Final Countdown to Christmas #5: Pomegranate White Chocoalte Chip Cookies

 An early Merry Christmas to all of you! I can't believe it's already Christmas Eve. This is the second cookie recipe this year that I made off of Maria's blog, Two Peas and Their Pod. This recipe caught my eye because of the pomegranate arils. My husband loves pomegranates, however I never would have thought to add them to cookies on my own.  The contrast of the red arils with the white chocolate chips certainly make them look festive!

The baking process for these cookies is a little bit more complicated. Like Maria, I waited until after rolling the dough into balls to add the pomegranate arils. If you've never had a pomegranate before, the arils are filled with juice and break really easily, so I found it easier to add them individually rather than mixing them into the dough really really carefully. My only complaint with these is that after a day or so the pomegranate arils begin to shrivel, so they may be best eaten rather quickly after baking. 

Happy holidays to all! I'll be back again tomorrow with my last Christmas recipe!

(Printable Recipe)

Pomegranate White Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients:
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. old-fashioned oats
1 c. white chocolate chips
1 c. pomegranate arils

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. 

Stir in the oats and white chocolate chips. Make dough balls with about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie. Tuck about 6-8 pomegranate arils into each ball of dough. Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes or until they just begin to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. 

Yield: About 2-1/2 dozen cookies