A new wave of homesteaders is seeking the simple life and the kind of true satisfaction that is built, not bought. Plowing with Pigs (New Society Publishers, 2013) by Oscar H. Will III and Karen Keb will inspire and enable you to do more with less on your homestead. In this excerpt taken from chapter 10, “Cooking from Scratch,” learn how to make this yummy whole grain cookies recipe.
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Here’s a cookie everyone will love. It’s packed with whole grains and fiber, but deliciously sweet and filling. These morsels have a soft bite, yet crispy edges that have a deeply satisfying heft to them — you really can eat just one — in fact, we call them granola bars. They also freeze very well and can be eaten straight from the icebox.
Tip: When creaming the butter and sugar, don’t rush it. Ideally you should beat for 3–5 minutes, until the mixture is no longer gritty. Creaming incorporates air into the batter, creating a nice rise in the cookie.
Whole Grain Cookies Recipe
Makes 18 large cookies
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter, softened
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup turbinado sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Adjust oven racks to mid-upper and mid-lower positions.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until smooth, 3–5 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Stir in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then stir in the pecans, coconut, and chocolate chips.
3. Use a 1/4-cup measuring cup to drop cookies onto parchment- or Silpat-lined baking sheets.
4. Bake for 16 minutes until edges are browned, rotating trays from upper to lower racks and front to back, halfway through baking time. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Excerpted with permission from Plowing with Pigs and Other Creative, Low-Budget Homesteading Solutions by Oscar H. Will III and Karen Keb and published by New Society Publishers, 2013. Buy this book from our store: Plowing with Pigs.
