Since discovering this recipe for Cranberry Orange Dark Chocolate Chip cookies last Christmas on Slashfood these delicious treats have become my culinary wingman of sorts. I’ve made them probably a dozen times and received rave reviews with each bite. They’re unique enough to give as a gift and easy enough to make on a whim. The flavors of dark chocolate, cranberries, and orange are quintessentially Christmas. I highly recommend whipping up a batch of these as soon as the opportunity presents itself and please report back with your stellar results. It’s been very lonely lately being the only Christmas Cookie addict on the block.

Light & Fluffy	Zest, Zest, Zest!
Mix, Mix, Mix!	Scoop
Bake & Take Random Pictures of Decorations	Prepare to Thank the Cookie Academy

Cranberry, Orange & Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies (Originally Published on Slashfood)
Makes about 4 dozen.

2 cups all purpose flour*
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
zest of one orange (about 2-3 tsp)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar, beating with an electric mixer until light. Beat in egg and orange zest. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the flour mixture, stirring only until just combined. Stir in the cranberries and chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (about 1 1/4-inch balls) onto prepared cookie sheets and bake for 9-12 minutes, until edges are very lightly browned.

Cool for 3-4 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Note: For chewy cookies (which is what I like) reduce the flour by 1/2 cup.

I’d only baked a chicken once before, last year on Easter, but it came out fine so I figured when I decided to roast another chicken (using the same recipe I might add) that I’d be an old pro by now. Unfortunately, overconfidence in the kitchen is not a good thing. It all started out well. The best kitchen “disasters” usually do. I seasoned and stuffed the bird without incident. Then I popped it in the oven for an hour. I even tented it so that it wouldn’t brown too quickly, and basted it religiously with the Citrus and herb glaze.

It took me 3 hours to realize that I was cooking the chicken upside down. Yes, I basted the underside of the chicken. The breast was sitting “face down” in the pan the entire time. I finally clued into this fact when I noticed that the little white “I’m done” button seemed to have disappeared. And by disappeared, I mean was actually on the bottom of the roasting rack.

Of course it was all down hill from there. While divulging my kitchen shame to CK I ended up burning the aromatics for the stuffing and had to throw them out and start all over again. By the time we sat down to eat I was just grateful to have a plate of food. Thankfully the meat was still tender and tasty, but I felt like a complete fool. So please enjoy my “Upside Down” chicken in all its glory! Maybe I’ll start a new trend…

Right Side Up (Note Button)	Garlic, Oranges, and Lemon Wedges
The Balancing Chicken Act	Where it all Went Wrong
Add Stock to the Pan	Prep the Glaze
Combine	Baste, Baste, Baste
Tent with Foil	Melt Butter for Stuffing
Saute the Onions & Celery	Crumble in the Muffins
The Unveiling	What Happens in the Kitchen…

Obviously not everything that comes out of my kitchen is homemade. Sometimes it’s not even semi-homemade. Case in point are the following items which I have been very liberally utilizing over the last month.

I find baking bread to be tedious. There I said it. I love bread. I love it slathered in real butter in all it’s fresh from the oven gloriousness, but I really just can’t be bothered to make it. Therefore 9 times out of 10 if I’m serving bread with a meal it’s “the cheating” kind. Lately I’ve been using these new Pillsbury individually frozen dinner rolls, loaves, and biscuits and they are seriously killer. The garlic dinner rolls are especially tasty with soups. Of course you can definitely tell that these items weren’t just baked from your grandmother’s oven, but they’re a quick and satisfying alternative for nights after work when the thought of stopping at the grocery store or bakery makes you want to drive the heel of your shoe straight through your head (or maybe that’s just how I feel at this time of the year).

Two weeks ago while shopping for holiday decorations at Target I came across Cranberry Bagels on an end aisle display. You could smell the fruit through the wrapper. These bagels were seriously calling my name so of course I had to buy them. Well after having eaten one for breakfast (with sensible whipped cream cheese — because these are definitely not diet food) almost everyday this week, I went back to Target and bought two more packages so that I could freeze them and hopefully continue to eat them throughout the holidays. I advise you to do the same. Everyone needs all the help they can get on Monday morning and these just might do the trick. They also have Cranberry Toasting Bread and English Muffins if that’s your sort of thing.

I also wanted to share with you an ideal quick lunch item for the office that I tried recently. Admittedly, I picked up Amy’s Veggie Loaf frozen dinner with a considerable amount of trepidation but even I get sick of her Pesto Pasta Bowl on occasion. It may look unappealing when you pop the tray into the microwave but it smells wonderful as it thaws and I was hooked after the first bite. Sometimes it really pays off to try new things. Now I’m searching for a recipe that I can make at home that will yield similar flavors and textures. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.