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Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Princess Cookies (Gluten-free, Sugar-free & Vegan)


Today is Little A's first official day of school!  I think I'm more nervous than she is.  Unfortunately, it hasn't exactly been a smooth morning so far: the girls have been fighting like crazy.  Fortunately, they've been fed and their lunches have been made.  This week they include a little treat: these cute cookies.

This past Friday night, Big A slept over at my in-laws, so I figured I would have a blessedly easy Saturday morning: One kid, no fights to break up, and perhaps a little extra time to myself since Little A tends to sleep later than her sister.  Ha!

Little A ended up waking up at 5:15am and told me she wanted to bake cookies. I agreed, but said she needed to get a bit more sleep.  Come 6:20am she was up for good.  Sigh!

So make cookies we did.  Since she started kindergarten this week, I thought it appropriate to make the girls a healthy treat they could have in their lunch boxes.  Both girls love chocolate, of course, but Little A also adores dried cranberries.  She can eat vast quantities, and we often need to put on the breaks before she eats so many her colon explodes.  So she was very excited about this flavour combo.  She also insisted on topping them with pink sprinkles and in a rare show of agreeability to such things, I acquiesced.  I don't know where this kid gets her whole pink princess infatuation.  I was never into that stuff and frankly it offends my feminist sensibilities.  Oh well, although her first choice for what she wants to be when she grows up is a queen, her back up plan is to be a dentist.  I'm cool with that.

Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Princess Cookies (Gluten-free, Sugar-free & Vegan)

3/4 cup coconut oil, softened
2 flax eggs (2 tbls ground flax + 6 tbls hot water)
1/2 cup stevia baking blend or coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups large flake oats (gluten-free, if necessary)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
100g sugar-free, vegan chocolate, chopped (or 1/2 cup chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chips of choice)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (preferably juice-sweetened)
Optional: Pink sprinkles (see below)*

Throw oil, eggs, sweetener, cocoa, and vanilla in food processor and pulse until smooth.  Add dry ingredients and pulse until cookie dough comes together.  Add chocolate and pulse to break up big chunks. Stir in cranberries.  Roll into balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Flatten slightly and top with sprinkles, if using.

Bake at 350F for 12 minutes.  Let cool completely before removing from pan.  Store in airtight container for up to 2 weeks.  Makes 20 cookies.


*You can either buy naturally coloured sprinkles (available at most health food stores), or make your own by tossing 1/4 cup xylitol or erythritol with a drop or 2 of natural food colouring (available online or at Whole Foods in the U.S.).  

This recipe has been shared with Vegetarian Mamma's Gluten-Free Friday and Diet, Dessert & Dogs' Wellness Weekend.

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