Oatmeal Raisin Cookies -- dairy free, sugar free, high protein

Elaine was waxing poetic about her love for pecan meal, so I was reminded of the oatmeal cookies I used to make that involved dates and pecan meal. Pecan meal and dates together do lovely things that put me in mind of brown sugar. Yes, alchemy afoot. These cookies use good things like ground nuts and coconut flour, some spelt flakes, chewy raisins, sweet spicy cinnamons, and fragrant ground vanilla. There is no cane sugar, although there is a little coconut sugar, which won't elevate blood sugar levels, to sweeten along with the dates and raisins.

The flavour is complex and yet homey, with a lot of the traditional oatmeal cookie about it. However, the ingredients elevate it to a health food, and make it a reasonable, high energy snack.

My three year old is crazy about these, and I myself find them seriously yummy. I'm not sure my husband would sit in the dark with a glass of milk and eat them by the dozen, but he does like them, too.

They are not gluten free because of the spelt flakes, but they are an updated twist on an old favourite. If you prefer oat flakes to spelt flakes, you can certainly use those. Or, you can try any other type of flaked grain you please, if you have a preference. I like spelt because of the texture, but pretty much any flaked grain will work here. To be honest, I used spelt flakes because we'd run out of oat flakes  ... I guess that just proves that I am an opportunistic cook.

ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

1/2 cup warm water

1/4 cup pitted honey dates

1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 egg

6 tbsp coconut sugar

1/2 tsp ground vanilla

1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp flax meal

1/2 cup pecan meal

1/2 cup blanched almond meal

1 cup spelt flakes (or large oat flakes or whatever flakes you fancy)

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp coconut flour

1/2 cup thompson raisins 

directions:

preheat your oven to 345

1. soak the dates in the warm water for 10 minutes, and then puree (I use a stick blender, but you can also use a food processor)

2. melt the coconut oil in the warm date puree

3. mix in your coconut sugar, your vinegar, and your egg

4. sitr in your cinnamon, vanilla, and sea salt

5. add the flax, pecan, and almond meal

6. mix in your spelt flakes and your baking soda

7. mix in your coconut flour

8. add the raisins

9. place spoonfuls on a lined baking sheet, and flatten with a wet fork

10. bake at 345 for 20 minutes

makes about 2 dozen (fairly large) cookies

yum!