Loaded: Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts

When I was young, maybe starting at 10 or 11 years old, my cousin Lin and I would make up our own cookie recipes. We had a lot of misses including one M&M cookie recipe that I accidentally used cornstarch instead of flour, oppsy! Oh wow, can you just imagine!?! My cousin, Rich, still gives me a hard time about that to this day as he was one of our taste testers, lucky him...the container wasn't labeled, it looked like flour. To speed the process, we even tried making cookies in my mom's 1980's microwave (with the turn dial to set the time). Ya, that didn't turn out so good.


It was really fun for us to to keep trying though and my dear grandmother, who was a phenomenal baker, would encourage us. Every once in a while we would nail it and come up with something so delicious. The only problem, we would never write down what we put in it, what were we thinking? We weren't, we were only ten. This simple hobby of sorts from my childhood has ingrained in me the basic components of cookies and has allowed me to tweak almost any recipe to make it just a little bit healthier. Enter, the chocolate chip cookie, so classic and yummy, right? Did you know that you can make it better, and pack it with nutrition? Absolutely!


When I am craving a cookie, like I did the other night, I usually make it from scratch, and maybe run a few extra miles to earn it. Cookies are probably the simplest of bake goods and practice makes for a better cookie. Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookies, there's probably 100's of versions of this cookie out there, but below recipe is my rendition and I call it "Loaded," for short. It has everything that could possibly taste good in a cookie, ya know, covering all the bases. Plus, nutritious. I incorporated walnuts that contain high omega-3 fatty acids, which improve your heart health, reduce inflammation and lower your risk of chronic disease. The oatmeal is a good source of soluble and insoluble fiber, a good aid for digestion. The natural peanut butter, is obviously a good source of protein and antioxidants. And, the chocolate, I can't remember off the top of my head what it's good for really, other than it makes me very happy, yup! My take is also made with whole wheat flour, which makes it a little bit more wholesome. Just as long as you keep moving your body, you can absolutely treat yourself to this "out of this world" cookie because it's filled with good for you ingredients. Enjoy!!!


Loaded: Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1-1/4 cups brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2-2/3 cups rolled oats
• 1 package (12-ounce) semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 
  
• Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon pads. (I sometimes use foil)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

In another large bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar. Cream until well incorporated. You can use a mixer, but literally I used a simple wooden spoon, it can be done. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time.

In small batches mix in dry ingredients to the wet ingredients saving the rolled oats for last (scrap sides of bowl in-between mixes). Once well mixed, fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Drop a rounded tablespoon of dough on prepared baking sheet leaving about 2 inches of space between.

Bake on center rack for 8-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to wire cooling racks to cool.

Makes about 4 dozen