Oatmeal Cookies

Made my hubby some delicious oatmeal cookies this morning.  These are kind of chewy and are still like that after they cool off.  I’m very pleased with the chewy texture of these and have used this basic cookie dough for many cookie variations over the last 2 years. So far I have done variations with fresh cherry, pineapple and pecan, dried prune , currant-spice, pumpkin, and chia-chai .  All have been delicious.  If you’re tired of dry/brittle cookies and seek a low carb cookie that is moist and chewy, this one you really need to try!  They also freeze well and are even chewier when eaten right out of the freezer!!  These are not suitable until the grains rung of the Atkins Phase 2 OWL carb reintroduction ladder.

DO NOT SUBSTITUTE OTHER SWEETENERS FOR THE SUGAR-FREE HONEY IN THESE OR THEY WILL NOT COME OUT CHEWY!  I discovered that the hard way. Real honey will work, but will also jack up the carbs considerably!

INGREDIENTS:

2 c. almond flour

½ c. coconut flour

1 T. oat fiber (substitute 100% certified gluten-free oat flour for a gluten-free version)

1 tsp. glucomannan powder (konjac powder)

1/8 tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking soda

½ c. granular Splenda (or equivalent sweetener to = ½ c. sugar)

1 T. erythritol

½ c. chopped pecans

½ c. rolled oats (100% certified gluten-free if you require that)

½ c. melted coconut oil or butter (or any combination of the two)

2 T. almond butter

1 T. vanilla extract

1 egg, beaten

¼ c. sugar-free honey (NO SUBSTITUTES or they won’t be chewy)

5 chopped dried prunes (much lower in carbs than raisins)

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350º.  In a large mixing bowl measure in all dry ingredients.  In a smaller bowl, stir the almond butter and oils together until smooth.  Beat in the egg, vanilla and imitation honey.    Add the chopped prunes  on top and stir well to form a smooth dough.   Roll dough into 28  1″ balls of dough and place them onto parchment or silicone-lined baking sheets.  Leave 1″ space between cookies as they don’t spread much during cooking.  Press balls down slightly flat to about a 2″ circle and pop pans into preheated 350º oven.  Bake for about 7-8 minutes.  Do not over brown these cookies or texture will be drier and prone to crumble more.  Remove from oven and COOL COMPLETELY on the pans before removing with a spatula.  These are delicate while hot but “firm up” nicely when cooled. Store in an airtight container on counter or freeze up t 1 month.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:   Makes 28 cookies, each contains:

120 cals, 10.4g fat, 6.03g carbs, 2.21g fiber, 3.82g NET CARBS  (without prunes, 5.18 g carbs, 2.10 fiber, 3.08 NET CARBS), 2.82g protein, 58 mg sodium

HOMEMADE IMITATION HONEY: If you have real honey (too high in carbs) but really don’t want to run to the store or order sugar-free honey, I have a solution inspired by a recipe I saw on Birgit Kerr’s blog Birgitkerr.blogspot.com.  My recipe is to simply boil for 2-3 minutes: ¼ c. erythritol, 2 T. + 1 tsp. real honey and 1 pkt. stevia (or Splenda).  Cool (thickens as it cools) and put in airtight jar.  My version is here if you want to print a copy: https://buttoni.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/imitation-sugar-free-honey/  TIP:  If it crystalizes in your pantry over time, just soften in the microwave on DEFROST for 1  minute or plunge into a pot of slow simmering warm water a minute or so before using.