Anytime wholesome spice cookies

Enjoy this easy recipe for wholesome spice cookies (no butter, no sugar) anytime you want, guilt-free.

So there's a funny story behind these spice cookies. Well, maybe more of an exasperating story but a story nonetheless.

Late one afternoon a few weeks ago, I had a craving for some soft cookies. Now, being able to whip up a batch of cookies whenever you feel like it is one of the great perks of working from home. Well, that and being able to wear yoga pants to "work," but I digress.

As regular readers know, I generally like my sweets a little less on the sweet side, so I decided to make a batch of molasses cookies. I pulled out an old recipe for a healthier, vegan molasses cookie, given that it was still Detox January.

Now, you know how in fifth grade your teachers tried to drill into your tiny head that it was always important to read all the directions first and assemble all the necessary supplies before you begin any task? Yeah, that. I'm here to tell you that it is still very, very important.

Too bad I didn't remember that when I started making my cookies.

You see, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to guess that a molasses cookie will more than likely CALL FOR MOLASSES. When I got to the "add molasses" step, I realized my jar of molasses was nearly empty.

Ah, for the love of pete...

Given that I was slumming in my yoga pants working, I didn't feel like schlepping to the store simply to buy molasses. So I improvised.

Lo and behold, my improvisation yielded a darned good cookie. Clearly not a molasses cookie, but a nicely spicy, not-too-sweet cakey cookie that, with the addition of the raisins, does double-duty as a breakfast cookie. Which is why I've called them "anytime" cookies.

And, holy crap, even though they don't have any butter or refined sugar, they are delicious!

Sometimes necessity really is the mother of invention. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't still read all the directions first or, as Norm from This Old House is fond of saying, measure twice, cut once.

Anytime Wholesome Spice Cookies

(inspired by a recipe from Shape magazine)


Ingredients:
2 tablespoons flax seed meal
1 egg white
1 banana, mashed
1 cup white whole-wheat flour (or just regular whole wheat flour)
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup barley malt syrup
2-3 tablespoons molasses
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 cup raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the flax seed meal and egg white with a fork until well blended. Set aside. Using the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, combine the mashed banana with the flour, oats, cinnamon, ginger and baking soda, mixing on low speed until combined. Add the flax mixture, barley malt syrup, molasses and maple syrup, again mixing on low speed until just combined. Fold in the raisins.

Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 20 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

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