Wholegrain Chocolate Walnut and Oat Cookies

Crisp cookies with the goodness of wholegrain,  oats, and walnuts make a great snacking option. Chocolate and cinnamon lend a lovely flavour and makes the cookies addictive.

December got early snow this year. Trees have shed the leaves and the forest looks a dull brown. The twigs crunched under the feet as we walked towards the forest. Strands of thin light filtered through the branches forming myriad patterns on the mossy ground. The beauty of the forest is always comforting and soothing, especially in the morning. And, a trip to the forest is always rewarding. 

 

We discovered walnuts scattered on the stony forest floor under a massive walnut tree. We picked them all.

The walnuts from wild trees have a very hard shell. It really requires a lot of patience to get the kernels out. And, in the hills, there is always enough time to sit in the Sun and enjoy  this activity.

We collected the milky sweet kernels and used some in our cookies.

The Cookies are eggless, wholegrain and studded with crunchy walnuts. Almonds also make a good addition in place of walnuts. A pinch of cinnamon adds a lovely flavour. 

Wholegrain Chocolate Walnut and Oat Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• ¾  cup whole wheat flour
• 100 Gms butter (½ cup)
• ¾ cup unrefined sugar 
• 1 pinch   salt
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch baking soda
• ½ tsp cinnamon powder
• ½ cup walnuts or almonds chopped fine
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

1. Sieve together whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2.  Add rolled oats and walnuts/almonds and mix well. 
3. In a separate bowl beat butter and sugar till light and creamy. Add cinnamon powder and mix well.
4. Add dry ingredients to this butter mixture. 
5. Mix with hands.  The mixture should resemble bread crumbs.
6. Add two tablespoons of milk. Mix. If the mixture does not come together as a dough, add more milk. If the mixture feels very dry, only then add another tablespoon of milk.  The dough should be very soft and not sticky.
7. Line a baking tray with a parchment sheet.
8. Take a small portion of the dough, roll it between the palms and flatten it. Arrange the cookies on the greased baking tray leaving a little space between them. 
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees C for about 15 minutes. 
10. Once done, remove from the baking tray after 5 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container.

My notes

Add the third tablespoon of milk only if required. The dough should not be too wet and sticky. The cookies are ready in fifteen minutes. Because the cookies are dark, it is difficult to judge the change in colour. If cooked for more then 15 to 17 minutes, they start burning from the bottom. Remove cookies after 5 minutes from the tray. The cookies are very soft and tend to break if removed early.