baking day - cherry oatmeal cookies

::  ready for baking!  ::

I decided that this summer I want to do more baking with my kids.   Partly so that we have healthy snack choices but also to expand on the baking methods that they are already familiar with, practice measuring skills and to talk about what foods we buy locally and where the other ingredients come from.

::  carefully measuring the ingredients  ::

::  "many hands make little work"!  ::

::  cookies should always come in an assortment of shapes and sizes!  ::

::  and they smell delicious too!  ::

We recently picked the cherries at a local farm and dried them ourselves so it was nice to use them in this recipe, however, the very sad part of this tale is that I am allergic to oats and my husband is a gluten free vegan!  So these delicious looking cookies are all for them!

Think of us if you make them won't you?!...sniff

~ joey ~

Here's the recipe...

Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

 Wisk together:

2 eggs

1 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

 Add:

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp hot water

2 cups quick oats

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/3 cup ground raw seeds (pumpkin/sunflower/sesame)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded raw coconut

3/4 - 1 cup chopped unsweetened dried cherries (you could also use raisins or other dried fruit)

Mix well.  Drop by spoonfuls and press down onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 9-11 mins.

Makes about 3 dozen small 2" cookies or

about 18 large 3 1/2" cookies.

p.s.....and sadly it turned out that the only local ingredients in this recipe were the eggs, water and cherries!  I'll try for a more local recipe next time! :o)