Cookies!

My friend Elena from Epics had an Epic Fail with healthier, improvised, chocolate chunk cookies. Not good! Well, as an avid healthy, improviser kind of cook, I'm gonna try and help her out. =D This following cookie recipe yields a yummy, chewy cookie halfway across between a oatmeal raisin cookie ( due to the oat flour ) and a chocolate chunk cookie. Actually, looking at the recipe right now, throw in a bit mocha cookie and peanut butter cookie too. Lol! Well anyway, these are fantastic and so here is the recipe:

2 c. Oats ( I used quick oats, but it doesn't really matter 'cause you pulse them up anyway )
1/4 c Coconut Sugar ( can sub honey or agave or brown sugar or date sugar or...you get the idea )
2 packets Truvia ( or Stevia or just add 2 Tbs more sweetener )
2 Tbs Arrowroot ( or rice flour or cornstarch )
3/4 tsp Xantham Gum ( this is a binding agent. try subbing an equal amount of ground flax if you don't have )
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 c Butter ( softened )
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 c Almond Milk ( can sub any )
1/4 c Peanut Butter ( or any other seed/nut butter )
1/2 c Chocolate Chips/Chunks
1/4 c Raisins ( or cranberries or dates )
2 packets Instant Coffee ( or 2 scant Tbs instant coffee )

In a food processor or high powered blender blend up the oats into a medium/course meal. Pour in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix it using whatever you like. I start with a plastic spatula, then work it with my hands. Now, as a warning, all those suggested substitutions are not proven to be a-ok. If you use a liquid sweetener, you may have to add more oat meal. I think it would be fine to not worry to much about the xantham gum. I did it as an added measure because oats are either totally gluten free, or very low in gluten and without that gluten, it is sometimes hard for stuff to stick together and all that. Also, I tend to not really measure things. So these measurements are close to what I used. I have a pretty good eye for how much something is, so this is about as spot-on as it gets. As for baking, I preheated the oven to 350 and flattened approx. 2 Tbs worth of dough into 1/4 in. discs. You can make them bigger, smaller, thinner, thicker...whatever you like. I use stone baking sheets, so my cookies didn't stick. Bake these on parchment otherwise...or on a greased surface. I didn't time them, just baked them until they seemed done, lol, but I think it was about 15 minutes. Don't take my word for it though. Keep a nose out for if it smells done and then check to see if its light brown and firm, but a bit puffy. So there you have it! Healthy baking at its best! =)