Extreme in the Raw Oatmeal Cookies

I am not a 100% raw girl, but I do try to eat alot of raw. I feel better and have way more energy. My diet downfall is mocha lattes, cookies, and anything cheesey-gooey. Oh ya baby. Cookies are a huge threat to my jeans, so I have found that if I make raw cookies, they taste better, and even though they are calorie-packed still, the calories are different. (not wasted) I am getting nutrients- alot, in those calories at least. Also, they seem to satisfy the craving with just one or two instead of...3, okay, 4 or 5, alright! Maybe 6. ugh.

These delightful critters are my favorites, because I can eat them for breakfast or lunch, and not feel guilty. They are good for my body. If I pack a couple around with me I avoid the tempting naughty treats at Starbucks and other places I frequent. There you have it, I have admitted that I frequent that coffee joint. Well, I do, and I am hooked. Besides, the baristas are nice to me.

Anyway,

Here's my answer to Starbuck's Outrageous Oatmeal Cookies- which are to-die-for, but mine-are-better!

Extreme in the Raw Oatmeal Cookies

I quartered a large, tart green apple

added a large, very ripe banana

1/4 flax seeds

1 TBS cinnamon

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 cup raw honey

threw 6 or 7 pitted dates

and blended it all with enough warm water to make a nice wet "goo" in my VitaMix. You really want it to be a wet goo to hold up against all the nuts and dried fruit. You don't want those goodies to crumble off when they are drying!

Then I added 1 cup of oats (I know these are steamed and not truthfully raw, but...oh well!)

1/2 cup raw almonds  (again, I know these are steamed, but...you know)

and 1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (the good stuff)

blend until just chunky.

I poured this out into a bowl and added another 1/2 cup of oats,
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2  cup broken pieces of pecans
1/2 cup broken pieces of walnuts
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of dehydrated blueberries from our summer picking last year
and some vanilla extract, about 1 tsp.





~*~ at this point, you can really throw in so many different things than what I have. "Instead of, or in addition to". Like: any nuts you like! Any dehydrated fruits, berries, things like peaches (which I had and forgot about! Darn it!), apples, bits of figs, dates, prunes, nut butters, dehydrtaed banana, coconut, or cherries. You get the idea. ~*~

Then I just mix that good stuff up, taste it to see if it's what I'm looking for. (It's delicious! Nutty, fruity, and I can taste that apple) Next I scoop it into spoonfuls on my dehydrator trays and press it down. I used parchment paper on the tray that I didn't have a thingy for. I know, "thingy"- but I can't remember the name of the plastic protector thingy that goes on my trays so gooey stuff doesn't stick in the ribs of the tray.
I dehydrate them at 105' for about 24 hours. I like a little crispiness on the edges. You may like to do it for less.

I have an "old school" Harvest snack master that works great. I was going to get the big dehydrator but changed my mind. I'm the raw fan, not my family, and I have no extra space to store such a big machine. There would be room if I gave up my coffee machine and my espresso machine, but nah, that ain't gonna happen!  *U*

My raw cookies are better looking and tasting than the baked version, which I also made for the ladie's group I'm attending tonight. Below are the baked cookies.

I had to taste one to make sure they were good enough for my friends... *U* They were good! But not as good as the raw ones, really.