Sac Foodies

I’m totally loving the new whole grains movement. I’m an ingredient label reader, and have been doing so on bread labels for the past couple years. However, as an avid baker and cookie maker, I’ve been resistant to adopt whole grains simply because I was afraid they wouldn’t be quite the same as “regular” cookies. So I set out on a mission…make a whole grain, nutrient-rich cookie that even my picky husband would enjoy. Part of this was taking the core of a good cookie recipe and including tasty, yet healthful, ingredients to make a cookie. I also made my first purchase of whole wheat flour, which I’d been resisting only for the fact that I was afraid of changing a formula I’d worked years at perfecting. So instead, I threw all the old recipes out and started anew with a recipe I made up on the spot, and it actually turned out pretty good. If it’s a little too “wheaty” for you, you may want to use 1 cup whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup white flour.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Oat Cookies

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup dried whole blueberries
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, blend together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside. Cream together butter, brown sugar, 1/4 cup sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add dry mixture to creamed butter. Stir in oats. After oats are fully incorporated, fold in blueberries and white chocolate chips. Blend together well.

Roll into 1 1/2-inch balls of dough, place on prepared cookie sheet and gently smash down. Sprinkle tops of unbaked cookies with white sugar. Bake for 13-14 minutes. Cool on rack.

By Kim Bedwell