As if the benefits of eating a cookie we’ren’t obvious…
You know that undeniable craving you (might) get for pumpkin spiced lattes about this time every year?
Well oatmeal cookies are my equivalent of that. Chewy, dense, ever so slightly spiced perfection. And these Brown Butter + Miso Oatmeal Raisin Cookies might be my most craveable recipe yet.
This is a cookie that doesn’t need much introduction or convincing to be honest.
Brown butter – absolutely.
Miso – yes have you ever had it with brown butter? Divine.
A completely refined sugar-free base, that yields crispy edges, a chewy center, and plump caramelized raisins in every single bite. The sweetest cookie death! That also happens to be quite balanced for all doshas (if you’re able to eat just one or two!)
First of all, all things and function and “health” aside – these cookies are so damn good. They bring the joy, and the satisfaction that is taking a bite out of a sweet little cookie, whenever the mood strikes (breakfast!) And that in and of itself is enough. But, there’s more.
In fact, a lot more – flavor wise, but also functionality wise. This is not just an empty-calories cookie. Far from it. And, it’s particularly tuned to this time of year when the fire elements in our bodies are burning down, the winds of seasonal change are starting to blow, and we’re all in need to a little grounding without losing (or extinguishing our spark.) And a cookie can do that!
You may have heard me preach about the virtues of the Six Flavors in Ayurveda. In a nutshell, our bodies don’t know calories or macros – this is not a language that the body speaks. The language of the body is FLAVOR. When we taste something with our tongues, our nervous systems register that flavor and send a message to the gut telling it what enzymes to make to break the things down. In that coded message lies information about the type of nourishment that the body can expect to receive from the foods it’s tasting. If. we were to listen in on the conversation between the brain and the gut when you take a bite of one of these incredible cookies, here’s what we’d hear:
“Oooh! Sweet! These oats, flour, butter, sugar, oats, flour, butter, coconut sugar, maple and raisins are grounding, nourishing, anabolic, and helping us to build that vitality tank.”
“Woo, astringent! The oats and raisins in moderation are light, drying, and will help us to keep things light and warm. That’s EXACTLY what the digestive tract needs this time of year – is the eater studying Ayurveda by chance?”
“Pow! Pungent The ginger and cinnamon are going to warm us up and get digestive juices flowing, get ready to let go of what we no longer need and lighten up everyone!”
“Yew, salty! That miso is such a kick! It’s grounding, hydrating, bringing in some good sources of minerals and awakening the tastebuds everyone, flavor party is on tonight!”
The translation? This cookie is grounding and comforting, supports strong and healthy digestion, provides a healthy dose of adaptogenic balance on the part of both the spicy and salty notes, and these cookies will boost your mood – opening the heart and restoring the body.
All this from a cookie!
…are particularly spectacular because they only require one bowl, no stand mixer, and about 30 minutes from start to finish to prep, make the batter and have warm-from-the-oven cookies in your hands. They have accompanied me on more than a few high alpine runs at this point, and they just keep getting better each time; the saltiness is highly welcomed and the pungency from the ginger and cinnamon is a very welcome treat that helps my digestive system stay balanced even at high altitudes where I’m inclined to get bloated from just being up so high.
Every time I’ve made these cookies, they’ve been devoured and I hope that’s the case in your house too.
That's ok, just sign up or log in to see this recipe.