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Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
1 and 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
2 and 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp wheat germ
3 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 and 1/2 cups dried cranberries (Craisins)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly blended. I usually use a fork for this part, but you could use an electric mixer. Add the vanilla and the egg and mix well until it becomes light and fluffy. Stir in 2 cups of the oats (reserving 1/2 cup for later). Now add the flours, baking soda, salt, wheat germ, and ground flaxseed (you can grind your own flaxseeds in a food mill or coffee grinder). Stir the mixture well until everything is completely blended. Now add the cranberries and the remaining 1/2 cup oats and fold them in gently. I like to add the final 1/2 cup oats at the end so that they remain whole rather than getting mixed into the dough. It gives the cookies a nice hearty texture and appearance. Drop cookies by small spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes per batch, or until they turn a light golden around the edges. Cool for 5 minutes before handling to prevent the cookies from crumbling.
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I absolutely love these cookies! They are chewy and oaty and the tangy sweet cranberries are delicious! They are sweet snack foods that also have a lot of health benefits, so I can justify my snacking with less guilt. I am a firm believer that cookies can be sinful and beneficial at the same time. The cranberries are good for your urinary tract and kidneys. The oats give you protien and fiber and help with cholesterol. The whole wheat flour and the wheat germ add whole grains, protien and fiber, along with many other beneficial nutrients. And the flaxseeds add protien, fiber and the additional boost of omega-3. So, yes, the sugar, butter and egg is not good for you, but these cookies do their best to balance the bad with a whole lot of good. So, enjoy your treats and feel a little better....at least these calories aren't completely empty. These make great treats for the kids. They may as well get some health food in them while enjoying their after school snack. They are so sweet and chewy they'll never notice the wheat germ and flaxseed! :)
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I have about a dozen variations on my oatmeal cookies, including cinnamon-raisin oatmeal and oatmeal chocolate chip. I am also developing vegan versions of most of my cookies. You can find all of these recipes on my website http://www.compassionatecooking.com. The vegan versions have less fat and cholesterol since they don't use butter and eggs.
