A HEALTHY COOKIE JAR

A HEALTHY COOKIE JAR
The cookie jar is empty at our house so it is time to fill it again. When our children and grandchildren come by, the first place they head is to the cookie jar. I try to keep a healthier cookie available for just times like this. If the jar is empty, they head for the cupboard where they will search for some less healthy snacks that I may have hidden away for a special occasion.

So I decided it was time to make chocolate chip cookies.
As usual I changed part of the recipe, added a few healthier ingredients and ended up with 2 containers full. They are an excellent cookie that is just as crunchy as we like.

After tasting them, I decided I could make a few more changes and ended up with an altogether different taste, texture and color of cookie. The blackstrap molasses, hemp seeds, spelt flour and cinnamon called for in the second recipe produced a browner cookie that instantly became my favorite.

CRUNCHY OATMEAL COOKIES – 6 dozen
1 cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups oatmeal
½ cup coconut
¾ cup chocolate chips
1 cup sunflower seeds
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Using the Bosch mixing machine with the dough hook, I just add the ingredients in order and knead the dough well. Then press small balls of dough on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 ºF 12 minutes or until nicely brown on the edge.
Remove from oven and from cookie sheet. Let cool.

CINNAMONI am always looking for ways to include more cinnamon in our daily diet. It isn’t easy, so when I am using cinnamon, I make it worth while and add plenty. We love the taste that cinnamon adds to baking.
Cinnamon is good for our health too. I always buy the real cinnamon as it contains the best nutrients for our well being.
One thing I have learned is that cinnamon helps control our blood pressure.

Last night I was reading that a half teaspoon cinnamon with 1 tablespoon unpasteurized honey once a day is good for arthritis. I use my hands so much in gardening and preserving and I noticed my knuckle under my first finger and the knuckle under my big toe were often inflamed and larger than usual. Yesterday I added ½ teasp. cinnamon & 1 tablespoon honey to a cup of hot water and I will continue each day to see if it will help with this pain & inflammation. As well we will continue to add it as follows:

• When I make muffins, I will add at least 2 tablespoons of cinnamon to a batch.
• I am very generous with the cinnamon when making cinnamon buns.
• I sprinkle cinnamon on morning toast / applesauce. (Lots of sauce with no sugar)
• At times I add a cinnamon stick to a pot of tea as it brews.
• I sprinkle cinnamon on apple sauce and apple pie.

So I decided to add cinnamon to these cookies as well!

HEALTHIER CRUNCHY COOKIES – 6 dozen
1 cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons kefir or plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ½ cups oatmeal
¼ cup hemp seed
¾ cup chocolate chips
1 cup sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup freshly ground spelt flour
½ cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Using the Bosch mixing machine with the dough hook, I just add the ingredients in order and knead the dough well. Then press small balls of dough on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 ºF for 12 minutes or until nicely brown on the edge.
Remove from oven and from cookie sheet. Let cool.