A little healthier version of an Oatmeal Cookie

Hi Everyone, 

After making some lactation cookies for my sister and eating a couple while I was up there I was really craving oatmeal cookies. 

 So I broke out my old and faithful Betty Cooker Baking Basics cookbook.  It has so many good recipes and perfect for if you are just starting baking.  

The recipe is called the Ultimate Oatmeal Cookies and they totally live up the name.  If i would have done exactly what the recipe called for I had everything at home but I really wanted to make oatmeal cookies with white chocolate chips, cranberry and walnuts.  So we made a quick trip to the store to grab the white chocolate chips but while we were at the store I thought why not try to make them a little healthier and do some substituting.  

I found this chart online. 

We also only had one egg and I didn't want to spend a dollar more for target eggs when I was going to the store the next day for groceries. So I switched out one egg for flaxseed (which I had already at home).  I was going to substitute some sugar for unsweetened applesauce (which I had at home too) but the recipe called for brown sugar not white and I didn't want to chance it.  The nice thing about these healthy substitutes is that i already had them at home so I could do these whenever I bake and make them a little bit healthier without having to do or buy anything crazy. 

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs (1 tbsp flaxseed with 3 tbsp of water for 1 egg) 
3 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 white chocolate chips
1/3 dried cranberries
1/3 walnuts

Directions

I placed the flaxseed with the water in a small measuring cups and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, I preheated the oven to 350 degrees and lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper (my new best friend).

I combined the brown sugar, butter, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, one egg and flaxseed until well mixed.  

Then I stirred in the oats, flour, chips, cranberries and walnuts. 

I used my large ice cream scoop and place 6 cookies on each sheet.  

I made sure that they were taller than wide and baked them for about 12 minutes. Checking on them until they were lightly golden.  I think I got about 15 cookies from this recipe.

 I think I'm getting addicted to the giant cookies. 

I let them rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes then transferred them to the island to really cool.

Oh guys, these cookies were so good.  So good that I hid them from Wes so he wouldn't have any.  Okay, I also hide them so I wouldn't grab one every time I walked by them. 

What I think really makes these cookies the 'ultimate oatmeal cookies' is the cinnamon.

  

I'm sure this is nothing new to oatmeal cookies with the other add-in's it just makes them so much better.

When you cook or bake, do you follow the recipe exactly or do you go your own way?
Do you prefer your cookies small or giant size?

-Megan