Sunshine In A Cookie - Oatmeal Spelt Cookies with Pineapple, Coconut, and Cashews

Coconut, cashews, dried pineapple chunks ...all folded into an oatmeal cookie dough that is made with spelt flour. This, my latest effort to see if what I'm having problems with is highly processed all purpose flours. This, after having had a similar cookie at a vegetarian restaurant over the weekend made with spelt flour (with no reaction on my part after knoshing). Hmmm ... I plan to push the envelope on this one a bit and test the theory. That means I'll have more than one cookie ( read three)  in a serving and see if I have a reaction.

The only change I would make with this recipe is rolling the dough into balls and flattening them slightly on the cookie sheets. These are dropped by spoons and some of them fell apart when they were transferred from the cookie sheets to the cool counter top.

Another change I might make is to add about a quarter cup of pineapple juice to the dough to moisten things up a bit more ... hmmm. I feel some experimentation coming on. At any rate, the coconut, pineapple and cashew additions make for a very different oatmeal cookie ... definitely more sunshine and warmth involved here, which is JUST what this girl needs right about this time of year. If you make these cookies, let me know what you think.

Oatmeal Spelt Cookies with Pineapple, Coconut and Cashews

Makes 3 dozen 2-inch cookies

Ingredients:                                                    

1 c. sugar

1 c. vegetable shortening

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. molasses

1 tsp. baking soda moistened with water

½ c. golden raisins

2 c. GF old fashioned oats

1¾ c. spelt flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ginger

½ tsp. cloves

½ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. salt

¾ c. chopped dried pineapple chunks

¾ c. chopped cashews (lightly salted kind)

¾ c. toasted unsweetened coconut shavings

Making the Cookies:

1. Cream the sugar and vegetable shortening until it is smooth and creamy.
2. Add the eggs and continue whipping until softly yellow.
3. Add the vanilla extract and molasses and whip until completely combined, scraping down the bowl sides.
4. Add the moistened baking soda and the raisins and fold in by hand.
5. Do the same with the GF oats.
6. Measure the spelt flour into a separate bowl and add the spices and salt, whisking to combine.
7. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet cookie batter until combined.
8. Fold in the toasted coconut, cashews and pineapple bits.
9. Pre heat the oven to 365° F and place a rack in the center of the oven. Lightly grease your cookie sheets.
10. Oil your hands and roll rounded tablespoon’s full of cookie dough into round balls.
11. Place them on the cookie sheets and flatten them only slightly.
12. Bake for about 9-10 minutes or until the cookies begin to get golden atop and slightly browned at the edges where they sit on the pans.
13. Remove from the pans immediately to a cool flat surface (on foil). Let them cool and ‘set up’ before placing them in your cookie jar.

And while I'm at it ... this was an interesting article about a guy out in Washington who is experimenting with bread baking and different whole wheat flour types and different rise times that alter the breakdown og glutens in bread dough ... ineresting stuff. Hit the link if you're so inclined.

Mother Jones article on bread baking