Oatmeal "Mommy" Cookies

This one is going out to all the new mommies and soon-to-be new mommies in my life!  Why just the mommies?  Because, dear friends, these cookies will help increase a nursing mommy's milk flow.  Yes, really.

These cookies are so tasty, so easy to make, and REALLY DO HELP that I just had to post this.  Even at the risk of making myself look like a bigger weirdo than I already am.  :)

Yeah, this is a phone picture...sorry for the blurry-ness!

In case you're curious, the secret ingredient in these cookies that helps you make more milk for Baby is the brewer's yeast.  Yup, the same kind of yeast they use to make beer (which supports why they say a little beer is good for breast milk).  This combined with the oatmeal, flax seed meal, and whole wheat flour really go a long way if nursing is in your game plan.

If you're not a mommy, or have no intention of breastfeeding an infant ever, feel free to leave out the brewer's yeast and enjoy what a delightful, chewy sweet cookie this is.

Oatmeal "Mommy" Cookies
Recipe adapted from here
 
1/2 cup butter (one stick), softened
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce  
1 cup granulated sugar 
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar  
4 tbsp water  
2 tbsp flax seed meal  
2 eggs  
1 tsp vanilla  
2 cups whole wheat flour  
2-4 tbsp brewer's yeast
1 tsp baking soda  
1 tsp salt  
3 cups oats [NOTE: I used old-fashioned but quick-cooking would be fine too] 
1 cup chocolate chips, or whatever you feel like tossing in that day  

1.  Preheat oven to 350°.

2.  Mix the flax seed meal and water together in a small dish.  Set aside for 3-5 minutes.

Moistening the flax seed meal

3.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter, applesauce, and both sugars.  Beat in eggs, mixing until well combined.

I like being able to sub in a little applesauce for fat ingredients

4.  Add flax seed and vanilla; beat well.

5.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, brewer's yeast, baking soda, and salt.  With the beaters running, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing just until combined.

Ooooohhhh cookie dough....

6.  Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

The cookies almost look healthy here!  Almost.

7.  Using a tablespoon or melon baller, scoop cookie dough onto greased baking sheets, about two inches apart.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool 2 minutes on baking sheet before removing to wire racks.

Ready for baking

Couple things... the brewer's yeast is probably a new one for you.  It was for me!  It is also known as Nutritional Yeast.  I bring this up because you may have some difficulty finding it.  Check out the health food section of your grocery store, or hit up one of those organic stores like Whole Foods.  When you do find it, be aware that there are a lot of other uses for this yeast besides cookies and beer.  Brewer's yeast is an excellent source of B vitamins, among other things.  So feel free to stir a little of this into your smoothies or pancake batter.  You won't taste it but will reap the benefits of it being there.

Also, I'm not really a chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookie kind of girl; I generally prefer the old-fashioned raisin.  However my friend made these for me with the chips and HOLY COW are they good!  Obviously from my pictures, I decided to try dried cranberries in this batch, just because I have so much....and I like cranberries.  Toss in whatever you have on hand though: chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, toffee bits, chopped dried apricot or figs or apples.  It's an oatmeal cookie, also known as a BLANK CANVAS.  Play around with it!