The Barbershop, Whole Foods, and a Prize-Winning Cookie!

Congratulations to one of this blog's faithful followers, fellow blogger Colleen Barber,  the proud winner of Whole Foods' "Your Best Recipe with Pecans" contest!  The Whole Foods tester wrote that Colleen's "...pecan-studded cookies have incredible flavor and are so easy to make. The balance of textures in this recipe is spot on, and I loved the bright pop of the cranberries..."

 As the contest finale drew near, Colleen kept us notified that her cookie, Pecan Cranberry Cinnamon Chip Cookies, was still in the running.  Then, it was down to the final two!  And yesterday, Friday the 13th was Colleen's lucky day as she announced that her cookie was the winner! 

This is especially exciting in blogging/baking world!  Colleen is an inventive baker, and her blog is very interesting.  She takes simple, every day ingredients, and combines them in new and non-traditional ways.  She makes a salty-sweet cookie with cake mix and Pretzel M&Ms.  She continually tries new things and in her writing you can hear her passion for baking.  Outside of baking and blogging, Colleen has very full life; in addition to her full-time career, she is a devoted runner (more than burning up any calories from taste-testing!) and is planning her wedding this coming fall.

I'd been reading Colleen's blog for a while (What's Baking in the Barbershop) and later we became facebook friends.  Only then did I realize that she is a fellow Skidmore College alum, and that she has family nearby though she lives in Boston.  It's a small world!  We have yet to meet in person, but the next time she is in Saratoga Springs, I'd love to get together and talk about our shared passion - baking! 

I am so happy for Colleen, and I am sure this is just the first of what will be a collection of prize winning recipes coming from her kitchen! 

PECAN CRANBERRY CINNAMON CHIP COOKIES

 6 ounces unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
3/4 cups dried cranberries
3/4 cups cinnamon flavored baking chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chopped pecans on a baking sheet; toast in the 350 degree oven for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and set aside to let cool.

2. Melt the butter in the microwave and allow it to cool slightly. Using a whisk, combine the butter and both sugars together in a large bowl. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla.

3. In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add this flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture and fold until just combined.

4. Fold in the pecans, dried cranberries, and cinnamon chips until well-incorporated, but be careful not to overmix.

5. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop cookie dough by the tablespoonful on baking sheets, placing at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 - 14 minutes.

6. When the edges are just lightly golden brown, remove from oven. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for a couple minutes before removing to cooling rack. Once fully cooled, the cookies can be stored in an airtight container.

Photo of Colleen's cookie, and link to Whole Foods' site:  http://raleigh.wholefoodsmarketcooking.com/recipes/12171_pecan_cranberry_cinnamon_chip_cookies/1