Tastes Like Food

It will be hard for your dairy + wheat loving friends to believe these yummy cookies are dairy-free, wheat-free and reduced fat. So there is no need to tell — unless they say they’re on a diet, then you can use those words to talk them into eating one (tee hee).

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sifted spelt flour (white)
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup oil (I use olive oil)
• 2 tbs Earth Balance (This is the best butter substitute. It tastes and acts very similar to regular butter. You can also use real butter if you like)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup agave nectar or honey
• 1 tbs rice milk (or other milk of your choice)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 generous cup semisweet chocolate chips (dairy-free)

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, beat on medium until well blended: oil, butter, sugar, egg, honey/agave, milk, vanilla.
3. Stir the oats and chocolate chips into the liquid batter.
4. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes so the oats can absorb some of the moisture.
5. Stir in the flour mixture. The dough will be soft, but should hold it’s shape (see picture below). If the dough isn’t super sticky and won’t hold it’s shape, stir in a little more flour 1 tsp at a time.
6. Drop by heaping measured teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Use either well-greased baking sheets, or parchment paper.
7. Bake 1 sheet at a time at 350° for approximately 8 minutes. Cookies will be tinged with brown on the edges and very slightly soft to the touch in the center.
8. After cooling on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes, transfer cookies to a baking rack to cool.

Makes about 3 dozen 2.5″ inch soft and chewy cookies. Adapted from the Joy of Cooking to be dairy-free, wheat-free and corn-free (no corn syrup or canola oil).

When you have the right consistency, the dough will holds its shape. These are dropped onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.