Cranberry Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

Every year at Christmas, I bake chocolate chip cookies with dried cranberries and orange zest. Sometimes I add pecans, sometimes walnuts. To decrease worry over who has to avoid salt and sugar, I've adjusted my cranberry orange chocolate chip cookies to be a wee bit more health conscious. These make great holiday gifts, stacked nicely on a pretty holiday plate, wrapped up in cellophane and tied up with a big bow. Double or triple the recipe for larger batches of cookies. You can also freeze all or part to bake later.

Brenda's Cranberry Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

2-1/4 c all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c butter, softened
3/4 c Splenda for baking
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/2 t vanilla
2 large eggs
1 12-oz package semisweet chocolate chips
1 c dried cranberries
2 t fresh orange zest
1 c chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Cream the sugars with the butter, orange zest and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually mix in the flour mixture until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips, dried cranberries and nuts. Drop by spoonful onto ungreased baking sheets (I use cookie sheets with a silicon liner). Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for a couple of minutes, then remove with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen (60) cookies.