Breastmilk Cookies

 Alternate recipe title: Awesomest Ever Egg-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

These are my most favorite cookies of all time, I like them even more than regular ones made with eggs. These are the reason that I have lost very, very little baby weight since Princess was born. Oops! And today I decided to share the goodness with you. These cookies do contain a very special top secret ingredient. Can you guess what it is? I'll give you a hint, it's not breastmilk. (I'll tell you why I call these Breastmilk Cookies in just a minute.) The secret ingredient is (drum roll, please)...

Flaxseed! Have you heard about this stuff? Not only is it super good for you and all that jazz, but it is an awesome egg substitute. I use it all the time in baking, and we can go through a whole 1 pound bag in a month sometimes. I also think it's quite yummy. I can find it in most grocery stores in the baking aisle. 

On to the recipe:

Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter 

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

10 tablespoons hot water

4 tablespoons flaxseed meal

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups oats

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Mix together the flaxseed and the hot water and set aside for 3-5 minutes. Letting it sit makes it all gluey, which is what makes it such a great egg substitute (see the picture above). In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together. Add flaxseed mixture and vanilla and beat until blended. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda and mix with butter mixture. Stir in the oats and then chips. Scoop or drop onto baking sheet. Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on cookie size. If you want to make these dairy free, just use dairy free margarine and chocolate chips and you should be good to go!

With the flax/water mixture, I realize that 4 tablespoons is the same as 1/4 cup, but for some reason if I measure it that way (like I did today) I mess it up somehow and the cookies turn out just wrong. Which is why there is a stock photo at the top of this post, instead of a pic of my own sad, flat, yet delicious cookies. 

This cookie dough also freezes really well. Between working two jobs while taking care of a house and husband and two very creatively active little girls, I don't have much free time, so rather than taking a lot of time cooking a ton of cookies at once, I will cook one dozen of these when I first make the dough, then put the rest in some plastic wrap like so:

I throw it in the freezer and then later when I still have no time but want some cookies, I can just cut off some slices and bake them. But let's be honest, most of the time I just cut of slices and eat them raw, yum! And no eggs means no salmonella danger!

But why do I call these breastmilk cookies? Two reasons: 1. When you say that that is what they are called right as someone is taking a bite, it's hilarious to watch their face. 2. If you happen to be a breastfeeding mom, the oats and flax in these babies will cause a nice boost in your milk supply. (Don't worry, if you are not currently lactating, these cookies will not cause you to start.) 

A common nursing problem fixed by the most delicious cookies ever? You're welcome!