Give An Easy Recipe for Oatmeal Cookies A Healthy Makeover

Before you start stirring up the batter for these tasty cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and assemble the following baking tools:

• Two large mixing bowls
• Cookie sheets
• Wire racks
• Spatula
• Electric mixer
• Waxed paper

Next, gather all the ingredients and let them stand at room temperature. The reason you want to do this is so they will blend better and produce a better tasting cookie.

1. If you do not have enough cookie sheets, you can flip a cake-baking pan upside down and use the bottom as a substitute.
2. Cut the stick of butter into smaller chunks and let soften at room temperature rather than melting the butter on the stovetop or in a microwave. Why? Melted butter can make your cookies runny and thin whereas softened butter will blend and combine with the other ingredients to make a firmer, delicious cookie.
3. If you prefer a crispier cookie, add about one to two minutes to the cooking time. This recipe makes a soft oatmeal cookie. Store in a loosely covered container and add a slice of apple to keep the cookies moist.

A two-tablespoon serving of flax seeds furnishes 3600 mg of Omega-3’s and 6 g dietary fiber according to the label information on Bob’s Red Mill Organic Natural Raw Whole Flaxseed. Wheat germ furnishes 4 g protein and 2 g fiber in a 2-tablespoon serving.  Adding these healthy ingredients is a good way to boost the nutritional value of a comfort food like cookies.  (Nutrition information for the wheat germ is taken from the label of Kretschmer Original Toasted Wheat Germ.)

Most experts agree that reducing the amount of fat in one's daily diet is a smart nutrition choice. By replacing part of the fat (butter) with a lower-fat ingredient (applesauce), you improve the healthy aspect of these cookies.

 Images copyright 2012 by Donna Cosmato, all rights reserved