I promised myself when I started this blog that I would NEVER make y’all read through my nonsense in order to get to a recipe. I am going to keep that promise BUT I want you to know that I have a whole “my mom is great and this is why I didn’t use eggs” thing after the recipe. Feel free to read that too.
This recipe makes 24 kinda big cookies
Ingredients
1 cup butter (two sticks), softened – vegan butter will work too!
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce*
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon – or more. Measure with your heart here.
3 cups quick cooking oats
12 oz chocolate chips**
Directions
In a big ass bowl mix together butter and both sugars. Add the apple sauce, mix until smooth and kinda gross looking.
In a separate – also decently sized – bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Use a handheld mesh sifter/strainer thing to add the baking soda if you want to avoid having lumps of it in the mixture.
Stir the dry mix into the wet batter. Add the oats and chocolate chips. Mix well. Cover and let sit in the fridge or a cool place for at least an hour***
Preheat over to 375F (190C)
Line cookie sheets with aluminum foil or use a silicone baking mat. Scoop out about 1/4 cup size potion of dough, roll into a ball, place it on the sheet, and press it down with your fingers. Repeat five more times.
Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven. The edges should be crispy looking and the top should be a golden color. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. DO NOT REMOVE THEM BEFORE THAT. They will fall apart. I promise. Once cooled, transfer to a wire wrack – I use a round pizza pan with holes in the bottom so…y’know…use what you have.
Store in ziplock bags or an airtight container. Ours were gone in 36 hours so I have no idea how long they last past that.
*1/2 cup of applesauce = 1 egg
** I used chocolate chips but you can use whatever you want. Live your best life.
*** I used half the dough and then stored the other half in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, for two days. I have no idea if the dough will last longer than that but we’re all still alive over here so two days in the fridge seems okay. Make the right choice for you and your family.
Seriously, look at these babies. So good.
Okay, now for the personal stuff.
My mom is an excellent home cook. I had no idea until I was an adult that not everyone could cook because Mom made a point of having my siblings and me in the kitchen with her. It was important to her that we learned how to cook and bake. We didn’t have a lot of money so nearly everything was made from scratch. I remember that she had this big jar in the kitchen that was always filled with homemade cookies. Usually oatmeal or chocolate chip. They were soft and delicious and I have been chasing the joy of those cookies most of my adult life.
This recipe? It unlocked that joy. The cookies are chewy and have the perfect kiss of cinnamon. It snowed here in Brooklyn yesterday and the cookies went perfectly with a hot cup of coffee and a trashy romance novel.
This recipe also fits my family and our needs perfectly. My husband is a Hindu and he offers his food to Krishna before consuming it. Eggs aren’t an offerable food – and also I don’t like them – so we needed cookies that are egg free. These cookies also have a decently sized surface area, which is great because Haggis has been obsessed with sprinkles. We were able to add frosting – vanilla funfetti – to a cookie and then top it with the unicorn sprinkles that came with the frosting. That cookie was offered to our Ancestors. I’d show you what it looks like but it’s already been earthed (aka put in the trash).
I’m not saying that you have to make this recipe but I am saying that if you enjoy tasty cookies that feel like a hug from my amazing mother this is the recipe for you.
I’m also saying that these cookies are the perfect excuse to keep your asses inside. Because it’s cold and covid is still raging. Make these cookies. Get vaccinated. Wear a mask outside.
See y’all soon.
Hávamál Mama 