"Regulars"

This may look like your garden-variety oatmeal cookie, but it's not. This little guy (about a teaspoon-sized cookie) is packed with fiber and protein (and a bit too much fat for my liking--but good omega fats, but I'm working on a different version made with nut butter instead of oil). Importantly, it's vegan.

I had downloaded a recipe for Oatcakes back in February, with the intent of making a sweet version with agave nectar. However, since I've launched into this massive calorie/fat cutting regimen, I decided to kick these up a notch, fiber-wise. As a result of my extensive changes, this is truly an Altered Plates venture. It really bares only a passing resemblance to the original -- the amount of oats.

I made them a few days ago, and the kitchen still smells faintly of the spices I used to bake them (a nice bonus). They've gotten a bit chewy over time, so I might just stick them in the oven a bit to crisp them up. These health-conscious morsels taste a lot like granola bars, and in future versions, I'm definitely adding nuts.

How did Oatcakes become "Regulars?" My husband John's a funny guy. Given the high fiber content, he promptly named them "Regulars," and advised me to eat just one per day. That's as much as I'll say on that.

Here's the recipe with a few photos to show what to expect.

Makes approximately 30 cookies.

Regulars

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups of oats
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oatbran
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/3 cup rice milk (I used enriched vanilla)
2/3 cups agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla paste
1/2 cup raisins (I did not pack the measuring cup)

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, salt, oat bran, and spices.



3. Mix in the oil until the oat mixture looks like this (just beginning to get clumpy):



4. Mix in the Rice milk, agave nectar and vanilla.
5. Fold in the raisins.



6. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes.
7. Using a teaspoon, scoop out the cookies and flatten them gently on the parchment paper. They will not spread, so you don't need to leave more than an inch between them.
8. Bake the cookies for 18 minutes, then turn the cookies and switch the pans' places in the oven.



9. Bake for another 20 minutes or until the edges are light brown and tops just start to turn golden.



10. Let the cookies sit on the sheets for 5 minutes before moving them gently to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!