To A Healthy New Year

I am currently trying to revise my eating plan for the new year, so I thought I'd throw out one of my healthier cookie recipes for you to try. It's (supposedly) the recipe for those oh-so-tasty Great Harvest Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies, and while it might not be the real one it tastes very similar. It also may not be low in calories, but it is made from more high quality healthy ingredients than the average cookie, which I think is important when deciding what to put into your body. And chocolate should always rank somewhere high on your important things to eat list. Antioxidants, people! :D

Harvest Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups whole wheat flour (I use Great Montana or King Arthur...try to use a good quality flour, it's worth it)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups rolled oats, divided in half
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 11.5 ounce bag chocolate chips

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
-Take one cup of the oats and grind in a blender or food processor until it is the consistency of coarse flour. Set aside.
-Cream together the brown sugar and butter until well combined.
-Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir molasses, milk and vanilla into the butter and sugar mixture and beat well.
-Add the ground and rolled oats to the butter mixture and mix well.
-Add the flour mixture and mix until it is completely combined.
-Stir in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
-Using a 1/4 cup scoop (about the size of a regular ice cream scoop) or measuring cup, scoop the dough onto ungreased cookie sheets 3 inches apart.
-Bake for 12 to 13 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown.
-Remove from oven and cool two minutes on the cookie sheets. Remove from sheets and cool completely on racks.

Makes 22-24 giant cookies.