saves the day.
It means you always have a little joy ready to bake. Have you ever tried storing cookie dough this way? Share below!
Cookie Troubles? Easy Fixes Right Here
First, if your dough is too crumbly, do not worry. Your butter might have been too cold. Just knead it with your hands for a minute.
The warmth from your hands will help it come together. I remember when my first batch spread too much. My butter was too warm!
Second, if your glaze is too thick, add milk a drop at a time. If it is too thin, add a bit more sugar. Getting the glaze right matters.
It makes the cookies look special and taste wonderful. Which of these problems have you run into before?
Finally, chop the dried cranberries very fine. Big pieces can make the dough crack. This small step makes rolling the balls much easier.
Your Quick Cookie Questions, Answered
Q: Can I make these gluten-free? A: Yes! Use a good gluten-free flour blend. The results will be just fine.
Q: Can I make the dough ahead? A: Absolutely. It keeps in the fridge for three days. See the first section for freezer tips!
Q: What can I use instead of cranberries? A: Try finely chopped dried apricots or cherries. They are both lovely with ginger.
Q: Can I double the recipe? A: You can, but mix it in two separate batches. This ensures everything mixes evenly.
Q: Is the crystallized ginger necessary? A: It adds a wonderful chewy, spicy bite. But the glazed cookies are still delicious without it. Which tip will you try first?
*Fun fact: Ginger is a root, not an herb! It has been used for thousands of years.*
From My Kitchen to Yours
I hope you love making these spiced, chewy cookies. They always remind me of my granddaughter’s first bake. The kitchen was a happy, floury mess.
I would love to hear about your baking adventures. Your stories are my favorite thing to read. Have you tried this recipe? Tell me about your experience in the comments.
Happy cooking!
—Grace Ellington.
Ginger Glazed Cranberry Cookies
Description
Cranberry Cookies with Ginger Glaze
Ingredients
Butter Cookie Dough:
Glaze:
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with flat beater, mix flour, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With mixer running on low, add butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add vanilla, cream cheese, and cranberries and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.
- Remove bowl from mixer. Use hands to roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 weeks; defrost in refrigerator before using.)
- Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time. Cool cookies on wire rack to room temperature.
- Whisk cream cheese, 2 tablespoons milk, and ground ginger in medium bowl until combined and no lumps remain. Whisk in confectioners’ sugar until smooth, adding remaining milk as needed until glaze is thin enough to spread easily. Once the cookies are cooled, dip into glaze, then dip in crystallized ginger.
Notes
- Nutrition calculated per cookie (approx. 36 cookies per batch). For a softer cookie, bake for 10-11 minutes. Ensure cookies are completely cool before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting.