Wholegrain Oats and Berry Cookies

 Healthy, wholesome and delicious Wholegrain Oat and Berry Cookies make a great snacking option for in- between hunger pangs. 

  

This season has been of the unanticipated and out of occasion rains. Rains have ensured that the cold stays on for some more time. We woke up to a sky crammed with moisture-laden gray clouds. The late morning felt like early morning. Warm winds blew, spreading the clouds evenly in the sky that looked scary with dark clouds looming low over the hills. The rain came down in big drops that soon turned into a heavy downpour. Small puddles formed in the fields that merged into each other forming a larger water body, muddy and murky.

Later in the evening, as the rain stopped, there were bulbuls huddled together in the branches of bougainvillea. 

A Brahminy Starling pecked some grains of millet from our veranda and joined the bulbuls.  

Kids have been working hard for their annual exams. In between their study hours, they took a small break and joined us in baking Wholegrain Oats Cookies.

The cookies are wholesome and filling. It makes a healthy snack option. We used clarified butter (ghee from cow’s milk) and mixed dry berries. Dried figs, cranberries and any candied dehydrated fruit would also make a good option. Keep sweetness on the lower side to get the right flavour and taste of the ingredients.

Wholegrain Oats and Berry Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup wholewheat flour
• 1 cup oats
• 1/2  teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pinch rock salt
• 3/4  cup unrefined cane Sugar (khandsari or boora Sugar)
• 1/2 cup Ghee (preferably from cow’s milk)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4-6 tablespoons warm milk
• 1/4 cup mixed candied berries (cranberries, raspberries) or black currants

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together first four ingredients.
2. In another deep bowl, beat ghee with sugar.
3. Add vanilla extract.
4. Now add dry flour mix. Mix well. Add berries.
5. Now add 2 tablespoons of warm milk. Mix. If the mixture feels dry, add 2 tablespoons of milk again. Mix with hands. The mixture should come together like a dough. It should be a little dry, but not overly wet and sticky.
6. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Line one baking tray with parchment paper.
7. Take walnut size balls of dough and flatten them. If you want cookies with clean edges, use a cookie cutter or a lid of the bottle. Press firmly on the flattened dough.
8. Arrange cookies on the baking tray about 1 ½ inch apart. The cookies will expand while baking.
9. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The cookies will bloat and then flatten while baking. The cookies should brown uniformly.
10. Turn off the heat and transfer the cookies to the rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

My Tip 

The dough should be soft and pliable. It should not be sticky. Add more milk only if the dough feels dry. Use berries or dry fruit of your choice.