I have never before experimented with baking.  All the chemistry just about has me at wits end. Actually, I take that back: I once tried a loaf of wheat bread without a recipe… it was ugly.  So I took this recipe for dairy-free chocolate chip cookies and modified it heavily to come up with Orange Cranberry Cookies.  I would like for the orange flavor to be more pronounced and the texture to be a little stiffer, but over all these were an incredible success 🙂

Orange Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients

• 1/2 C orange juice
• 4-6 oz craisins
• 1/2 C Earth Balance Spread (or similiar non-dairy margarine)
• 1/2 C Earth Balance Shortening (I think any non-dairy shortening would work fine)
• 1/2 C Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Sugar
• 1/2 C Orange juice
• 2 1/4 C flour
• 1 1/2 C old fashioned oats
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• (1/2-1 Cup walnuts, almonds or pecans might be lovely too)
• (1/2-1 tsp orange zest would probably make them delightfully orangey)

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350
2. Soak craisins in OJ until plump.  (If you’re in a pinch, you can microwave the craisins/oj in short bursts until the craisins the liquid is absorbed, but you should refrigerate the dough for a little while before baking)
3. Beat margarine/shortening and sugars until fluffy.
4. In a separate mix bowl, milk flour, oats, salt, and baking soda (and orange zest).
5. Alternate adding the flour mixture and remaining 1/2 cup of OJ to the cookies.
6. Stir in craisins (and nuts)
7. Bake for 9-12 minutes until the middle is slightly set and comes clean when a toothpick is inserted into them.
8. Let cool on the baking sheets.