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Cranberry Lemon Cookies: Super-Soft, Easy Drop Cookie Recipe

If you like soft cookies, you’ll a-d-o-r-e these Cranberry Lemon Cookies. It’s the pudding mix in the cookie dough that gives them a velvety texture on the inside. Between the cranberries and lemon, they've got just enough "bite" to give these really, really flavorful.

Love!

Just be sure you allow the cookies to sit on the baking trays several minutes after you remove them from the oven. This way they won’t crumple when you remove them to the cooling rack.

And here’s another tip for this easy drop cookie recipe if you want colorful cookies: sprinkle a few extra chopped dried cranberries on the cookie tops before baking them so that the red color stands out. 

 Prep time: 10 minutes (plus glazing)

Bake time: 10-12 minutes

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

¾ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 (3.4 ounce) lemon instant pudding mix

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ¼ cups dried cranberries or Craisins®, chopped

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon lemon extract

2-3 teaspoons milk or water

Directions for Cranberry Lemon Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. Combine flour and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl continually. Add pudding mix, making sure the mixture is well blended before adding eggs. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
4. Gradually stir flour mixture into creamed mixture a bit at a time until well blended. Add dried cranberries.
5. Use a cookie scoop, small ice cream scoop, or kitchen teaspoon to drop rounded teaspoonfuls of cookie dough onto lined baking sheets, 2 inches apart.  Bake 10-12 minutes. Cookies may become very slightly golden around the edges or on the surfaces, but do not over bake. Remove baking sheets from the oven. The cookies are very soft and need time to firm up, so allow them to sit for 3-5 minutes on the baking sheet before using a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack. Cool completely.
6. While cookies are baking and cooling, make the lemon glaze. Use a spoon to combine together powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon extract and 1-2 teaspoons milk or water. Add additional milk or water 1 teaspoon at a time to get the right consistency. Drizzle glaze over cooled cookies.
7. Store cookies in an airtight container.

See more easy drop cookie recipes on our Pinterest board.

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