EATING
Let’s face it, kids love sweets! And moms, let’s be honest, we love to give them sweets, especially if you we think it can buy us a little peace.
Sweets are one of the greatest culinary delights a child can experience but it can also be one of the worst ways to instill good eating habits at an early age.
I have a philosophy that perhaps many of you reading this may not agree with, but I am going to share it anyway. And that is everything good, but in moderation. I don’t believe in substituting real food for synthetic derivatives just to save a few calories.
One idea is to always think nutrition and flavor and then explore ways in which you can achieve both. My oatmeal crunch cookie recipe uses all of the good stuff and it tastes amazing. And not only will your kids get all kinds of vitamins and nutrients through the seeds, nuts and dried fruit, they will be asking to do it. Enjoy!
Oatmeal Crunch Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
- ¾ cups light brown sugar
- ½ cup raw sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups Old-fashioned Oatmeal, toasted
- 2 cups Organic Trail Mix (without candy)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Technique:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large stand mixing bowl, add butter and using paddle attachment blend until fluffy. Add brown then raw sugar and beat again until light and fluffy. Add eggs beating in one at a time. Add vanilla. Remove bowl from stand.
Sift together all purpose and brown rice flours along with cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to butter mixture folding in by hand with a large rubber mixing spatula. Fold in trail mix, raisins and dried cranberries. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Transfer to oven and bake until browned but not completely. Remove from oven and allow to rest on cookie sheet for about 3 minutes. Transfer to a cookie cooling rack to cool completely.
