So I wanted to try baking a batch of vegan cookies.  For my 2012 New Year’s resolution I had given up store-bought cookies.  I have been great at it-no eating of store-bought cookies.  That means I can only eat homemade cookies.  Also good, since it means fewer calories consumed on my part and less stand-in-line grocery store buys.

I don’t eat chocolate, so I really only ever made oatmeal raisin cookies for the last year if I had a hankering.  But, I wanted to try something different.  I use to get the Cranberry Bliss Bars at Starbucks, but with how freakish their calorie counts are I haven’t gotten any in a while.

I love cranberries so I thought I would give a try to a cranberry cookie.  I went searching for a basic vegan cookie recipe that I could add onto.  I also looked at the back of a chocolate chip bag at the grocery store so I could compare the basic flour/sugar components of the recipe.  I also wanted to try a drizzle over the top like the bliss bars have, and thought I would just do the basic cream cheese and powdered sugar kind.

 The cookies turned out great.  I had decided to cut all the cranberries in half to ensure all cookies got a good amount of them in each one.  They were so good, the cranberries tart yet sweet, that I almost didn’t add the drizzle!  I have to say that fresh cranberries are the key to how good these cookies are-dried ones just would not have done these justice.

Vegan Cranberry Cookies: 30 cookies

2 C Whole Wheat Flour

2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Tsp Ginger

1/2 C Vegan Butter

1/2 C Packed Brown Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla

1/2 C Water

1/4 C Chopped Walnuts

1 12oz bag Cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine all dry ingredients. Make well in the middle.

3. In a small bowl mix butter, sugar and vanilla. Get as many lumps out as possible. Add 1/4 cup water and mix.

4. Pour wet ingredients in to dry and mix well. Add last 1/2 cup water if dough is not sticking.

5. Chop fresh cranberries. I just cut mine in half. Add cranberries and walnuts and mix well. You will have mash and press dough around the cranberries.

6. Using a spoon, spoon cookies onto sprayed baking sheet.

7. Bake for 13 minutes, each batch.

8. Let cool.

Cream Cheese Drizzle:

I could have halved the drizzle recipe and had enough for all 30 cookies.  I tossed about a quarter of the recipes since i didn’t use it.  Also, my drizzle didn’t harden (mine never does, whether vegan or nor), but it sure did taste yummy!!

Allergy Free Wednesdays