Oatmeal Raisin Banana Cookies

My husband loves oatmeal cookies and when we gave up butter and wheat flour he thought cookies were off the table, so to speak. Much to both of our delight, I invented these cookies that use while rolled oats, raisins, walnuts, bananaand some flour to make the real deal! They are fast, easy, and forgiving!

Oatmeal raisin cookies - with banana

About 2-3 cups of oats (use gluten free if you need that)

1 ripe banana 

1/2-3/4 c flour - I use millet or sorghum or a combination

1/2 -2/3 cup raisins (your taste)

2/3-3/4 c walnuts (your taste)

1.5 Tablespoons maple syrup

1-2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tablespoons almond or soy milk if needed for moisture, but you might not need it if your banana mash to oat ratio is a good texture. You might use only a few drops. 

I add 1Tablespoon amaranth seeds

And 1 Tabkespoon nutritional yeast but neither is necessary

Put the dry ingredients together and mix well. You can mash the banana in a separate bowl with the syrup and almond milk - or mash the banana right into the oat mixture - as you would butter - adding the syrup and whatever milk you need to give that cookie dough texture! Add raisins and nuts and put Tablespoon sized dollops on a silicone baking sheet at 350 degrees F for 15-30 minutes depending on the size of your dollops and how crisp you want them to be. Makes 12-20 cookies. Let cool and crisp up. Outer surface delightfully crunchy with a softer inner texture. We love 'em!

Oat Bran Muffins, with fresh & dried fruits

Our first prolonged snow flurries decorated the fallen apple leaves when I got up this morning, calling out for morning muffins. I had one ripe banana and decided to try oat bran muffins, with flecks of carrot for color, crunch of walnuts, sweetness of raisins and freshly grated apple. With a little help from maple syrup and apple jelly syrup (a failed jelly experiment that has been great for baking), these were even sweet enough for my husband to eat them without the usual dab of honey. If you use no oil, like I do, you will need silicone non-stick muffin cups. The combination of chick pea, brown rice, oat bran, flax and all makes for a nutritious vegan muffin without trading away anything at all in the way of texture or flavor or satisfaction.


OAT BRAN MUFFINS WITH FRESH & DRIED FRUITS

1/4 cup chick pea flour
1/4 cup brown rice four
1/4 cup potato starch
1/3 cup oat bran
1/2 cup sorghum flour
2 TBSP ground flax seed
1 TBSP nutritional yeast
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 TBSP maple syrup
1 TBSP apple jelly syrup (or use more maple syrup)
1/2 cup almond milk
1 mashed ripe banana
1 grated carrot
1 grated (peeled/seeded) apple
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 400F.  (You will turn this down after a few minutes of baking.)

Mix all the dry ingredients (first 9 on the list).
Mix all the wet ingredients (the next 6), leaving the raisins and walnuts out for now.
Stir the wet into the dry, making sure you moisten all the dry into a thick spongy texture.
Now stir in the raisins and walnuts, saving out 7-8 walnut pieces to stick one in the top of each muffin.

Using a big spoon (serving spoon or tablespoon) put large blobs of batter into each non-stick silicone muffin cup, sticking a walnut piece into the top for crisping and decoration. Place these on a baking sheet and put into oven for 5-10 minutes SET THE TIMER!!  TURN DOWN THE OVEN TO 350F and BAKE for another 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool a few minutes before popping out of the silicone cups -- cool a few more before eating. ENJOY THEM WARM. They can be quite moist inside from the banana... but ought to taste fully baked, not undercooked. That crisped walnut adds an important element!

Sunflower Raisin Buckwheat Muffin

Emmer wheat turns out to be farro and my local food coop found a relatively local source! So I couldn't resist trying this early simple form of wheat, ground into fine flour. I am not willing to accept that I must always have the flavor of brown rice flour in everything I bake. So these are not gluten free, but they are still whole grain and no oil! I wanted something hearty, full flavored, textured and with the sweetness of raisins for my darling who loves raisins. The best ideas sometimes come at the last minute... adding the crunch and depth of sunflower seeds to the muffins just as I put them in the oven!

SUNFLOWER RAISIN BUCKWHEAT MUFFINS
2/3 cup Emmer wheat flour
1/3 cup buckwheat flour
1/3 oat bran
1/3 cup apple sauce
2 heaping TBLSP black currant fruit spread (or any other fruit spread you like)
1 tsp agave
1 tsp fennel
1 tsp amaranth grains
1/4 cup raisins (or fresh cherries!)

1/3 cup soy milk
1 TBSP nutritional yeast
1.25 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
1/3 sunflower seeds pressed into the tops of the muffins prior to baking

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in the larger of two bowls. Mix all the wet stuff in the second bowl (the jam gave this a lovely color and flavor undercurrent). Save out the raisins and sunflower seeds.
2. Add raisins as you mix the wet into the dry.  Fill 6 silicone muffin cups placed on a baking sheet. Cover the tops with sunflower seeds!
3. Bake at 375F 45 minutes.

Sunflower Raisin Buckwheat Muffins makes 6

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 muffin (100g)

Amount Per Serving		% Daily Value*
Calories	238	12%
Total Fat	5g	7%
Saturated Fat	1g	3%
Trans Fat
Cholesterol		0%
Sodium	25mg	1%
Total Carbohydrate	44g	15%
Dietary Fiber	5g	21%
Sugars	13g	0%
Protein	8g	17%

Vitamin A	1%	•	Vitamin C	2%
Calcium	7%	•	Iron	10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs.courtesy of cronometer.com using my data.