Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Macadamia Chunks and Toasted Coconut

So. Long name for a cookie, right? But these cookies pack a wallop of flavor. I finished one cookie and thought, "I'm not sure if these are quite done. Perhaps I should sample another one..." I'm glad I have a measure of self control, or the entire pan of cookies might have just ended up in my mouth.

This is a great recipe to experiment with. Instead of macadamia nuts, I've substituted hazelnuts. You could use pecans or walnuts, too. Instead of chocolate chips, why not try white chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch chips? So many options, so little time. Oooh! I think next time I'll try white chocolate, cranberry, and walnut.

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2/3 cup Earth Balance or other non-dairy margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg (or 1 Tb. ground flax seed combined with 3 Tb. warm water to form a gel)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup coarsely chopped raw macadamia nuts

1/3 to 1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, non-dairy (I use Kirkland brand from Costco, but there are others you can find, too.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flours, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cream Earth Balance and brown sugar together with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add flax gel and vanilla, and mix again until well blended. Gradually add in flour mixture, continuing to beat on low under all flour is incorporated. Stir in oats, coconut, macadamia nuts, and chocolate chips. 

Scoop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cookies should be about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool on baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 24 cookies

Monster Breakfast Cookies

As a busy wife and mother, I'm always looking for new ways to provide a nutritious and quick breakfast for my family. These breakfast cookies pack a protein punch with a combination of almond butter, chia seeds, and crunchy almond pieces. Plus, you get some hearty omega-3 action from the addition of ground flax seeds. I hope you enjoy these tasty, breakfast-on-the-run style cookies.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine (such as Earth Balance)

1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder (I use aluminum free.)

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

6 Tb. chia gel (made from 2 Tb. chia seeds mixed with 1 cup water and allowed to set)

2 tsp. pure vanilla

1 1/2 cups Gluten Free flour blend (I used King Arthur's, but you can use your favorite.) or 

                regular all-purpose flour

2 1/4 cups regular or rolled oats (I used half quick, half rolled oats.)

1/3 cup ground flax seeds

1 heaping Tb. almond or peanut butter

1 1/2 cups dried fruit, nuts, coconut, etc.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium sized bowl, cream margarine and coconut oil together. A hand mixer works well for this. Add brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and beat to combine. Spoon chia gel and vanilla extract into mixture and once again beat to combine, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Beat in flour, oats, flax and nut butter until well combined. Stir nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips of whatever combination you desire into the dough. (I used 2/3 cup chopped almonds, 2/3 cup dried cranberries, and a handful of unsweetened coconut flakes.) 

Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup measure, scoop dough out and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Using the palm of your hand, gently press each cookie into a 4-inch circle. 

Bake for 12 minutes or so, until the tops of the cookies are lightly browned. Cool on the pan for a minute or so. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. After cooled, wrap individual cookies in plastic wrap for optimum freshness. :-)

Yield: 11 cookies

Approx. 298 calories per cookie (This depends on the nut and fruit combos, too.)

Enjoy!

Giant Oatmeal Cookies

These are the best oatmeal cookies I've ever tasted. Seriously. I found the recipe tucked neatly inside my Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book and thought, "Hmmm. Exactly how giant can they be?" I found out. I had a difficult time finding a storage container wide enough to fit them.

I made them first as directed with dried tart cherries. Within a week I was making them again with dark chocolate chips and orange zest. Both times? Amazing. (I veganized them by substituting chia gel for eggs and margarine for butter.)

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tblsp. Chia gel (or egg replacer equivalent for 2 eggs)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups snipped dried tart cherries
1 tsp orange zest

Instructions
Grease a cookie sheet; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening with electric mixer for 30 secs. Add brown sugar, white sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until fluffy. Add egg replacer and vanilla and beat thoroughly. Beat in flour. Stir in oats, dried cherries, and orange zest.

Fill a 1/3 cup measure with dough and drop onto greased cookie sheet. Press into a 4 in. circle. Repeat with the rest of the dough, placing cookies about 3 inches apart.

Bake at 375* for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden. Let stand for a minute then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Yield: 14 large cookies
(You might split them in half to savor the joy a little longer...or maybe not.)
;-)

Peanut Butter Cookies

Gracie and I were in the mood to bake cookies. I have an over abundance of peanut butter, so naturally the best way to use it up is make Peanut Butter cookies, right? Daddy has been gone all weekend (just arrived early this morning) so we decided to surprise him with a little treat.

This recipe is very easy. Measurements are pretty much the same throughout, so it's easy to memorize. I substituted flax seed for egg and like the gentle nut flavor it adds to the dough. 1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with 3 tablespoons water is the equivalent of one egg. You could also use chia seed gel which adds yet another layer of protein to these delicious cookies. 3 tablespoons of chia seeds mixed with 1 cup of water yields a nice thick gel. 3 tablespoons of gel equals 1 egg.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar or 1/4 cup honey

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 Tb. ground flax seed, mixed with 3 Tb. water

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Granulated sugar

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in flax seed mixture and vanilla until combined. Mix in as much flour as possible with the hand mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon.

Shape dough into 1-in balls. Roll in additional white sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten by making crisscross marks with the tines of a fork.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7-9 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Tasty, tasty! Enjoy with a short glass of soy or almond milk. :-)

Apricot-Oatmeal Cookies

I love cookies. My husband and I went to Costco recently and purchased dried apricots, pecans, almonds and pistachios. Now, I asked, as my creative mind went into motion, what can I do with all of these delicious ingredients? Jarod, often the impetus behind my creations, suggested oatmeal cookies with dried apricots. I found just the recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book and these are sweetly satisfying with a tall glass of milk (icy Silk soy milk, in my case).

Ingredients:

3/4 cup snipped dried apricots

3/4 cup margarine

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 Tb. ground flax, mixed with 3 Tb. water

1 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts of choice (I used toasted almonds, but pecans or walnuts would be great, too)

Instructions:

In small bowl, combine apricots and enough boiling water just to cover them. Let stand for 5 minutes. Drain.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl beat the margarine with an electric hand mixer until fluffy. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda; beat until combined. Add the flax mixture and vanilla and beat until combined. Mix in as much flour as you can with the hand mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in apricots, rolled oats, nuts and any remaining flour.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Yummmmy!