Vegan Lactation Cookies

1. For the Dry Mix: In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, oat flour, brewer's yeast powder, all-purpose flour, and flax meal, tossing with a flexible spatula until mixture is completely homogenized. Proceed immediately to the next step or transfer the dry mix to an airtight container and store at cool room temperature until the date stamped on the package of macadamia nuts.

2. For the Oat Slurry: In a tall, narrow container just wide enough to accommodate the head of an immersion blender, combine rolled oats and water. Purée with an immersion blender until thick and smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing on the solids with a flexible spatula until they give up all their liquid. Discard the fibrous oat solids and reserve 2 ounces of the thick and gooey purée to use as directed below. This step should not be done in advance, as the oat slurry will continue to thicken and will become unusable over time.

3. For the Cookie Dough: Set oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F (180°C). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine coconut oil, sugar, barley malt syrup, vanilla extract, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and nutmeg. Mix on low speed to combine, then increase to medium and cream until soft, pale, and light, about 5 minutes. Along the way, pause to scrape the bowl and beater using a flexible spatula.

4. While mixing on medium speed, add oat slurry and continue beating until smooth and homogeneous, scraping bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low and add dry mix all at once. Continue mixing until thoroughly incorporated, with no visible patches of dry mix. Scrape bowl and beater with flexible spatula, then fold dough a few times by hand to be sure the texture is even.

5. Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, divide dough into approximately 40 portions. If you like, top each piece with a few extra chocolate chips for garnish. Arrange up to 12 portions of dough on a parchment-lined half-sheet pan and transfer remaining dough to a heavy-duty zipper-lock bag for cold storage. The dough can be refrigerated for about 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months, then thawed to about 70°F (21°C) before being baked as directed.

6. Bake portioned freshly made or thawed dough on parchment-lined half-sheet pan until puffed and golden brown and firm to the touch around the edges, but a little soft and fragile in the center, about 12 minutes. Enjoy warm, or let cookies cool and transfer to an airtight container, where they can be stored for up to 1 week at room temperature.

Special Equipment

Immersion blender, nonreactive fine-mesh strainer, stand mixer, flexible spatula, 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, half-sheet pan

Notes

Commercial oat flour is made from whole, raw oat groats milled to a texture as fine as that of traditional flour. Homemade "oat flour" generally starts with rolled oats ground in a food processor; not only does this produce a coarser texture, but the composition is different as well, as rolled oats are made from steamed husked oat groats, which reduces their thickening power and nutritional value. Commercial oat flour thus provides a higher "dose" of oats than rolled oats alone, while also acting as a better thickener for the cookies.

Make-Ahead and Storage

In a heavy-duty zip-top bag, the dough can be refrigerated for about two weeks or frozen for up to three months, then thawed to about 70°F (21°C) before being baked as directed. Once baked, the cookies will keep for about one week in an airtight container at cool room temperature.

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• Lactation Cookies