The New and Improved Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's a little spin on a classic favorite cookie!

Makes 30 cookies

3 Tbs. canola oil
2 cups walnuts
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups oat flour
t tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (12 oz.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
2. Blend walnuts in food processor 30 seconds, or until ground into a find meal. Add canola oil, and blend 2-3 more minutes, or until mixture has the consistency of natural peanut butter, scraping down sides of food processor occasionally. Transfer to bowl.
3. Whisk together brown sugar and 1/2 cup water in small saucepan, and bring mixture to a boil. Pour brown sugar mixture over ground walnut butter, add vanilla extract, and stir until no lumps remain.
4. Whisk together oat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in separate bowl. Stir oat flour mixture into walnut mixture. Cool 10 minutes. Fold in oats, then chocolate chips.
5. Shape cookie dough into 2-inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten cookies with bottom of drinking glass dipped in water. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until cookies begin to brown and tops look dry. Cool 3 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: To make oat flour, simply blend rolled oats in a food processor or a blender to make the amount you need. Also, if you'd like a little more texture to the cookie or if you really like to taste the nuts, you can leave the walnut butter a little chunky.

Recipe from VegetarianTimes.com