I didn't end up enjoying German theater or opera last night because well, it was all in German. Duh. Well, actually, I had hoped that the program would include more dance and perhaps some ex-pat, English speaking theater. There was one English theater company, F40 representin' but by the time I realized it, I was too late. Next year?
Today's been a lazy Sunday and although I planned on going out, I have yet to allow even one tiny toe a venture outside our flat. Staring at overcast, dreary skies, I decided instead to catch up on emails, my napping, and most importantly, my baking. However, with the shops perpetually closed on Sundays (DAH!), I was a bit limited in what I could whip up. But when I came across this recipe in my files, I decided I'd make it work. I'm not sure where it came from originally but I know I copied it down while babysitting for a family in Milwaukee eons ago. I found these little fiber packed guys quite tasty and a bit healthier than the tried and true oatmeal cookie recipe from the Quaker Oats container. Hence, my so very witty title:
Health(ier) Cookies
1/2 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
(In Germany, they tend to use raw sugar instead of brown sugar. This works fine in most recipes, I've noticed. I used nearly a cup of brown sugar and eliminated the white sugar altogether and still, they were plenty sweet. Next time, I will hike up the amount of dried fruit and reduce the sugar further. Another idea would be to use a low sugar but flavored yogurt like vanilla.)
1 cup (8 oz) plain low fat yogurt
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 T. vegetable oil
(Olive oil, though not ideal, seemed to have worked okay.)
2 tsp. vanilla
(Okay, I went through this last fall. Back then, I had asked a dude in the grocery store for help with this. He said that they don't do vanilla extract here. Instead, he gave me this packet of what's essentially vanilla flavored sugar. We didn't have any of that in the house today but my roomie found almond extract which I used instead. Our kitchen now smells absolutely nut-tastic!)
1 tsp. baking soda
(So the baking soda issue in Germany is also confusing. Some say that baking soda doesn't exist here but the internet tells me otherwise. It's called Natron apparently but I have yet to find the stuff. I've been using Backpulver instead which is baking powder and I've been okay in my recipes thus far. I'm sure bakers everywhere are tsk tsk'ng me right now for being so nonchalant about the difference between the two but cut me a break...I'm just trying to make cookies in a foreign land!)
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 c. oats
1 c. raisins
(A half cup of some random chopped prunes along with a bit of shredded coconut, I have found, will work just fine).
Bake at 350 on an ungreased pan for 28-32 minutes. Ta da!
Cookies are done, roomie is happy, tummies are satiated, and now it's time to finally get my arse outside for a walk. It's not dark yet!
2 comments:
Update: Last night, after posting this, roomie admonishes me from other room: "RACHAEL, we have vanilla extract in Germany!!" I am glad to learn that Grocery Guy was a big fat liar. Now roomie has offered to take me on a little field trip to the grocery store where she will point out where everything is so I stop acting like Germany doesn't have anything I'm used to. Always glad to be proven wrong, especially when it relates to the baking process.
Hi Rachael Naomi from the kindergarten here! I'm really enjoying reading your blog. And it's a blog with a cookie recipe too - my favourite kind. Try looking in the cleaning section for Natron and the Asian grocery for brown sugar. Raw sugar just doesn't squish as satisfyingly.
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