Don't let your leftover brandy butter go to waste in the fridge! Whip up these delicious cookies with cranberries and chocolate.

Every year after Christmas I discover a tub of brandy butter lurking in the back of my fridge. And every year I end up throwing it out, as it has gone rancid.

This year I left the bowl out to remind myself to think of something to do with it. Then on Twitter last night several people mentioned that they too end up throwing their brandy butter away.

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I started thinking about recipes and Googled a few including brandy snaps but being a lazy cook they didn't appeal. Then I saw a recipe for brandy butter cookies. When I woke the next morning someone had actually tweeted me the same idea. But I was ahead and had already bookmarked a recipe.

I have probably mentioned that I never follow a recipe verbatim. I always feel I have to make it mine and change something. So here is my take on the recipe I found.

Brandy butter is usually a 50:50 mix of butter and icing sugar so weigh how much you have left over.

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Brandy Butter Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter in total (so if you have 1/3 a cup of brandy butter use 2/3 a cup of plain butter and add to your brandy butter)
  • 3/4 cup golden granulated sugar (or 1/2 cup minus your 1/3 cup of leftover brandy butter consisting of 1/4 cup icing sugar)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 3 tbsp dried cranberries
  • 4 tbsp dark chocolate pieces or drops

Method:

Beat your butter and sugar and brandy butter together. Add in eggs one by one and continue to beat. Sieve in flour and stir into mixture. Add cranberries and your chocolate.

Cut a large square of greaseproof paper and spoon the cookie mixture out onto it.

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Roll up dough in the greaseproof like a Christmas cracker and twist the edges as in the picture. Refrigerate until it has hardened.

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Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking tray and grease. Slice the dough to required thickness and place on the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until golden. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

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I used ordinary dark chocolate which burnt slightly so it would be better to use chocolate drops. There was very little taste of brandy so if you prefer a kick then add some and increase the quantity of flour if necessary.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies.

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The cookie dough can be frozen and it will keep in the fridge for a few days.

* Originally published in 2013.

Do you have a favorite Christmas leftovers recipe? Share in the comments!

Related: Recipes, Christmas