Cranberry Orange Wafers pair sweet cranberry tang with sprightly citrus notes. These light, buttery, delicate cookies fuse the tastes of two flavors that have always been destined to become one.
Cranberry Orange Wafers
Pairing Cranberry and Orange
I love the taste of fresh citrus, especially oranges–so sweet with natural sugars, yet your palate is left feeling clean and fresh. Cranberries defy nature. Somehow, they succeed in merging sweet and tart into one flavor-filled expression.
But the real culinary symphony is realized when orange and cranberry are unified. Together, their flavor far surpasses the sum of their individual greatness!
Cranberry Orange Wafers – Chopped Cranberries
Versatile Cranberry Orange Wafers
While the combination of cranberries and oranges is not a well-kept secret, there aren’t a plethora of recipes for this delicious combination. Which led me to developing this treat!
I love the versatility of these wafers. They make a nice afternoon snack with a cup of tea, a tasty palate cleanser placed strategically on the holiday dinner table, or my favorite–dessert!
As a dessert option, place a dollop of your favorite non-dairy vanilla ice cream between two of them. Exquisite!!
Cranberry Orange Wafers – Dry Ingredients
Pairing Cranberry Orange Wafers with Wine
On the wine side. the light texture and fruity flavor also make them a lovely pairing with your favorite red or white wine. My personal favorite is pairing them up with a nicely chilled semi-dry Riesling.
Cranberry Orange Wafers – Dry and Wet Ingredients
Guilt-free Wafers!
Needless to say, (but I’m going to anyway!) there is no guilt required when enjoying these tasty bits. They are gluten-free, plant-based, and refined sugar-free. The foundation of the wafer is made from almond meal flour, flaxseed, cranberries and walnut oil.
When combined, these ingredients make a delightful cookie that is filled with plant protein, omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants and numerous vitamins and minerals.
Cranberry Orange Wafers – Dough
Helpful Hints for Making Cranberry Orange Wafers
1. An alternative to the rolling-pin: If you find the parchment slides when you are rolling the dough, place the dough between the two sheets of parchment on one of the large baking sheets and use a smaller baking sheet to flatten the dough by pressing it on top. You can see pictures of this process in my Cheese Crisp post.
2. Depending on your oven, the 12 minutes of cooking time will yield a nice, soft, doughy wafer. If you prefer a crispier wafer then increase the cooking time by approx. 2 minutes. You will need to watch to assure that the cookies do not get too brown at this point.
Cranberry Orange Wafers – Dough Pre-bake Cut
Cranberry Orange Wafers – Cooling
Cranberry Orange Wafers
I’m already looking forward to enjoying these Cranberry Orange Wafers again. With such versatility, they will certainly find their way to my holiday table in the coming months. I hope they make a lovely addition to your home as well. Enjoy!!
Cranberry Orange Wafers pair sweet cranberry tang with sprightly citrus notes. These light, buttery, delicate cookies fuse the tastes of two flavors that have always been destined to become one. (gluten-free, vegan/plant-based, refined sugar-free)
Ingredients
- Flax Egg
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed (I use golden flaxseed meal)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cashew milk, warmed (other nut milks may be substituted)
- Dry
- 2 1/2 cups almond meal flour
- 1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Wet (to be added to flax egg)
- 3 tablespoons walnut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon orange flavor (I use Simply Organic as it's a blend of only sunflower and orange oils)
Instructions
- 1) In a small mixing bowl, stir together flax seed meal and warmed cashew milk. Stir again after 1-2 minutes and set aside.
- 2) Finely chop dried cranberries.
- 3) In a medium/large mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients (almond meal flour, dried cranberries, coconut palm sugar, baking soda, and sea salt).
- 4) Add walnut oil and orange flavor to flax egg mixture and mix well.
- 5) Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well. Once the dough begins to form you will need to complete the mixing with your hands. Lifting and folding, like kneading pizza dough, works well. Form dough into a ball and cut into halves.
- 6) Round one half of dough, place between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Roll dough with rolling pin as close to 1/4 inch as possible. (Don’t be afraid to press thicker areas with your hands.) Transfer bottom sheet with rolled dough onto baking sheet. Cut dough into desired wafer size (1-2 inch squares) with a pizza cutter or sharp knife. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approx. 12 minutes or until desired level of crispness is achieved. Let crackers cool on baking sheet for at least 20 minutes. Repeat step 6 on second half of dough.
Notes
An alternative to the rolling-pin: If you find the parchment slides when you are rolling the dough, place the dough between the two sheets of parchment on one of the large baking sheets and use a smaller baking sheet to flatten the dough by pressing it on top.
Depending on your oven, the 12 minutes of cooking time will yield a nice, soft, doughy wafer. If you prefer a crispier wafer then increase the cooking time by approx. 2 minutes. You will need to watch to assure that the cookies do not get too brown at this point.
And if you’re looking for more festive cranberry recipes, check out my Fresh Cranberry Crumb Bars, Cran-Peary Brussels Sprouts, and Cranberry Cherry Bread Pudding!
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