Pomegranate White Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of my favorite things about the holidays is that it's now officially cookie season! Cookie swaps, cookie plates for neighbors, cookies for Santa...lots and lots of lovely cookies! And, in case you didn't get the memo, I love cookies. These pomegranate white chocolate chip cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday baking list. Trust me when I say that these cookies are a must. 

There's just something so lovely about pomegranates. I know that they can seem like a lot of work, but those bright juicy arils are totally worth it. And this cookie makes perfect use of them. Plus, don't they just look festive? They're basically pre-decorated Christmas cookies. Genius. 

These cookies come together really quickly; you don't even have to chill the dough!  Start by creaming together room temperature butter and sugar (usually about 3 minutes in a stand mixer ought to do it). Then mix in an egg and vanilla. After that, it's time for the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Once you've done a quick mix, you'll add the oats and chocolate chips. 

Now we're going to be somewhat fastidious about pomegranate placement. If you want to live life on the wild side, I guess you can just stir them in, but you're likely to pop 'em and end up with pink-stained dough. So if you want picture perfect cookies, you should scoop your dough, roll it into a ball and then gently tuck the pomegranate arils on top. The exact number doesn't matter so much, just keep in mind that these will spread in the oven; you want to make sure you have a good distribution. It'll take a few minutes, but it'll be oh so pretty once you're done. Fair warning: be on the lookout for rouge children who sneak up behind you and pick out/eat the pomegranate pieces when you're not looking. (Or maybe that's just my toddler. He's obsessed. I had to promise him all the leftover arils.) 

Then it's time to pop these beauties in the oven. Take them out once they're starting to turn golden brown and let them cool. Then enjoy! Share them with friends, use them to bribe your children, have a cookie party, or whatever you'd like. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. 

Pomegranate White Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Slightly adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod​                                       Yield: Just over 2 dozen

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup of brown sugar (lightly packed)
1/2 cup of white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp of vanilla
1-1/4 cups of flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of salt (I used kosher salt)
1 cup of oats (old fashioned)
1 cup of white chocolate chips
~1 cup of pomegranate arils (this doesn't need to be exact, this is just a rough estimate)

Instructions:
Cream together butter and sugars until smooth and creamy looking (about 3 minutes). Add in the egg and vanilla and mix for another minute or so until well-incorporated. 

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined. Then add the oats and white chocolate and stir until evenly distributed. 

Scoop out dough into scant 1-1/2 Tbsp portions. Roll into a ball and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking mat. Gently stick 6+ pomegranate arils into the tops of each dough ball. Space the cookies about 2 inches apart, because they will spread in the oven. 

Bake at 375℉ for 9-11 minutes, or until just turning golden brown on the edges and tops. Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. 

I hope that you love these cookies as much as I do. If you give them a try, I'd love to hear how they turn out for you! You can reach me in the comment section below or on social media. These cookies are definitely a winner, so I hope they make it to your oven sometime soon. Happy baking!