Healthy baked goods?Its possible

I decided to make some cookies a few days ago and wanted to make sure they were healthy but tasty so I experimented with a recipe and it turned out great.Its not your typical chewy cookie because I used less flour that contributes to the chewy factor.So heres my modified version of an oatmeal raisin cookie.I used a few more ingredients to derive flavors so I could use less sugar.  The one thing that I never did growing up is bake because we didn't have ovens which was typical in most homes in Malaysia.I remember that we had a seperate plug in oven that was bulky and round.Not very easy to use either so we never did.I picked up baking after I moved here and volunteering in kitchen service at a religious institute gave me the knowledge of baking.Plus,I enjoy baked goods more as desserts.So,here it is.

Oatmeal raisin,chocolate chip,almond cookie

You'll need:

1 cup Unsalted butter at room temperature(preferably Smart balance.its heart healthy)

1/4 cup  Light or dark brown sugar

1/3 cup Stevia or natural sweetener(I tend to stay away from the artificial sweeteners)

2 large Eggs

1 tsp Pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups  All purpose flour

1 tsp Baking soda

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon

2 cups  Old-fashioned rolled oats(Quaker oatmeal works)

1 cup  Dark raisins

1 cup Dark chocolate chip

1/2 cup Crushed almonds

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F  with oven rack in the center of the oven.Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

In the bowl of your electric mixer(I love my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer) or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and Stevia or natural sweetener until creamy and smooth (about 2 - 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in the rolled oats,raisins,chocolate chips and almonds.

For large cookies, use a generous 1/4 cup of batter (I like to use an ice cream scoop) and place six cookies on each baking sheet. For smaller cookies,use a tablespoon of batter. Flatten the cookies slightly so they are about 1/2 inch thick. Bake the cookies for about 14 -18 minutes rotating the cookie sheets halfway through the baking time. The cookies are done when golden brown around the edges but still a little soft in the centers. (The longer the cookies bake the more crispy they will be.) Remove from oven and let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. These cookies will keep several days at room temperature.

Makes about 18 large cookies

There you go....enjoy.I find baking to be therapeutic and I just take it easy when I bake.I believe that the more calmer you are during the process,the better your cookies will come out and if you're on the edge,so will your cookies be..on the edge ready to crumble.So enjoy the process and everything will turn out as great as you want it to.Have fun trying this recipe and remember that this is not your typical Oatmeal cookie as it has more of a crumbly texture yet delicious and wholesome.

With love for food and you,

Renu