Five Minute Fix

Ok, I had a little more than 5 minutes, but between nursing the baby, entertaining the toddler, and doing laundry, the actual mixing time amounted to little more than that.  It's a cool, gray, Autumn morning here in NC and I was craving pumpkin muffins.  I scanned my Pinterest recipes and found that the easiest one would take more coordination than I had this morning, so I opted for a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe instead.  It's one that I have been tweaking over the last few years in my efforts to make recipes that the whole family can enjoy (including my 12 year old who has Celiac Disease).  Here goes:

The Good-For-You (and almost anyone) Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 cups "flour" (I use gluten-free oats that I grind into flour in my coffee grinder.  You can use white flour, wheat flour, pretty much whatever flour you like.)

1 cup "nut butter" (again, my favorite is peanut butter, but any nut butter will do...just if you use natural you will have to add 1/4 c of oil or applesauce)

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon (if you are using applesauce for your natural nut butter, just use cinnamon applesauce)

1/4 cup ground flaxseed (again, I do this in my coffee grinder)

1 cup dark chocolate chips (or vanilla, or regular chocolate, or whatever your fancy)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 to 1/2 cup natural cane sugar (depending on how sweet you like your cookies)

3/4 cup whole oats

1/4 cup chopped nuts

Mix all of the above together either by hand or a mixer.  If I have time, I carefully beat the nut butter and sugar until creamy then add the eggs.  On hectic days, it all goes in the mixer pretty much at once.  Once blended, you can add even more mix-ins:

Mix-Ins:  raisins, dried cherries, dried apples, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, listen to your taste buds and be creative!

Mix-Ins do make for heavier cookies, so bake times may vary.   Bake for 10-14 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  Parchment paper goes a long way towards keeping your cookies moist and evenly cooked.  Enjoy!