Prep time: 15 minutes
Rest time: 12-24 hours
Cook time: 12 minutes
These were a labor of love. Cookies have always been a sore spot for me. Anyone else find them challenging? It feels like I go into battle with cookies every time. Taste-wise, they're always excellent. Getting the cookie to rise? No problem. But then they come out of the oven & fall flat as a pancake. Cool.
As part of my attempt to get the whole cookie thing right, I decided to try the old-school way of cookie baking... so I set aside the almond flour & coconut sugar & pulled out the classics: brown sugar & glutenous flour.
I don't typically bake with these ingredients, frankly, using them felt like swimming into uncharted waters. However, I want this space on the internet to include recipes for everyone: those who are gluten-free, dairy-free, keto, vegan, meat eaters, sourdough consumers, & the old-school style bakers. My goal is to have something here for everyone.
introducing the classics
That in mind, I've started the "classics." A group of recipes made with classic ingredients like brown sugar, cane sugar, all-purpose flour, or other glutenous grains.
Here's the caveat: I've always encouraged purchasing organic options whenever possible, but this is especially important to consider when using these "classic" ingredients.
Both wheat & sugar cane / sugar beets (where sugar comes from) are often treated with pesticides & other chemicals during the growing process. Modern agriculture uses chemicals like herbicides, insecticides, & fungicides as a means to protect crops from pests & diseases. The downside? The gut doesn't love it. Consuming these products on a regular basis can negatively impact our gut microbiome (& plenty of other systems within our body). So if you decide to use these ingredients, I highly recommend finding an organic option when you can!
recipe notes:
I had splet on hand from a recent bread recipe, so I grabbed the bag & combined it with a tad of oat flour to lighten it up. The spelt adds a nutty flavor that I find particularly comforting in the winter. I used ghee in the recipe but feel free to use the real deal, butter (I didn't have any). In fact, they might hold their shape more if you do.
These cookies are not puffy, & they're not gooey either. They're chewy. Not crispy. Soft? Yes. But not the kind to melt in your mouth. Honestly, they're the opposite of what I'd typically reach for in a bakery. Which is exactly why I'm sharing them. Everyone has their own preference of cookie so if you're the chewy type, these are for you.
considerations:
Don't skip chilling the dough: I can't emphasize this enough, especially if you use ghee like I did. Generally speaking, cookies hold their shape better the longer they chill. If you're using butter, you can usually get away with a mininmum of 30 minutes & not sacrifice its shape. Ghee, however, spreads instantly in the oven. This is because it's mostly fat, about 98%. Butter is about 82% fat, so, it has a tendency to hold it's shape better. Either way, your safe bet is to let the dough rest overnight. Annoying? Yes. But worth the thicker cookie? Definitely.
Swap the oat flour: If you'd prefer to use all-purpose, you can replace the oat flour 1:1. If you decide to use the oats, you can either blend whole oats into a flour or use store-bought oat flour.
Sugar content: If you'd like to scale back the sugar a bit, drop the cane sugar to 1/4 cup. I did this for one batch & they were great. I personally like a sweet dessert I would choose the full 1/3 cup for this one ;)
ingredients
8 Tbsp ghee
½ c brown sugar
⅓ c raw cane sugar
125g spelt flour
50g oat + 2 Tbsp
1 1/2 Tbsp of avocado oil
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 large egg + 1 yolk
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
¾ c dark chocolate chips
⅓ c walnuts, chopped
steps
If you already have oat flour on hand, go ahead & use that for this recipe. Otherwise, blend about 1/2 cup of oats in a small blender, coffee grinder, or food processor until you get a flour consistency. This should be enough for 50g plus 2 tablespoons. Add this to a medium-sized bowl.
In the same bowl, add the spelt flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, & sea salt, whisk together, then set aside.
In a small saucepan, melt the ghee over low heat. Turn off the stovetop then whisk in the brown sugar & cane sugar, mix until well combined.
Next, add one whole egg & an additional egg yolk, combine until your mixture looks glossy.
To the same saucepan, add the vanilla & avocado oil then mix until everything is well incorporated.
Pour the liquid mixture into your dry ingredients & mix until there are no dry bits of flour remaining.
Add your additions, for this recipe, I used walnuts & chocolate chips.
Cover your bowl with plastic wrap & place in the fridge for your dough to rest overnight - this is important!
Just before you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375F. Leave the dough in the fridge until your oven is ready. Once the oven has preheated, line a baking pan with parchment paper. *NOTE - make sure the pan isn't too hot otherwise, the cookies will start spreading sooner than you'd like.
Take out your dough & shape your cookies. Feel free to use a cookie scoop or simply roll into a ball that's about a few inches thick. *NOTE - they will spread so give each cookie lots of space, you may need more than 1 tray.
Sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt &place them in the oven to bake for 11-12 minutes. *NOTE - They will look very underdone, that's normal. Let them sit for at least 30 minutes & they'll be perfect, trust me. No one wants an overbaked cookie.
Serve & enjoy :)
Looking to start your sourdough journey?
I created a FREE guide with everything I wish I knew when I grew my first starter. Here's a step-by-step guide with printable pages, recipes, timelines, troubleshooting, & more!
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