Cookie Drama

OK - I took about 50 pictures and there is nothing I can do to make these look at irresistibly yummy as they really are.

Anyway - I am jumping way ahead in my story.

I guess we should start back in 1985...back before the dawn of time...when my mother, bless her, wanted to send me a care package at college. She made cookies from scratch (Yay, Mom!) and, because she wanted to be a good mother and send me healthy things, she used whole wheat flour in her regular chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Um, yuck.

And I gave her a ridiculously hard time about it. If you were making cookies, why did they have to be healthy??

Sorry, Mom. I now understand. And yet. Yuck.

So when we were (sort of) snowed in this weekend, I decided to bake some cookies (the idea was planted by my neighbor, but I was open to the suggestion!) Neither of my children will eat oatmeal cookies, and Tater doesn't like chocolate chips in his cookies (so many kinds of weird going on with that boy and food). So, of course I decided that the best choice would be oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips in them. Obviously!

I started with the recipe under the lid of the Quaker Oats container, but of course I changed things around attempting to make them healthier (as mothers apparently do). And strangely enough, they are FABULOUS! And BOTH of the kids like them. Amazing.

And then I realized...Mike made a New Year's resolution that he would eat no cookies in 2009. (I know!) And this is a man who can keep a resolution.

I remembered this as the first tray was coming out of the oven and he was pulling into the driveway after helping his folks all weekend. Hi Honey! Look at this delicious treat I made that you can't have! Welcome home!!

Ooops!

But - assuming there are cookie eating people at your house. And you wouldn't mind making those cookies at least a tad bit healthier (if not a tad bit less un-healthy, which is sort of the same thing). You should make some of these.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 pound margarine or butter, softened - I used Smart-Balance Butter Blend Sticks
1 cup brown sugar - I did not pack it...and probably used a little less than a cup since we ran out
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup egg replacement (Egg Beaters/Better N Eggs)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour*
1/4 cup brown rice flour*
1/4 cup spelt flour*
1/4 cup barley flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups Quaker Oats (old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup chocolate chips - the healthiest would probably be dark chocolate, but of course we didn't have any so I used milk chocolate

Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.

In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until blended and creamy looking.
Add egg stuff and vanilla; beat well.
Add flours, baking soda, and cinnamon and mix until well blended.
Mix in oats and chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets (ungreased).
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. They are really crumbly when they are hot, but firm up once cooled.
Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Enjoy. Lots.

* I know these flours sound exotic and scary, but I seriously got them at Giant. I keep the non-wheat ones in the freezer so they'll last longer. They all have a lighter texture than regular whole wheat - less brick-like results.