Snacks are treated with respect in my house. For one I have a kid who, like any other, burns so much energy during the day that needs to fuel up his little tummy a couple of times between meals to continue with his explorations.
Second, I'm one of those people who can't be taken out (safely) without a bag of healthy refreshments for fear of seeing the hangriest side of me. Be careful if you happen to be around me or any other fellow sufferer. Many times I had to say sorry for what I said while being in this emotional-physical state, luckily my partner always manages to laugh it off, although he never forgets to remind me to pack something "just in case".
So being a good mum, and making sure I contribute towards the success of my relationship I always have food handy to take when we are on the run.
I came across a wholesome cookie recipe the other day while looking through Amy Chaplin's cookbook At Home in the Whole food Kitchen, her recipe is vegan (and wonderful) but I've change a few things including the addition of eggs as I happened to had the most delicious pasture ones from Ollifffarm.
These cookies are quick to make and quick to bake, so no need to plan your baking ahead. Apart from the cardamom powder and the tart cherries (which you can substitute with golden raisins) the rest of the ingredients are pillars of a wholesome pantry.
Keep then in an airtight container if you like them chewy or pop them in the fridge for maximum crunch.
Almond and cherry cookies
Makes 15 thick cookies scooped out of a 1/4 cup
Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup almond meal
1 cup wholemeal spelt flour
1/2 tsp aluminium-free baking powder
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup /160g extra virgin coconut oil, melted
1 cup coconut sugar (if you make them as kids snack reduce sugar to 3/4 cup)
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange (I used grapefruit)
1/2 cup dried cherries (if they are too hard soak in boiling water for 10 minutes and drain), sliced in halves
1/4 cup toasted almonds, roughly chopped
Method:
Preheat oven to 180ºC and line a baking tray with baking paper. Set aside.
Combine oats, spelt flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt and cardamom in a bowl. In a separate one, Mix coconut oil and coconut sugar until the latter dissolves; add egg, vanilla and orange zest. Whisk well. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until everything is well mixed. Add cherries and almonds.
Scoop cookie dough onto the baking sheet using a 1/4 cup measure dipped into water and shaken to make the dough slide out easier. Flatten the top with the palm of your hand and bake for 15 min or until the edges are slightly golden.
Carefully transfer the cookies to a cooling rack, they'll be very soft but will harden as they cool down.
Store in an airtight container, and if you want them crunchy, keep in the fridge.