I’m a little late in saying this, but… Happy December! The moment Halloween passes, life turns into a total whirlwind. Before I know it, Thanksgiving has come and gone, and soon to be the same with Christmas. I try my absolute hardest to soak up every moment during this season.
This time of year makes me all fuzzy inside. Yes, I’m the girl who sings along to Christmas music in the car all December long, turns on the Christmas tree lights the second I get home to admire them from the corner of my eye, and watches every Christmas movie possible on TV (mhmm, even the Hallmark channel).
This year is Blake and I’s 2nd Christmas being married, which means we are continuing to create our own family traditions- most are a combination of our family traditions growing up, and some are completely new traditions. Growing up, my favorite Christmas traditions included picking out a real Christmas tree and decorating it with my family, making homemade gnocchi with my Italian mama on Christmas eve and gathering with the extended family that evening, snacking on mom’s fresh sour cream coffee cake while opening presents Christmas morning, playing “Santa” at Grandma and Grandpas Christmas afternoon to help pass out all gifts, and snuggling up on the couch Christmas night to watch a Christmas movie.
As I get older, I love discovering new holiday traditions that Blake and I can start with our own family some day. So, what are your favorite holiday traditions? Share in the comments below!
Now, about these Cranberry Orange Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies. These mouth-watering cookies have been a long time in the making. And, by a long time, I mean a long week of repeatedly test tasting over and over again. Luckily, third times a charm and they are, finally, perfect!
- 1 cup cranberries, raw
- 1 tbs stevia
- 4 oz dark chocolate, chopped (I like Lilly's or Ghirardelli)
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbs tapioca flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, plus more for sprinkling on top
- 4 tbs ghee
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup honey
- Juice from 1/2 a naval orange
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 400F, line a baking tray with tinfoil, and coat with nonstick spray. Rinse and dry cranberries. Spread onto baking tray and sprinkle with 1 tbs stevia. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool. Adjust oven temperature to 325F and line a new baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine ghee, honey, egg, orange juice, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Add all dry ingredients and mix well. Place dough in fridge and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Spoon 1 tbs of dough onto the parchment paper, making about 24 cookies.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
