hi folks! how are we all doing? great i hope!
how am i?! well, work is working, life is life-ing, spring is springing, kid activities are starting to take over our calendar (slowly, then all at once)…it’s all happening!
in minor dinner news: we are slowly starting to introduce table salads into our regular rotation. you know…a salad for the table that you all just kinda tuck into? like table fries, but made with lettuce? for some reason (*cough* i’m afraid of my children *cough*) i haven’t really prioritized this simple PLEASURE. a nice crunchy salad? a lovely dressing? croutons and other fun toppings?! yes please! the kids get a mini version, a lil amuse bouche, and sometimes they eat it and sometimes they don’t but they definitely chomp on the toppings. so that’s….something? i’ll take anything.
other than the salads, we’re pretty much stuck on a rotation of the classics - pastas, nuggets, pizza, snack plates, eggs for dinner, takeout…mama’s bored. i went through a bunch of cookbooks the other day and have a big list of things i would like to try. i also got a bunch of great ideas from folks on instagram, so make sure you’re following us there to see if/when land on literally anything new. but maybe this is just what happens over the winter? there’s no fun produce to get excited about, everyone’s just trying to grit through it, and then suddenly it’s rhubarb/asparagus/ramp season and everything’s okay again.
i can’t help but wonder…will my kids eat ramps or asparagus? don’t answer that.
i DO know that they’ll always eat cookies (please clap for that segue) - so i came up with this recipe that hopefully will become your new default. i call it the lunchbox cookie because they are exactly that. a cookie for lunchboxes. their full name is whole wheat oatmeal chocolate chip cookie bars, but you can just call them LBC’s. they’re chewy in the middle, crispy on the tops and edges. they’re kinda nutty from the WW flour, they’re heartier from the oats, well balanced flavours, they’re a perfect lunchtime dessert. a great “i feel like a cookie” cookie.
here are the main reasons why i love this recipe:
it’s really easy and the measurements are very memorizable - start with 1/2 cup fat, then increase to 1 cup sugar, then increase to 2 cups dry. in between those steps you add 1 egg, 2 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 cup chocolate. burn the numbers into your brain and you’ll never need to read a chocolate chip cookie recipe again. it’s your new house cookie.
it’s really adaptable. don’t wanna use oil? most fats will probably work. butter, coconut oil, a mild olive oil if you’re fancy. only have white sugar or brown sugar? only have AP flour? that’s fine. just replace what’s missing with what you’ve got.
you make it all in one bowl, you bake it in a tin and you slice it. you use the least amount of tools as possible. this is great news. this saves dishes. all i care about in this life is saving dishes from being dirtied. AND you can slice them as big or small as you want! you could even bake it in a circular tin and make a cookie pizza! double the recipe and bake it in a sheet pan! go freakin nuts! there are so many options here and none of them make needless dishes.
the whole thing takes 30 minutes from start to finish. i timed it. no chilling, no resting, no waiting. who has the time when there are cookies to be eaten?!
is that enough reasons? i’m just excited for y’all to join the sliced cookie bar revolution. scooping cookie dough is OUT. slicing is IN. long live the cookie bar!
talk soon,
kt
lunchbox cookies
makes 1 9x9 baking tin
equipment
1 medium sized mixing bowl, 1/2 cup measure, 1 cup measure, 1 tsp measuring spoon, 1 regular spoon, a spatula or wooden spoon, 9x9 baking tin, parchment paper.
ingredients
1/2 cup neutral oil
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup whole wheat flour, scooped and levelled
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 chocolate chips, or more, depending on how chocolatey you like your cookies.
method
preheat the oven to 350F. line a 9x9 baking tin with parchment.
in a medium bowl, combine the oil with the sugars. mix well, until it looks like wet sand.
add the egg and vanilla and mix really well, until it’s smooth and lighter in colour.
add the dry ingredients - the flour, the oats, the salt and the baking soda. fold gently, 3-4 times, until the dough just starts to come together. add the chocolate chips, and continue gently folding the dough together until no more flour streaks remain and everything is combined. don’t over-mix.
dump all the dough into your prepared baking tin and smoosh evenly it into the tin with your fingers, the spatula, or the bottom of a cup measure.
bake for 18-20 minutes, until the top is golden and shiny. let cool for about 10 minutes and then remove them from the baking tray. slice however big or small you wish & enjoy.
keep them in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge. they’ll be good for a few days at room temp, longer in the fridge, and longest if you freeze them.
LBC PSAs:
- microwave your day olds for 5-8 seconds for a delicious treat.
- frozen cookies will thaw to room temp in a kid’s lunchbox by snack time.