Holiday Cranberry, Orange & Coconut Cookies

This is one addictive holiday cookie! This basic cookie dough is flavored with orange, cranberries (or raisins) and coconut flake, all budget items this time of year. Dried cranberries are cheap at our local Trader Joe's; 99c only Stores carry coconut flake and cheaper raisins; and oranges are inexpensive anywhere.

Bake them for five minutes and they will be chewy, or bake for 10 minutes for a crispy version. The cookies can be made small, so you can have enough to hand-out as holiday treats to all your neighbors -- you will be fielding calls of thanks later. 99 thanks to Amy for this recipe idea. She made them, I loved them, and so did our neighbors!

Ingredients (about 3-4 dozen)
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries - OK to substitute raisins
1 cup of sweetened coconut flake
1 cup of soften butter or margarine
1 tbsp. grated orange zest - the grated peel of one large orange.
Juice of one large orange
2 tsps vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions
In a large bowl add softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix well with a mixer or potato masher and spoon. Add the rest of the dry ingredients to bowl, including flour, baking powder and salt. This will form a typical soft cookie dough when mixed for 5 - 10 minutes by hand or with a mixer. Add juice squeezed from the orange for additional flavor, and to moisten the dough so it 'makes.' Finally, fold in cranberries (or raisins) and coconut flake.

(For a plumper cranberry or raisin, soak the dried fruit in hot water for 1/2 hour prior to starting recipe).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease cookie sheet. Form cookie dough into 1 inch balls and arrange on the cookie sheet - leave an inch or two separation between each cookie. Bake for 6 minutes for a soft cookie or about 10 minutes for a crunchy one. (These cookies don't turn brown except along the outside edges). Allow to cool for a few minutes; you can also serve them warm.