Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

It's no secret that I admire Alton Brown. If there is a baking based episode of 'Good Eats,' that I haven't seen I would be surprised, and quite excited to watch it! In fact, the photo in my title is one of cookies that I made altered from his 'the chewy one' cookie recipe. The episode in which he focuses on chocolate chip cookies. In this episode he explores three different types of cookies; the cakey cookies, the chewy cookie and the thin and crispy cookie. This has inspired me to do a miny cookie series.

I have spent years looking for the perfect oatmeal cookie recipe. When I lived in the states I got a taste for these delicious cookies and I'm ashamed to say I used to sneak an extra cookie for myself when serving these to guests etc. They were just so tempting! Since leaving the states I have failed to find to find anything that tastes as good as those cookies. To be fair the cookies in question were from a grocery store and probably contained pounds of fat and artificial flavourings but I know a better flavour can be achieved with natural ingredients.

For this particular series I am trying something completely different. Oatmeal cookies that are deliciously morish and, oh yeah, saturated fat free! Ok, wait, wait, don't give up on them yet. They won't be buttery and while I acknowledge that the incredible taste of butter is a central part of many cookies, including the traditional flap-jack and oatmeal cookie, I think that it's possible to achieve the flavour without the flab, so indulge me a moment. Then indulge in more of these....

Starting with the cakey ones, flapjack style!

Just to give you the idea

                        Healthy Oatmeal Cookies              vs                 Average Flap-jack cookies
Kcals                        80-90                                                                        200-300
Fat (Saturated)            0.2g                                                                            5.1g
     (Unsaturated)         3.0g                                                                            14.5g
Protein                         3.5g                                                                            2-3
Carbs                           16g                                                                             36.5g

Healthy Oatmeal cookies (the cakey ones)

4 egg whites
pinch of salt
30g caster sugar
30g stevia sweetner
120g ground almonds
150g rolled oats
40g  dried apple slices
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1. Beat the egg whites until frothy then add pinch of salt until firm.

2. Add the sugar and stevia and beat until a meringue has formed.

3. Put the dried apple, cinnamon, nutmeg and 50g of the ground almond into a blender or food processor and pulse until everything looks like bread crumbs.

4. Add the ground almond, the blended almonds and apple mixture and the oats into the meringue and stir to combine.

5. Pipe or spoon onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until browned all over. Remove from oven and cool on the tray for another 5-10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

These cookies are genuinely delicious. The apple disperses throughout the cookie and gives sweetness and texture. The almond provides the cakey elements and extra protein. The resulting cookie is soft and chewy. It's crisy on the outside and cakey on the inside and packs such a flavour punch that you will not miss the butter-filled version. So try these and enjoy =)

And how about dipped in coffee?!

Even better, yum!