Friday, October 30, 2009

"to all the mothers and the sisters and the wives and friends"

the food: Carrot Oatmeal Cookies
the song: "Sure Shot" Beastie Boys


It is a beautiful, cloudy morning in Austin. I've had a wonderful day- I took the day off for a weekend trip with my mom. Tomorrow (Halloween) is her birthday, so I'm heading up to her part of Texas for a long weekend. I'm happy to be spending her birthday weekend with her. For a birthday treat to snack on all weekend, I'm taking her these cookies.

I know, I know...2 sweets posts in a row? That's very unlike me. I tend to gravitate towards the savory and cheesy things in life, opting for a second taste of dinner instead of dessert. But these little cuties are different. Let me show you why.


Wha'? What are those carrots doing in there? If my last post was an ode to the full-fat dessert, this one is a testimony to the possibilities healthy(ish) sweets have to offer. This recipe comes from Heidi over at 101cookbooks. They are my favorites for several reasons. First of all,
the most obvious: they are not too sweet, not too bad for you, and easy to pull together (once the shredding and chopping is done). Second, they are incredibly versatile. These are delicious with my morning coffee this chilly morning, and they perfectly compliment beer and hot dogs during summer cookouts (really- I know it sounds weird, but it is a really nice combination.) And finally, they are fun to serve. After all the ooh-ing and mmm-ing dies down, tell people they are sugar free. Heidi's version is even vegan, if you want to really blow people away.

My breakfast...and dessert.

Oatmeal Carrot Cookies
adapted from 101cookbooks

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch sea salt
1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup shredded carrots
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup butter, melted
½ tsp All Spice (I use Chinese 5 Spice because it is in my pantry)
½ tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, All Spice, and oats. Add the nuts and carrots. In a smaller bowl, use a whisk to combine the maple syrup, vanilla and butter. Add this to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Drop onto prepared baking sheets, one tablespoon at a time. Bake in the top 1/3 of the oven for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees or until the cookies are golden on top and bottom.

There you have it. A sure shot cookie for (almost) any occasion.
These might be the perfect break after all that Halloween candy. Speaking of...Happy Halloween! Go watch zombie movies! And happy birthday to my lovely Mom.

~eeg

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