Orange Oatmeal Cookies

Jason loves oatmeal raisin cookies. I had yet to make them to his satisfaction, in nearly ten years of marriage, until now... Anastasia helped me make these for his birthday last month, in between her bouts of crying recklessly due to a way too long nap. Silver lining: I now know that I can find tasks for her to do in the kitchen, because she always wants to help me. Stirring is a good one... so it moving things from the cutting board to the bowl.

I adapted the Orange Oatmeal Cookies recipe in The Healthy Kitchen book, by Andrew Weil, M.D. and Rosie Daley.

Instead of walnuts, I used finely chopped pecans. Rather than zest from an orange, I used a tangelo... the reasons for both of those modifications: that's what I had on hand... the result: delicious.

You can smell the banana more than you can taste it. These are delicious, even with hardly any sugar in them. Bonus!

Here is the recipe with my modifications:

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream 1 stick butter and 1 egg together until smooth. Gradually beat in 1/4 c. mashed ripe banana, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1/2 c. brown sugar. Add zest from 1/2 tangelo. Mix well with wooden spoon.

In a large bowl, mix 1 c. whole wheat flour, a quick shake of salt, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 and 1/2 c. oats, 1/4 c. unsweetened coconut, 1/2 c. finely chopped pecans, and 1/2 c. raisins. Grab the wooden spoon again and combine all the dry ingredients. Now, mix the dry with the wet ingredients until there is no sign of dryness.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto baking stone (or greased cookie sheet) 2 inches apart. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack. Try not to eat too many before husband gets home. After all, it is his birthday.