Fruit and Lemon Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Try this for a twist on the classic chocolate chip! Fruit and Lemon Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies are studded with dried cranberries and blueberries, chopped dark chocolate and lemon flavoured baking chips. Perfect with a mug of tea!

OK, so where did November go? Just yesterday it felt like I was wishing I could get to all my holiday baking, now just this week I delivered my first care package of goodies! In amongst all the spicy, rich and indulgent bakes of the season, I started thinking about a somewhat fresher flavour palate. For some reason, I rarely do "fruity" cookies at the holidays, but when I remembered my stash of dried blueberries and lemon chips in my pantry I was inspired. 

A relatively simple cookie dough followed suit, based on my mom's classic chocolate chip recipe. Instead of the bag of chocolate chips, I combined handfuls of dark chocolate, lemon chips, blueberries and dried cranberries which gave the dough a gorgeous colour and a bright, just-tart-enough flavour to combat the sweetness of the dough. After an overnight rest for some of the dough (I froze the rest) the cookies baked up into a beautiful light-golden brown with a crisp exterior and chewy middle studded with all the goodies. While this is definitely going on my "all year" roster, it is also going to be a hit in my next cookie boxes - especially next to classics like Chestnut Gingerbread, Scottish Fans, biscotti and Norwegian Butter Cookies.

Fruit and Lemon Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes ~24

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tsp butter flavouring

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate

1/3 cup lemon flavoured baking chips (I love these)
1/3 cup dried blueberries
1/3 cup dried cranberries

1. In a bowl, cream together the shortening and sugars until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs, vanilla and butter flavouring and beat well.
3. Add the flour, baking soda and salt, mixing until just combined.
4. Fold in the dark chocolate, lemon chips, blueberries and cranberries.
5. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour, preferably overnight (dough can also be frozen at this point).
6. Heat the oven to 375F and line baking sheets with SilPat or parchment.
7. Scoop 2-tbsp of dough onto the sheets about 1" apart.
8. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until golden. Cool completely on the sheets.