Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

Alright, fair warning, these are cookies, but they also taste healthy. So if you are like me and you like to pretend like your desserts sometimes boost your nutritional morality, make these cookies. But don't try to pass them off as "oatmeal chocolate chip" to your friends, neighbors, or children.

Feel free to be creative with the add-ins (i.e. dried cranberries, dark chocolate, and toasted walnuts). I think almost any dried fruit -- chopped appropriately -- would be great in these. Switch out your chocolates, toast up different nuts, whatever you're feeling.

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

(scaled down from BH&G -- makes 6-7 cookies)

1 Tbsp butter, soft

2 Tbsp brown sugar

4 tsp white sugar

pinch each of cinnamon and salt

1/8 tsp soda

1 Tbsp egg substitute

1/4 tsp vanilla

4 Tbsp flour

3 Tbsp rolled oats

1 Tbsp flax seeds

1 Tbsp wheat germ

1/2 oz chopped dark chocolate (or choc chips)

1 Tbsp dried cranberries

1 Tbsp chopped walnuts

1. Heat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugars, cinnamon, salt, and soda. Beat until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined, then flour. Stir in oats, flax, wheat germ, chocolate, cranberries, and walnuts (dough will be crumbly).
2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased or parchment-lined cookies sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes, or until tops are lightly browned. Don't overbake: part of the trick to healthy cookies is supplementing them with that less healthy-tasting gooey cookieness.