Holiday desserts & cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease with soy margarine.

2. In a large bowl, beat together soy margarine and brown sugar until smooth and creamy, either by hand with a wooden spoon or with an electric mixer on medium speed (about 1 minute).

3. In a separate bowl combine rice flour, gluten-free flour, oats, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. Stir gently with a whisk to make sure there are no lumps. Add dry ingredients slowly to margarine and sugar mixture and stir until well combined. Do not over mix. Stir in chopped apricots and cranberries and mix by hand just to distribute.

4. Using a soup spoon, drop walnut-size portions of cookie dough onto prepared sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them. Press down slightly on each cookie to flatten dough.

5. Bake cookies at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, until light brown and slightly firm to the touch. Let cookies cool on sheet at least 5 minutes, as they're fragile while still warm. These cookies are best the day they're made. Store them in an airtight container.

Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, November - December 2007