Cranberry Lemon Cookies

I have been posting some decadent treats lately and thought it was time to share a healthier treat.  These cranberry lemon cookies make for a light, yet sweet, treat to enjoy.

These cookies are made with brown rice flour and coconut flour.  Instead of containing butter, the cookies have grapeseed oil and applesauce instead.  They are sweetened by honey, and the lemon adds some tartness (along with the cranberries).  I had a harder time finding unsweetened dried cranberries, but I finally found them in the organic bulk foods section at Sprouts.  (For some reason, the non-organic section only had cranberries sweetened in sugar, and I found the same at Trader Joe's.)

The batter is more liquid like, so you will want to use a tablespoon to dollop it out on the cookie sheets.  The cookies do not spread too much when baking.  After baking, my kitchen smelled like lemons and cranberries.

The cookies had a more cake-like texture after being cooled for about an hour.  I refrigerated the cookies, and refrigerating them seemed to help make them taste a little more chewy and less cake-like in texture.  One of these cookies is perfect with a cup of tea for an afternoon break.

Cranberry Lemon Cookies
Yields 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice flour (135 grams / 4.75 oz.)
1/4 cup coconut flour (32 grams / 1.13 oz.)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup honey
Zest of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF, and line two baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the brown rice flour, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk together.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the grapeseed oil, applesauce, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla until combined.  Then, add the flour mixture and mix until blended.  Add in the cranberries and mix until combined.

Using a tablespoon, spoon the batter onto the cookie sheets.  Using your fingers, pat each cookie dough ball into a disc.  Bake until lightly golden, about 15-20 minutes.  Cool for an hour before serving (this helps the cookies firm up).

Source: Giada Di Laurentiis' Feel Good Food