Oats, dates and peanut butter yield a different sort of cookie

I recently made a big batch of peanut butter cookies for a fundraiser, which only made me want to bake some for myself. I always think of oatmeal, or peanut butter cookies, as the “healthy” ones. But I wanted to dig deeper. How could I turn them into something my body really loves me to eat?

I’ve made the flourless cookies before, and they are pretty good. But I’ve been experimenting with various types of flour, and with using dates to sweeten the foods I make.

This recipe is basically a plant-based cookie. The texture is quite different, sort of a cross between a cookie and a muffin, which didn’t make me feel bad for eating one (or two) for breakfast. The combined concept is like a cronut, but the sound of mookie, or cuffin just doesn’t roll off the tongue the way cronut does.

Whatever we call it, the flavor and texture are both enjoyable, though a little different. The cookies are moist, but crumbly. Dark chocolate chips, and/or toasted nuts could be added for even more flavor and texture. I may try peanuts in the next batch.

These are great for breakfast and snack time, and they certainly contain ingredients our bodies are happy with. It feels good to love the food we eat yet nourish our bodies with the healthy nutrients found in oats, dates, and peanut butter.

Enjoy food made fresh!

Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Cookie Chews

1 cup rolled oats 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 2/3 cup date paste, made from 10 to 12 dates 1/3 cup peanut butter ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Blend oats in a highspeed blender on high until ground into a textured flour. Add baking powder and stir to combine.

Prepare date paste by soaking pitted dates in warm water for about 20 minutes. Drain, and add to a highspeed blender. Pulse on high until smooth. A tablespoon or two of water may be added to loosen the mixture.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together date paste and peanut butter until smooth. Mix in the vanilla. Add oat flour mixture and stir until all ingredients are well combined.

Scoop out dough and roll into 8 balls. Place on the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Use the tines of a fork and make a crosshatch design atop each ball of cookie dough, mashing slightly.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Makes 8 cookies. Angelina LaRue, author of “The Whole Enchilada: Fresh and Nutritious Southwestern Cuisine,” grew up at White River Lake, lives in Idalou and writes a weekly food column for local newspapers.