Today I made my new favorite cookie recipe for the second time. Now cookies do have sugar in them so they don't really count as a healthy food. However these ones have flax seed and oatmeal in them so I consider them a less-bad-for-you version. Plus being homemade they certainly have less preservatives. Next time I am going to try to substitute the regular flour with a whole wheat flour and see if it works. Baking is like chemistry so sometimes you can't change a recipe the way you want and still have it turn out ok.
Oatmeal-Flax Chocolate Chip Cookies (a.k.a. Hidden Agenda per the Food Network Magazine)
1 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup flaxseed, finely ground in a spice grinder, or pre-ground (I use flax meal)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 tablespoons (1 & 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown sugar with this batch because I didn't have dark. They tasted fine.)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or I'm sure you could use raisins, cranberries or m&m's)
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2) Whisk the flour, oats, flaxseed, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.
3) Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a separate bowl with a mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture and beat until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4) Drop heaping spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. (This makes HUGE cookies. I had better luck with one rounded normal size spoonful no more than 9 cookies to a sheet.) Bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
My tips: USE the parchment paper! The first time I made them I didn't and they stick like crazy to the cookie sheets. Also bake one pan at a time. That way you can load the next one after the cookies get transferred to the cooling rack. I got 54 cookies in the batch, enough to feed me, the youngins and take some to work to share with my friends.
Cookies are one of those snacks I will never get away from, especially during my "feed the beast" week. (I'm sure the the ladies know of which beast I refer.) So it is nice to have one I don't feel bad eating. Tho the Back to Nature brand also makes a fabulous chocolate chunk cookie that is guilt free too.
Milestone moment of the week: I had put aside a pair of jeans that were given to me by my sister in law because they were to small. I thought, well if I lose weight maybe I can fit into them later. Cut to a couple days ago and I decided to give them a try. They fit!! Not only do they fit but I wore them today and needed a belt with them! So many times I have done this in the past and given up and gotten rid of the clothes after awhile. It was nice to "win one" for a change.
New company I am adding to the bloglist: Odwalla juices. I haven't tried one yet but their labels look good to me. Lots of healthy choices and juice can be a great meal replacement when you are on the go or can't decide what you feel like eating. (or are to tired to prep a regular meal) I'll be sure to report on what flavors I like best.
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