DAY 5

Difficulty: 2 out of 5

Cookie tip: The key to getting these cookies right is boiling the butter-sugar mixture for exactly 90 seconds so that it becomes a sticky consistency that will act as a binder for all the ingredients. Don’t boil it long enough and the cookies won’t take shape, boil it too long and the sugar will begin to crystallize and not hold the oats together — though you will get a delicious sugary granola that tastes great on yogurt.

No Bake Cranberry Lemon Oat Cookies Star Tested

These one-pot, no-bake cookies are basically granola in cookie form: chewy, sugar-covered oats with a fruity tartness from cranberries and lemon. If the cookies are too soft for you, defy the title of this recipe and bake them at 350 F (175 C) for 10 minutes (only Santa will judge you). They will harden if left out overnight.

1/2 cup (125 mL) room temperature unsalted butter

1-3/4 cup (430 mL) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (125 mL) milk

3 cups (750 mL) quick rolled oats

1 cup (250 mL) dried, sweetened cranberries

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, stir together butter, sugar and milk until everything has melted.

Turn heat up to medium-high and bring to a rapid boil. Let boil for 90 seconds. Remove from heat. Stir in oats, cranberries, zest, juice and vanilla.

Using two spoons, drop heaping tablespoon-sized portions of mixture on to lined baking sheet.

Shape cookies into flat rounds using back of spoon.

Let cookies cool and dry completely on a wire rack until no longer crumbly, at least one hour. Makes 24 cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.