Cranberry Pineapple Drop Cookies

I've been making my fair share of "cookie-biscuit" hybrids these days. Most of the time, these soft, cakey treats are the result of using less solid fat and/or sugar in the dough in favour of wetter fruit or vegetable purees (think pumpkin and apple butter). While it is usually yours truly doing at least some of this swapping, occasionally I come across a recipe in a (non-diet) cookbook that does the work for me! 

I've been paging through Joanne Fluke's Lake Eden Cookbook again (there the Merry Berry Cookies came from) and discovered these semi-tropical goodies perfect for bringing a bit of brightness to the holiday cookie tray. Of course, I had to throw in my own flair too, adding dried pineapple and using coconut and whole wheat flours. I also added a touch of extra goodness by swapping in Truvia for half the sugar, non-fat Greek yoghurt for sour cream and silken tofu for the eggs. The end result was perfect - thicker cookies baked up like scones and would be more than passable at afternoon or mid-morning tea time, while smaller drops got a slight crisp to the outside but stayed moist and fluffy inside. The crushed pineapple adds a sweet -tart flavour that is echoed by the cranberries and stays bright even after baking!

Cranberry Pineapple Drop Cookies
Makes ~72
½ cup salted butter, softened
½ cup non-hydrogenated shortening
1 cup sugar
12 packets Truvia
¾ cup plain non-fat Greek yoghurt or low fat (not fat free) sour cream
½ tsp lemon extract
1 tbsp vanilla
8 oz silken tofu, pureed
16 oz crushed pineapple, well drained
2 ½ cups flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup coconut flour
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup diced dried pineapple
coarse sugar, for topping

1. In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the sour cream, extracts and pureed tofu, beating well.
3. Stir in the drained, crushed pineapple.
4. Gradually blend in the flours, ginger, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
5. Fold in the cranberries and pineapple.
6. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least overnight (up to 1 week)
7. Preheat the oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with Silpat.
8. Scoop balls of dough onto the sheet, sprinkle with coarse sugar and flatten slightly with damp fingertips.
9. Bake 25-26 minutes, until golden and firm (these are cakey).
10. Cool ten minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a wire rack.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 89.1
Total Fat: 3.0 g
Cholesterol: 3.5 mg
Sodium: 13.9 mg
Total Carbs: 14.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.2 g
Protein: 1.6 g