Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy’s Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
 
Victory Cookies
Whole grain, fruity, vegan, no sugar or oils
Prep Time 15 minutes                Bake Time 25 minutes                 Makes 15-25 cookies, depending on size
 
 
How to get creative in our quarantine kitchens?  Whole grain flakes, dried fruit, make some probiotic soy yogurt or plant-based buttermilk and you can whip up delicious, chewy and, actually, healthy cookies.  Homey and endearingly homely, your they’ll fill your kitchen with the enticing aromas of vanilla and butterscotch. 
 
Adding a bit of sweetness to our long days of social isolation does wonders to lift spirits and bring smiles. Plant-based, whole grain, oil- and sugar-free, these are nutritious cookies, low in fat and high in fiber. 
 
INGREDIENTS
 
⅔ cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
⅔ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
⅓ teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
⅔ cup fruit paste from 1 cup dried figs or pitted dates
Scant ½ cup soy yogurt OR plant-based buttermilk made from a scant ½ cup almond milk mixed with 1½ 
     teaspoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice 
1⅓ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup raisins, any variety
2 cups rolled barley, wheat, rye or oats flakes
 
DIRECTIONS       Preheat oven to 350°F/176°C
Prep
1 To make fruit paste, place dried fruit, pitted and cut in half in a small bowl, just cover with water, microwave for 2 minutes or simmer on a stovetop for 5 minutes. Cool. Purée fruit and soaking water in a food processor until smooth and uniform.
 
2 To make homemade soy yogurt see my recipe https://www.cathyskitchenprescription.com/product-page/soygreek-style-yogurt-free.  Or to make plant-based buttermilk, simply combine almond milk with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, stir and set aside for 10 minutes for it to fully clabber.
 
3. Rehydrate raisins in water for 15-30 minutes or until softened. Drain.
 
In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients together, except the raisins and rolled whole grain flakes.
In a smaller bowl, combine wet ingredients together.
Add wet mixture to the dry. Mix until smooth.
Stir in the raisins and whole grain flakes 
For easier handling, refrigerate the sticky dough for an hour (optional)
On a parchment-lined cookie sheet, break off a piece of dough, roll into a ball, place 1” apart on the cookies sheet, and press down with a spoon to flatten. If you haven’t refrigerated the dough, use teaspoons to shape and transfer, as the dough will be quite sticky. Because these cookies have no oils or shortening, they will not spread as they bake.
Bake for 20 minutes and check for doneness.  Cookies are ready when they are golden and toasty on the edges.
Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack.
They are tasty even a room temp, but fragrant and extra special, warmed up a bit in a low oven for 10 minutes or a few secs in a microwave oven.
The cookies store well in a tin for a week in the fridge and freeze beautifully.
 
Enjoy!!