Saturday, October 25, 2008

Soft and Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

When it comes to oatmeal cookies, I want them first of all to be healthy. If I'm going to eat a salad I want to feel good about myself for doing so, and not ruin it with all kinds of dressing and bacon, right? If I'm going to choose an oatmeal cookie for dessert, I want to think of it like an energy bar.

Next, I want my oatmeal cookies to be soft, dense, and spicy; and I want to taste oats and not raisins. Here is the perfect Oatmeal Cookie recipe. But beware ... they do TASTE like they're healthy (well ... relatively healthy). You can add more sugar and substitute all white flour in place of 1 c. whole wheat flour if you prefer.

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
3 c. quick-cooking oats

In medium bowl cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves; stir into creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly with fork dipped in sugar.

Bake 8-10 minutes; cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack.

P.S. I don't like to bite into nuts or dried fruit in my cookies (it's a texture thing), but I like the flavor. I like to add FINELY chopped craisins and walnuts, or whatever you like.

2 comments:

blythe said...

Mmmm!

Thanks for sharing! I have another oatmeal cookie recipe made with applesauce that I got out of Vegetarian Times, and it's good too.

Eowyn's Heir said...

hey! hey! i got a way to make them even HEALTHIER!! Soak the oats & flours overnight in water with a T of yogurt (or just the watery stuff in yogurt; whey), or in buttermilk. They will be super soft in the morning, AND all the antinutrients will be gone, AND your grains will be pre-digested (far easier for your body to get nutrition out of). Another simple trick to being as healthy ya can be :).