Irresistible Oatmeal Currant Cookies

These are some of my favorite cookies ever!  Full of spice, they're nice and chewy, my personal favorite, due to using all brown, instead of part granulated sugar.  In addition, they're full of healthy add-in's, like rolled oats, wheat germ, whole wheat flour, and Zanté currants.  Of course, you can make some healthier versions using some of my tips found at the bottom of this post.  I tend to make these when I'm stressed out or need to find a reason to procrastinate, all good enough reasons in my mind.  This recipe makes two dozen cookies, but you can always double it to ensure that these don't disappear too quickly!  Or better yet, freeze half the batter so that you can whip up a batch whenever the occasion calls for it!

Irresistible Oatmeal Currant Cookies

2/3 stick butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour (half whole wheat pastry flour, half all-purpose flour)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 tablespoon wheat germ
1/2 cup dried Zanté currants (great for cookies, because they are smaller and get can better distributed in the batter! )
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Makes about 24 medium sized cookies.

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar in stand mixer with paddle attachment.  Mix in vanilla extract.  Add egg and beat until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Slowly add to wet ingredients and mix until just smooth (always mix as little as possible with baked goods!).
3. Using spatula, stir in rolled oats and currants.
4. Spoon drops of batter onto non-stick baking dish (Silpats are the best to avoid burned cookie bottoms and sticky situations!).  
5. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, depending on desired doneness.  Enjoy!

These cookies are hearty and delicious!  And, even better, flexible to your taste.  If you want to make a slightly healthier version, you can substitute half the butter with unsweetened applesauce or use a flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with 3 tablespoons water).  In general, apple sauce substitutions lend cookies a cake-like consistency, so keep that in mind.  If you're a chocolate lover (like my friend, Caroline), you could also add chocolate chips or other types of dried fruit, such as cranberries!  I'll stop now, since you've probably gotten the point.

What are your favorite types of cookies?  Do you prefer chocolate over dried fruit?  Do you tend to bake when you feel stressed out or are procrastinating (like myself) or only when you have free time on your hands?  I wanna know all about it!

Comments

[Alycia [Fit n Fresh]]

Hey! Loving the new blog :)

I loveeee oatmeal cookies - but I am unsure about currants. I've never had them! What do they taste like? lol

[Laura]

Thanks for checking out the new site Alycia! Actually, Zante currants are really a small variety of grape raisins, I'm not sure why they call them currants. Real currants are more tart, but these taste just like raisins, but since they are so small, they get better distributed in the batter and don't add too much sweetness!

Look for new posts soon!

xo Laura

[Teri [a foodie stays fit]]

yay for the new site! I can't wait to see more of your recipes. This one looks so good. I've never bought currants but see them every week at Whole Foods. :)

[Laura]

Currants are great! These ones (Zante) are actually small raisins, but real currants are much more tart. Yum! Thanks for coming to check out the new site :)