Oatmeal Peanut Butter Choco Chip Cookies

This is a simple cookie that has the kids favourites-peanut butter and chocolate chips with the healthy addition of oats .I found this recipe here and tried it out with simple adjustments.

Ingredients:
All Purpose flour: 1 cup
Old fashioned/Rolled Oats: 1 cup
Baking Soda: 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder:1/2 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp

Unsalted Butter: 1 stick softened
Peanut Butter: 1/2 cup room temperature
Brown Sugar: 1/2 cup
White Sugar: 1/2 cup

Flax seeds: 1 tbsp ground with 3 tbsp water to replace a single egg.
Vanilla Extract: 1 tsp

Chocolate chips/raisins/cherry halves: 2-3 handfuls / 1 cup or more

Preparation:

In a small bowl,mix together flour,oats,baking powder,baking soda and salt.Preheat oven to 375F.Line a baking sheet with foil and keep it ready.

In another big bowl,cream together both the butters and sugars so that you obtain a creamy brown mix.To this add vanilla extract and flax seed paste /1 single egg.Blend well.Add the flour mix in batches and blend well after each addition to obtain a smooth soft and little bit sticky dough.Now fold in chocolate chips into the dough using hands.

Drop scoopfuls/tablespoon/teaspoonfuls of dough into the baking sheet kept read ,2 inches apart.Ungreased baking sheet also works well as the dough can be a bit oily,with both the butters in it,but cleaningwise it is easier if you line the baking sheet.

Bake for 7-10 minutes,depending on size you have made.The recipe said a baking time of 10-12 minutes,but mine were ready within 8 minutes.So test the time by placing only 2-3 cookies in the first batch.

Also you can get creative with this cookies.Once the dough is formed,you can add in butterscotch chips,raisins etc instead of choc chips.Also instead of folding in these,you can sprinkle/place the chips/raisins on the top of each cookie on the baking sheet.I have used cherries in some of these-simply topped the cookie with a cherry half.Only thing is baking time may be more by 1 minute or so.So start checking from the 7th minute onwards and pull out once the edges are slightly browned-you may feel that they are uncooked,but they are done and will turn crunchier once outside the oven.

Also once you pull the cookies out of the oven,let them cool on the baking sheet itself for not more than 2 minutes.Gently take them and place them on a plate/wire rack where they can cool completely.If you allow them to sit too much on the sheet,it may be difficult to remove them from the sheet and may break them.

You can frost the cookies with your choice of icing or serve as such.With little imagination,you can not only get a healthy combo of dry fruits and nuts and also perfect looking cookies.They taste better the next day as well.Store the cookies in an air tight container.Or if dough is remaining,freeze the dough for upto 2 months tightly covered in a plastic wrap.

A warm batch of healthy and chewy oatmeal cookies are on the way to Vandana's where she has a yummy event for novice Bakers. They are also on way to Sharmi of Neivedyam for her cookie baking event

Update on Dec 16th 2008,These cookies are also on way to Purvas Christmas Feast.

The warm cookies fresh from the oven are also going to Madhuram where she has accepted these to be included in the flax seed meal round up.

Thanks Purva & Thanks Madhuram.I am very much honoured that these cookies are accepted in the esteemed events.