Incoherent Cookie

Not too long ago, I threw a salad-bar potluck.  The variety of things we had to put on our salads was pretty incredible!  And, I didn't have to grocery shop for a week.  I'm still left with about ten kinds of nuts and seeds, and I thought I'd take advantage of the surplus by making these cookies with both cranberries and pistachios (as well as walnuts).  Really pretty, no?

Unfortunately, I wasn't thrilled by the consistency of the cookies.  They remained really soft and fragile even after they were cooled.  I think--to more closely approximate the consistency of the amazing cranberry-pecan-oat cookies at a place I once worked, these ones needed more butter and flour, and less sugar.  But...there were also slightly incoherent in terms of taste as well as structure.  Are they sweet?  Salty?  Crunchy?  Mushy?  This all sounded good to me, but I was left feeling a bit unsure of where to focus my tastebuds.  That said, I would also be curious to try cardamom instead of allspice, which has been pretty excitingly successful in other cookies.

Oatmeal Cranberry Nut Cookies

(adapted from Madhuram's Eggless Cooking)

Ingredients

1 TB ground flaxseed + 3 TB water

3/4 c vegan butter

1/3 c sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 non dairy milk

1/2 c whole wheat flour

1/2 c white flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp salt

3 c quick oats

2/3 c dried cranberries

2/3 c chocolate chips

1/3 c walnuts, roasted and chopped

1/3 c pistachios, shelled, roasted, and chopped

Instructions

1. Combine water and flaxseed and allow to sit 5-10 min.  Preheat oven to 350*F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the vanilla, milk, and flax mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and spice; mix well.  Add to butter-sugar mixture.
4. Stir in the oats, cranberries and nuts.
5. With your hands, roll dough into ping-pong-ball-sized balls, place on baking sheets, and flatten slightly.  Leave space between!  Bake 12-15 minutes or until done. If you are using 2 sheets at once, shift cookie sheets halfway through baking.
6. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and stand the cookies on the sheet itself for 5-10 minutes before transferring it to the cooling rack and let it cool completely.  Makes about 40 cookies.