Nut,- Egg- and Dairy-Free Strawberry-Rhubarb Oatmeal Cookies

This holiday season, give the chocolate chip cookies and holiday-shaped cutters a break and step up your game with some decadent, upscale cookie fare. This recipe is from The Divvies Bakery Cookbook by Lori Sandler. (Copyright ©2010 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin's Press LLC.)

“I love that these cookies are not too sweet, yet so satisfying; plus the crisped rice gives them a nice texture. I prefer to use a more tart preserve such as strawberry-rhubarb or sour cherry. The light color of the cookies paired with the red of the preserves looks so pretty,” says Sandler, founder, Divvies Bakery, South Salem, N.Y. –Nicole Denis

Serves: Makes 16 3-inch cookies

3 cups unbleached flour
2 cups thick-cut oats (quick oats work, too)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar (1 cup if you want them sweeter)
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup dairy-free margarine, at room temperature
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cup crisped rice cereal
1 1/4 cup strawberry rhubarb or sour cherry preserves (or any flavor you desire)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line three cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

3. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the granulated and brown sugars and margarine together until fluffy. Add the water, vanilla and oil. Continue to beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl to fully incorporate all the ingredients.

4. Slowly add the flour-oat mixture in ½-cup increments and mix on medium speed. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl intermittently.

5. Add the crisped rice cereal and mix on low speed.

6. Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop the dough in tablespoon-size balls onto the lined baking sheets and lightly flatten with the palm of your hand. Leave about 1 inch between each cookie. With your fingertip, make 5 prints around the center of each cookie, creating the shape of a flower, and fill with preserves, about 1 teaspoon.

7. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time, until the cookies are golden.

8. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheets before serving.

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