Oatmeal-Date Cookies

I love classic American oatmeal cookies, and Moroccan elements like dates and cardamom make them more interesting and healthier. These treats require less butter and sugar than regular recipes because of the natural sweetness dates provide. This recipe, found in my latest cookbook Anti-Aging Dishes from Around the World, uses whole-wheat flour in addition to all-purpose for a boost of fiber and nutrients while maintaining a soft texture.

Benefits: Dates are full of detoxifying fiber and also offer B vitamins for building blood cells, potassium for strong bones, and iron for healthy red blood cells. Adding oats to your cookies boosts the fiber content. Cardamom contains eucalyptol, an anti-inflammatory that breaks down mucus for lung and digestive support.

YIELDS 30 Cookies

Ingredients

½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cardamom
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not instant or steel-cut)
1 ½ cup chopped, pitted Medjool dates

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl, blend the flours, baking soda, salt and cardamom.
3. In a separate bowl, blend the butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla.
4. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and blend together with a spoon. Mix in the oats and dates until combined.
5. On an ungreased baking sheet, drop rounded tablespoons of cookie dough, spacing them 2 inches apart.

6. Bake 8-10 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Transfer to cooling racks and cool completely.

(Sugar-Free if using monk fruit sweetener, but dates have plenty of fructose)

FoodTrients
B-vitamins
Beta-glucans
Biotin
Choline
Copper
Fiber
Iron
Manganese
Selenium