Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Whenever I try making up or following a gluten free cookie recipe, I get nervous about trying the first cookie out of the oven.  See gluten free cookies (and other baked goods) are notorious for bad textures and weird flavors among other things.  My husband's response to this cookie recipe gave me hope that not all gluten free baking is bad.  In fact, he stated that this is my best cookie yet!  

Instead of making my own gluten free flour blend, which can be extremely expensive (and you don't know if it will turn out well or not), I decided to try a new store-bought flour blend from one of my new favorite brands - NOW Foods.  I appreciate everything that NOW stands for - their mission is "to empower people to lead healthier lives."  I love the quality of the foods and ingredients I have tried from this brand.

I also decided to adapt a recipe from one of the masters - Betty Crocker.  It doesn't matter which recipe you cook out of those cookbooks, they're good.  The only problem is that many of the ingredients don't agree with our lifestyle.  Luckily, as you can see from the picture, my husband deemed this recipe a huge success - his 6 cookies after his night class gave me that verdict (makeshift recipes don't always turn out that way).  The best part about these cookies is that you won't be able to tell they're gluten free - they taste like normal cookies and the texture brings back memories of Grandma's oatmeal raisin cookies.  Oh, and just in case you were wondering, yes, this is a soft oatmeal cookie.

Cane Sugar FreeGluten Free (as long as you use gluten free rolled oats)Vegetarian

1/2 C date sugar1/2 C agave nectar1/2 C grapeseed oil1/2 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp ground cinnamon1/2 tsp vanilla extract1/2 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp sea salt1 egg (organic, free-range, vegetarian-fed)1 1/2 C rolled oats (gluten free if necessary)1 C NOW Foods Gluten Free Baking Mix1 C apple-sweetened dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375˚.Mix together all ingredients except the last three.Mix in oats, baking mix and cranberries.Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet (I love baking on parchment paper on top of a baking stone - this really does do the best).Bake about 10 minutes or until they look done (a little flatter and not as doughy).Makes about 30 cookies.