A New Habit Worthy of Celebration!

Smart School Cookies!
Go ahead, make a habit of’em!

1 ½ cups rolled oats (I use the 3-5 minute stove top kind)

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

4 Tbsp brown sugar

3 Tbsp white sugar

1 fistful chocolate chips (or carob)

1 fistful raisins

1 Tbsp melted butter (or margarine)

1 Tbsp applesauce (I use the cinnamon kind because that’s what the kids like)

4 Tbsp Vanilla coconut milk (I use the organic sugar free kind)

Blend first 5 ingredients together in a food processor. Pour into a glass bowl and using a spatula, mix in the butter, applesauce, and milk, adding the chocolate chips and raisins last.  Spoon the cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 6 minutes at 375° F.  Let cool five or so minutes before transferring to a serving plate or trying to bite into one. ;-P

Makes about 16 cookies (depending on how much the raw dough tempts you, of course)! 

Note: cookies will look rather “raw” in the middle when you first take them out of the oven.  That’s OK! They will cook a tad more while they sit, but they will still look rather light when compared to more traditional baked cookies ;-)

Background:
This post is dedicated to my Laurel’s Kitchen loving college roomie and is in honor of all our Saunders kitchen adventures together.

That being said, anyone who knows me well knows that Jazzy can NOT function without her chocolate! 

I discovered my taste for cookies at Hamilton College where there were always an abundance of yummy dining hall cookies.  Yes, you read that correctly, yummy!  Bagels, orange juice, and cookies- the nice “Bon Appetite” folks at Hamilton College always got those staples right!  It was also during my time at Hamilton, that I first began to brave the kitchen on my own ;-).  Laurel’s Kitchen was one of my first cookbooks, and the recipe for “Oatmeal School Cookies” became a fast favorite when we started adding chocolate chips (and often raisins to be healthier, naturally) to the mix!  These very cookies are still a favorite in my kitchen, however, in recent years; they have made seldom appearances since they are just so full of sugar.  And, butter…

So, it’s about time I discover a healthy alternative, right?  Happily, I think I have.  After a few weeks of research, recipe experimentation, and taste testing with my family, I’ve found a cookie that satisfies my chocolate cravings, desires to bite into something gooey, and my “healthy” conscience.  These cookies still have some sugar and butter in them, but Oh So much less- and BONUS- they are gluten and dairy free!  This is grand since we have friends and family members with differing levels of gluten intolerance and various other food allergies to things like nuts, eggs, dairy...  so, I’m glad I now have a healthful and yummy snack to offer to just about anyone! 

One more bonus- I get to indulge in worry-free raw cookie dough eating!

“When we make cookies, it is almost always these.  They are Cookies: utterly satisfying.  One would wish they could be maybe a little lower in fat and sugar, but there, that’s Cookies for you- don’t make a habit of’em.”

Robertson, Laurel, Carol Flinders, and Brian Ruppenthal. "Oatmeal School Cookies." The New Laurel's Kitchen. Berkeley: Ten Speed, 1976. 320. Print.

Well, Ms. Laurel and friends, your (our) wish has come true, and now we can make a habit of’em!

Allergy notes:  If you will be serving these cookies to those with gluten allergies, make sure the oats you use are clearly marked gluten free!  A Celiac friend recently taught me that most oats are milled in the same mills as wheat!  Many people with dairy sensitivities can get away with semi-sweet and dark chocolates.  If you will be serving to someone who can't, you can leave them out and double the raisins, or try substituting carob chips.  Carob chips can usually be found in the health or natural food sections of grocery stores.

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