Viva's Cookies
As a little girl I spent a lot of time with my Grandmother, we called her "granny". Though she was in her late 60's at the time and had over 15 grandchildren between her six sons, she looked and acted far from the normal 60 + year old "granny" (she was a riot)! My fondest memories of her were watching her cook. I would anxiously await the days when she made Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
I realize that my love of cooking stemms mostly from her influence so I decided to make an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie of my own. Though my granny's cookie was significantly sweeter than mine, I am no longer the 8 yr old girl who has never heard of High Blood Pressure or Diabetes. This version has Coconut Sugar which adds subtle sweetness and a few trace minerals like Vitamin C, Calcium and Zinc. Though the health benefits are attractive, the taste is just as flavorful.
This AWESOME recipe has been named "Viva's Cookies". Though I could have just as easily called them "Granny's Cookies", her first name was Viva and that sounds more like who I remember her to be. You can have these sweet treats for breakfast with some fruit or as a snack with some Almond, Hemp or Cashew Milk. My sun loves to have them for Breakfast before school so that's usually when I make them. As I say with all my recipes, feel free to tone the ingredients up or down to your liking. ENJOY!
RECIPE
Serves 12 Prep Time 15 min Ingredients 10
1/2 cup of unsaltedPeanut Butter
1/2 cup of Applesauce
1 1/4 cup of Whole Wheat Flour 1/4 cup of Coconut Sugar
1 cup of Old Fashioned or Rolled Oats
1/4 tsp of Nutmeg 1/4 tsp of Baking Powder 1/2 tsp of Vanilla Extract
3/4 cup of Almond Milk 1/2 cup of Raisins (you can always add more)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 14 x 12 inch Cookie Sheet. Pour the Peanut Butter and Applesauce into a medium sized bowl smashing them together until they become smooth. Gently fold in all the dry ingredients including the Oatmeal with a spoon or wooden spatula until starts to clump together. Add Vanilla Extract, stir in the Almond Milk until it's the texture of cookie dough and fold in your raisins. Divide and roll the dough into palm sized balls and place them on your cookie sheet. Smash them down with a fork to the size you want. Place them in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Take them out, let them cool for about 5 minutes and go for it!
