Made over orange, cranberry and chocolate chip biscuits

I'm pleased to say that in the space of a week, I have gone from disorganised to organised with Christmas food. I've sorted our Christmas meals for the Lake District, made my annual spiced Christmas cookies, and made a healthier, orange flavoured version of my popular cranberry and dark chocolate cookies.

Spiced Christmas cookies

Yesterday, we also had an early Christmas dinner with my UK family, making another day trip to my grandparent's home in Sussex. There were nine of us in total and it was great to be able to join in on celebrations with family here. We went out for the meal and I enjoyed a nut roast that may have been the best I've had (although I'll concede I haven't had all that many). The setting in a Tudor building was great too - quite different to Australian Christmas!

Christmas dinner, plant style -
nut roast with a sweet potato and coriander sauce, and vegetable trimmings

As for the orange biscuits, they are really a cross between biscuits (cookies), scones and rock cakes. Whatever you call them, they are very tasty. The cranberry and chocolate cookies I adapted them from are also delicious, but feature a cup of vegan margarine and another of refined sugar. I'm all for those sorts of treats on occasion, but thought I'd see if I could make the recipe over with more whole foods.

Festivities

The resulting biscuits use a banana and one tablespoon of coconut oil in place of the margarine, and sub half of the refined sugar for coconut sugar. I also added orange zest because orange and cranberry is a combination that, to me, is beautifully Christmassy.

The biscuits pasted muster with Mr Bite and are sturdy enough for dunking in tea (two very important things!). They are most enjoyable within a few days of baking, but I don't think you'll struggle to get through them.

Orange, cranberry and chocolate chip biscuits

These biscuits are dense, chewy, and full of flavour - but draw on few refined ingredients

Makes 20 to 30 biscuits, depending on size

Author: Bite-Sized Thoughts

Print recipe

Ingredients

1 medium-large ripe banana, mashed

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp orange juice (juice of 1/2 orange)

1 to 1-1/2 tbsp grated orange zest (zest of 2 oranges)

2 cups plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

Pinch salt

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Method

Preheat your oven to 160'C and prepare 2 oven trays.

Mix together the mashed banana and coconut oil, and then add the sugars. Beat to combine. Add the cornstarch, vanilla, orange juice and orange zest and beat briefly to incorporate.

Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix through with a wooden spoon. When the ingredients are fully combined, stir in the cranberries and chocolate chips.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden and firm at the edges. The biscuits will continue to firm up on standing.

Have you been doing any Christmas baking this weekend?

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