We have a lot of mad friends, but our mate Marty is by far the most bonkers. His latest passion is triathlons and, true to form, he’s become completely obsessed with them. I sent some cookies home for him last week and subsequently received this email: “Awesome cookies, trialled them at a tri last Sunday. Felt so good at the end of 1.5/40/10 that I went to the gym to burn off the excess energy”.
He has a big event coming up soon, so I’ve baked another batch for him. His brief is pretty simple – the cookies have to be hard and chewy (not brittle or crunchy, otherwise they tend to shatter when he’s eating on the run) and they have to be easy to pack in the little box on the handlebars of his bike. I felt the original batch was too sweet, so I’ve been tinkering with the recipe tonight (and as a result baked over 70 cookies). The final cookies are based on a heavily modified applesauce oatie recipe, which I overbaked slightly to give them a chewy texture. A disclaimer – I don’t run marathons or triathlons, so these are just a cookie that our friend enjoyed and requested more of. Please don’t write to me and tell me they’re not balanced or have too much sugar – as long as Marty’s happy with them, then I am too!
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 cup traditional oats
- 1 & 1/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarb (baking) soda, sifted
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 125g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup apple butter (we used homemade)
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup dark raisins
- 1 cup slivered almonds
Note: I used almonds and raisins because they were in my pantry, but I think you could probably use any mix of dried fruits and nuts that you have on hand. Having said that, I think the chocolate is non-negotiable!
1. Preheat oven to 190C (375F).
2. Combine the oats, flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a large bowl, and stir well to mix.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugars and butter to form a grainy paste, then beat in the egg and apple butter.
4. Add the flour mixture, choc chips, raisins and almonds and mix on low heat to combine.
5. Drop by large tablespoons onto a tray lined with Bake (parchment paper). Wet your hand and gently flatten out the cookies a little.
6. Bake for 5 minutes, then rotate the tray(s) and bake for an additional 8 – 10 minutes, until well browned (keep an eye on them near the end to make sure they don’t burn). Transfer to a wire rack to cool. The cookies will still be a bit soft to touch, but will harden as they cool.
EDIT : A follow up – here’s the sms I received from Marty today after his big event on the weekend .. “Cookie Power! Thanx 2U. 13.19 + feeling great. Luv m”. Makes it all worthwhile!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
The cookies seem to be the perfect combination of low and high GI carbs with some butter to satisfy hunger cravings.
They are similar to the recipes I see in cycling magazines, esp the Europeans who prefer ‘real food’ to sports gels and energy bars.
Will let you know how they go in the Ironman (5th April).
Don’t forget the chocolate, Marty, it’s critically important. Adds to that perpetual state of endorphin rush you’re in lately. If you do well at the Ironman, I’ll expect a mention in your victory speech. :)
Could you please post a recipe for Apple Butter.
I am from Australia and have no clue as to what it is. It is similar to Apple Sauce?
Teresa, I’m in Australia as well, so I’ve had to make my own apple butter! Here is a wiki link – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_butter
It’s basically a very sweet, thick apple paste that’s been spiced with cinnamon and allspice. There is a photo tutorial here – http://www.pickyourown.org/applebutter.htm
I don’t have a crock pot, so here’s what I do. I use the leftover apple pulp from making pectin (you could use unsweetened applesauce). For every 4 cups of pulp, I add 1 cups white sugar and 1.5 cups brown sugar and the juice of 1 lemon (75ml). I stir in 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp allspice, then put the whole lot into a cast iron baking tray, which I bake in a 150C oven for a couple of hours (depending on how thick you want it). You’ll need to stir this every half hour or so. By the time it’s finished, it will be a thick, gooey brown paste. I use pretty much the same method to make quince paste as well!
Having said all of that, you could make Marty’s cookies with sweetened applesauce! :)
I’ve got a batch in the oven now which I made with sweetened apple sauce. We’ll see how they go! I was wondering, have you tried freezing these? I’m due with bub # 2 in May and thought they’d be an excellent easy to eat endurance snack for labour, but probably won’t feel like baking once labour begins!
Pam, yes! They freeze really well – that’s how I make them for Marty. And let’s face it, labour is like a triathlon (waters breaking = swim leg, huffing and puffing = bicycle, followed by sprint to finish). :) All the best with bub #2!