Bowen’s lactation cookies

Makes what feels like 1 million cookies, and I keep them in the freezer for daily snacking. Probably about 36 cookies? I’ve never counted … 

• 3 cups (12 oz.) rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 oz.) flour
• 5-8 Tbsp. (1/3 – 1/2 cup) brewer’s yeast
• Scant 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature (or Earth Balance, for dairy-free)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (if you don’t have this, use two full sticks butter)
• 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz.) sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• Optional things to add: dried cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips, peanuts, coconut flakes (I like unsweetened), nuts, seeds, etc. I wouldn’t add much more than 1 1/2 cups unless you also want to add a few Tbsp. of peanut or almond butter to hold things together a bit better.

Note: if the dough seems really dry/crumbly, add some peanut/almond butter and/or another egg … flax meal and brewer’s yeast can sometimes soak up a lot of moisture and leave the dough a bit dry. 

– Heat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking liners.

– Whisk together dry ingredients, oats through salt, in a large bowl.

– Cream together butter, coconut oil, and sugar using a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer, mixing on medium-high or high speed for 5-7 minutes (yes, that long!).

– Reduce speed to medium and add the egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.

– Gradually add in the dry ingredients, switching to a wooden spoon or spatula if needed (the dough gets pretty thick and heavy). Incorporate optional flavorings and add peanut/almond butter and/or egg if needed to keep the dough together.

– Bake cookies: Roll dough balls of 1-2″ (a little larger than golf ball size), place on lined baking sheet, and slightly flatten with your fingers. Bake 10-14 minutes or until bottoms are slightly golden. Let cool at least a minute before taking them off the sheet to reload with a new batch.

Storage: Cookies keep well at room temperature in a closed container for about 3 days before they start to get a little dry. They keep fantastically in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for at least a couple of months!