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CRANBERRY WALNUT OATMEAL COOKIES

Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Cooking
by Beverly Lynn Bennett & Ray Sammartano
Maple syrup, ground ginger, and cinnamon add the perfect blend of sweetness and spice to these chewy cookies made with fiber-rich oatmeal, tart dried cranberries, and chopped walnuts.
Prep time: 20 to 25 minutes
Cook time: 15 to 20 minutes
Serving size: 2 cookies
Yield: 1 to 1½ dozen cookies
 

Ingredients
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1½ cups whole-wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
• 1/3 cup safflower oil or olive oil
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. pure almond extract (optional)
• 2/3 cup raw walnuts, coarsely chopped
 

Directions
1. In a small bowl, cover dried cranberries with warm water. Set aside for 15 minutes to rehydrate and soften.

2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line with parchment paper (or lightly oil) 2 large cookie sheets.

3. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Add maple syrup, safflower oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) and stir well to combine. Stir in dried cranberries mixture and walnuts and stir just until combined.

4. Portion cookie dough using a 2-inch scoop or by heaping 2 tablespoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Flatten each cookie slightly with wet fingers.

5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom and around the edges. Remove from the oven. Let cool slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

Variation: Feel free to replace the dried cranberries with dried cherries, raisins, or currants, and replace the walnuts with an equal amount of chopped pecans or sunflower seeds.

Soy What? - Dried cranberries work well as a replacement for raisins in recipes and are a good, healthful, sweet snack. They make a colorful and flavorful addition to trail mixes, cookies, quick breads, cakes, and other baked goods. They're also good sprinkled over fruit salads or hot cereals or added to cooked grain dishes.