Flax Seed Date Oatmeal Cookies

There comes a time when I’m snowbound and stir crazy (make that mixer crazy) when I have no no choice but to cave and make soft chewy comforting oatmeal cookies for absolutely no reason except for my own enjoyment. I know what will happen beforehand. I will eat way too much batter, get buzzed on sugar and then crash. But I didn’t care. The itch needed to be scratched.

The only question remaining this past weekend is what I would add to the cookies. To alleviate my guilt a bit, I added flax seeds and dates instead of something more decadent like chocolate chips and candied ginger. Both of the latter were giving me the come hither look from the pantry but I stayed strong.

The result was a partially guilt free cookie. The flax seeds added crunch as well as nutrition and the soft Medjool date pieces were just as sweet as chocolate chips.

The batter wasn’t bad either 🙂

(Adapted from Quaker Oats’ Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe)

Prep time: 15 minutes   Bake time: 8-10 minutes   Yield 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2  cup granulated sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon salt 
• 3  cups oats 
• 3/4  cup whole flax seeds
• 1 cup soft (medjool) dates, chopped

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
• Cream butter and sugars together in a mixer.
• Add the eggs and mix thoroughly.
• Beat in vanilla.
• Add flour mixture.
• Mix in oats then flax seeds and dates.
• Using a tablespoon, form balls of dough and place on cookie sheets
• Bake 8-10 minutes until the edges and tops are slightly brown (leave in a few minutes more if you like them less chewy)
• Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.