I find that most North American cookies (a.k.a. biscuits) are far too sugary-sweet. I love a good old rich tea biscuit, plainer than plain but absolutely perfect dunked in a good bucket of builders (translation: “bucket of builders” : “bucket” = very large mug, “builders” = short for builders’ tea”, i.e. the beverage you make, several times a day, for builders when they’re working on your home. Vital elixir, black tea, made strong, with milk, British builders usually unable to function without it. jk😉).

This recipe was given to me years ago by Kiddo’s Phys Ed teacher, and rapidly became Hubs’ favourite. I’ve modified it over the years to be much less sugary with just the right amount of chocolate chips. The result is not too sweet, with chocolatey hits, crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. Logging in at 156 cals, it may sound high, but the great thing about oatmeal is that it’s filling and keeps you going for ages. Store bought equivalents are upwards of 200cals each.

This recipe is super simple; if you can stir stuff in a bowl, you can make these cookies!

Start with a large bowl and add the light margarine and Swerve brown sugar. Mix them together with a fork to break up any lumps of sugar as much as possible. Then add the eggs and whisk them in to incorporate some air.

Next add the baking powder and salt, and mix again. Then add the flour, oats and chocolate chips and give it all a good stir to evenly distribute the chocolate.

Finally add a tablespoon of milk to soften the mixture…. and that’s it!

A tablespoon of mixture gives a good sized cookie, so using a tablespoon scoop some mixture from the bowl and ease it onto a parchment-lined baking tray using a second spoon to help. Form it into a rough round, about 1.5cm thick. Don’t smooth the tops, because the lumps and bumps get nice and crisp when baked.

The cookies don’t spread much, so you don’t have to allow loads of room between them. 

Bake at 175C (345F) for 15-18 minutes or until just browning at the edges. Remove to a baking tray and cool. Delicious still warm.

Recipe: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies 156 cals

Makes about 15 cookies

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (40g) Swerve brown sugar substitute
• 1 cup (200g) light margarine
• 2 medium eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ⅓ cup (165g) wholewheat flour
• 2 cups (170g) minute oats
• ⅓ cup (60g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp skimmed milk

Method :

• Mix together the margarine and brown sugar substitute in a large bowl, breaking up any sugar lumps.
• Add eggs and whisk 
• Add baking powder and salt, whisk again
• Add flour, oats and chocolate chips. Stir to incorporate well, distributing the chocolate chips as evenly as you can
• Finally stir in the milk to soften the mixture
• Scoop by the tablespoonful onto a parchment lined baking sheet
• Roughly form into 3” rounds about 1.5cm thick at the middle
• Bake at 175°C for 15mins, or until golden at the edges and crisp on the bottom.
• Remove to a cooling rack. Delicious warm or cold.