CRANBERRY, OATMEAL AND ANISE DROP COOKIES

This recipe has some of my favorite ingredients...cranberries and walnuts, mixed with a flavor I enjoy, anise. This was my first time using ground anise seeds since I usually use anise extract. Anise has a flavor similar to licorice and fennel though they are not related. This was also my first time experimenting with cacao nibs. It took a few changes to make this recipe healthy but I think these cookies are still delicious.

I was inspired by this recipe at “Dishing Up The Dirty”: Cranberry Oatmeal & Star Anise Cookies

Here is a short Huffington Post article explaining cacao nibs.

What I did differently:

-Reduced salt to 1/4th tsp

-Instead of honey, used 1 cup date paste

-Instead of coconut oil, used 1/2 cup almond butter

-I couldn't find unsweetened dried cranberries so used sweetened

-Instead of white chocolate chips, used 1/4c organic raw cacao nibs

-Added 1/4 cup nondairy milk

Of note, the original recipe was confusing because the title said "star anise" yet the recipe called for "anise seeds." These are two difference spices yet both have a licorice flavor. I used ground anise seeds, not star anise seeds.