Healthier No-Bake Cookies

As I walked out the door this
morning to take Stella to gymnastics, I grabbed two cookbooks.  (I use the
term gymnastics very loosely.  It's more like playing on gymnastics equipment,
mats, and a very long trampoline.  She loves it.)  It's nice to have
something to do, like browsing through cookbooks, while Stella is hanging upside down from a bar, doing somersaults
down wedge mats or bouncing up and down on a trampoline.  I also brought
with me a few small pieces of cardstock to write down some of the recipes I
would like to try and any ingredients that I may not have a home.  As I
was browsing the pages of The
Sprouted Kitchen, the women next to me asked me what cookbook I was
reading.  I happily showed her the cover and shared my excitement for some
of the recipes that I have already tried.  She seemed interested and wrote
down the name of the cookbook and blog on a piece of paper and stuck it in her
purse.   (Hopefully her purse isn't anything like mine which often resembles a deep abyss filled with
receipts, grocery lists, change and half pieces of Extra gum that taste like
pennies.  If it is, she may never find that piece of paper again.) 
On the top of my "to make" list, were these cookies.  I had all the
ingredients at home and with words like dark chocolate and flaked sea salt, not
much convincing was needed.

Chocolate-Drizzled Oatmeal
Shortbread 







From The
Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods







1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled
oats



1/2 cup unsalted butter, room
temperature



1/2 cup turbinado sugar



2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract



1 egg



3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose
or rice flour



1/4 teaspoon sea salt



1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg



2 1/2 ounces dark chocolate,
chopped



Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon,
for garnish (optional)







In a food processor, pulse the
oats to create coarse flour.  You want a bit of texture to remain, not
pureed until it is completely smooth.  Set aside.







In the food processor or using a
bowl and wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the
vanilla and egg and mix again.  Add the oat flour, all-purpose flour,
salt, and nutmeg and pulse a few times to combine, scraping down the sides of
the food processor or your bowl as necessary.  The dough will be fairly
tacky.







Using your hands, roll the dough
into a uniform log about 3 inches in diameter.  If you like, sprinkle a
handful of rolled oats and a few tablespoons of turbinado sugar on your work
surface and roll the log in the mixture to create a crust.  Roll the log
up in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill in the fridge for at least 1
hour, and preferably two.







Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.







Working quickly, slice the log
into 1/2-inch coins and spread them on the baking sheet 2 inches apart. 
Bake until the edges just begin to brown, 14 to 16 minutes.  Transfer the
cookies to a wire rack.







Melt the chocolate in a
heatproof glass bowl over a pot of simmering water, being careful not to let
the bottom of the bowl touch the water.  Arrange the piece of parchment
you used for cooking the cookies under the wire rack for easy cleanup. 
Drizzle the melted chocolate on the tops of the cookies in a zig-zag
motion.  Sprinkle a bit of flaked salt on the top of each cookie. 
The chocolate will firm up in about 15 to 20 minutes. Store the cookies in an
airtight container for up to a week.