Somewhat chewy, lightly sweetened, with a little twist of sour notes, these cookies are very satisfying and impossible to just eat one. They have a perfect balance between sour and sweet making each taste shine through. Macadamias give a nice bite to it, besides good fats and protein. And if all that wasn’t enough, they are vegan and 100% guilt free.
This time of the year with so many good foods around us, a nice treat that will make you feel good, it’s a must. These cookies are packed with cranberries, raisins and macadamias. For some people it might bring to mind fruit cake/panettone and usually you love it or you can stand it. But even those that are not big in dried fruits goodies, I highly recommend. And as I say to my children when you have a new dish in front of you, you have to taste it once to know that you don’t like it.
Here in North America you can find dried cranberries sweetened with sugar, apple juice or not sweetened at all, my favorite. If possible choose the unsweetened or apple juice variety if not the regular one it is totally fine and still has benefits. If you can’t find cranberries you can replace with chopped apricots, they are also a bit tart.
Cranberries are rich in antioxidants which may help prevent cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. They also have a natural substance that works as a bacterial anti-adhesive, preventing harmful bacteria from getting attached to your gut or your urinary tract. That’s why cranberries are known to treat urinary infection. So much goodness in these delicious sour berries.
Macadamia nuts are native from Australia, with a pleasant sweet, buttery and creamy taste it is also full of health benefits. Of its fat composition a whopping 80% is monounsaturated fat, this type of fat may lower your cholesterol and contribute to a healthy heart. When compared to other nuts, Macadamia is known to have higher levels of flavonoids, a type of antioxidant, that may help fight inflammation and also lower cholesterol (again!). If it wasn’t enough, it is also rich in a form of vitamin E that may protect against cancer, cognitive diseases and lower cholesterol (again, again!)
I know you are impressed with the macadamias just like me. You will be seeing more recipes with it. For now you can try these cookies and pair them with a delicious Spiced Pumpkin Smoothie for a real delightful treat.
Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 15 mins | Total: 35 mins
Ingredients
½ cup of applesauce
1 tsp of vanilla
½ tsp of cinnamon
2 tbsp of maple syrup
2 tsp of ground flaxseeds
¼ cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of rolled oats
½ cup of oat flour
½ cup of whole wheat flour
½ tsp of baking powder
½ cup of raisins
½ cup of dried cranberries
½ cup of macadamia nuts cut in quarters
Prep
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl mix together the apple sauce, vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup and vegetable oil until well combined. In another bowl whisk together the oats, oat flour, flaxseeds, whole wheat flour and baking powder. Then add the raisins, cranberries and macadamias and give another good stir.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well until a sticky and chunky dough is formed.
Using a medium cookie scoop, size 2 tablespoons (or heaping tablespoons), drop spoonfuls of cookie dough 2“ (5 cm) apart onto the prepared baking sheet. With wet fingers shape and press the cookies so they are ¼“ (½ cm) thick.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are light brown. Enjoy!
Happy Holidays
