Cranberry Pecan Cookies

This is the last recipe I have marked in Sept/Oct '09 Simple & Delicious. The picture with these cookies looks fabulous. It uses prepared cookie dough so I can't rationalize it like I usually can--no preservatives, etc. But I will tell you that these are tasty little cookies. Steve doesn't like pecans, and today we are making a meal for someone at church that just had a baby so I thought this would be a good time to make them. It's a good thing I did, because none of the kids liked the looks of these either. Steve might eat them and deal with it but he wouldn't really like it. Which would leave me the entire batch. Which I would eat. They are that good. Here's the recipe:

Cranberry Pecan Cookies
1 tube (16.5 oz) refrigerated cookie dough, softened
1 cup chopped pecans (this looked like too many once I dumped them in, so I took a bunch out...maybe 2/3 cup would be better, like the other ingredients)
2/3 cup vanilla or white chips
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1 tsp vanilla

In a large bowl, combine the cookie dough, pecans, vanilla chips, cranberries, and vanilla. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Store in airtight container (you would think that would be obvious. Maybe not). Yield: 3 1/2 dozen (yeah right...if you are making them for elves or hamsters. I got 2 1/2 dozen and these cookies are way smaller than a usual sized cookie).

When I was mixing this dough, it seemed like 95% ingredients and 5% cookie dough. I thought it was going to be a flop, that after baking the cookie sheets would be filled with hot bits of cranberry and pecans, melted together by vanilla chips. But no, this prepackaged dough must have quite the leaven in it, because the cookie part seemed to come out of nowhere and bake the stuff all together. I liked pecans before, but this cookie has made me love them. The pecans are so yummy and browned, almost toasted in the cookies. I will tell you what, these are so so so good. Too bad nobody but me will like them in my house. I'll have to make them for women's Bible study, or something like it when I won't be eating a whole batch by myself. Try these. You really should. I am eating my third one while I type this (so bad!! But they are little, I told you).