My daughter is twenty-some pounds of pure energy. She wakes each morning and clambers over my still-sleeping body. She leads us through our days with laughter, running, and shrieks of joy. And I’m loving the moments we share together. The way her eyes light up when we see someone we love…the joy she takes in picking out her favorite book for us to read together on the living room floor. But I would be lying if I didn’t say there were hard moments. I think Lulu and I would agree that the “entering the carseat” serves as one of our most trying daily activities.
Lulu doesn’t mind the carseat once we’ve driven out from our garage and picked up speed on the street. She’ll settle in quickly and often fall into a deep sleep. But when we bring her down to the garage and ask her to sit calmly while we buckle her in…she protests with all the strength that a 15-month-old can muster (and I promise you, it’s more strength than I ever would have guessed possible).
Case in point: I pulled several muscles in my back on Monday. I’ve been icing and heating and stretching and visiting the chiropractor. I don’t know exactly how it happened, but I imagined it had something to do with having to reach over and keep my daughter from flying out of the car and onto the concrete. We never force her to get in…but she certainly tries to force her way out! And so I’ve been moving slower this week. I’ve been sitting down on the ground to play with Lulu instead of picking her up. I’m uncomfortable and slightly grouchy about the near-constant pain, but I’m thankful that my daughter is learning what it means to be assertive and independent (even though it’s a painful and trying lesson for us all).
But despite the swelling and the occasional spasm in my back, I made these cookies on Monday night. They’re soft and chewy, sweetened only with coconut sugar and then rolled in my favorite granola. They make the perfect afternoon-snack. A wholesome treat that comes together easily but tastes like something your great-grandma might have spent the whole day making. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. (And I also hope that when I talk to you next week…my back will be much much better!)
Chewy Coconut Granola Cookies
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cups butter, melted
1 cup coconut sugar (brown sugar works too!)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup granola (I use purely Elizabeth!)
Mix together the flours, baking soda, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a medium, whisk together the melted butter and coconut sugar. Whisk in the egg and the vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, combine the wet ingredients with the dry. The dough will be very soft, yet thick. Cover the dough and chill for 2 hours, or up to 3 days.
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 325 F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Pour the granola into a bowl. Take 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball, then roll into the granola. Bake for precisely 8-9 minutes. Remove from the oven and gently press the top of the cookie down with the back of a spoon. Place back into the oven for 1-2 more minutes. Cookies will be puffy and still appear very soft in the middle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for ten minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cookies stay soft and fresh for 7 whole days at room temperature. Cookies may be frozen up to 3 months. Rolled cookie dough may be frozen up to three months and baked in their frozen state for 13 minutes
