Day 85 -- Fixated On Fat

A few days ago, I found a recipe for Iced Oatmeal Cookies on the Vegetarian Times website.  I'm always looking for good cookie recipes that are both vegan and low in fat.  This one looked so good that I spent a lot of time thinking about the two tablespoons of vegan margarine included in the recipe. Should I leave it out, should I put it in?  If I put it in, what brand of margarine is best to use?  All this worry over two tablespoons of margarine!  I began to wonder if I was becoming a little too obsessed with this new diet.

Of course, using butter is out because I am eating vegan, but the variety of margarine brands on the market are numerous.  This article, Butter Vs. Margarine: How To Choose, from the Health Magazine website outlines the trouble with selecting something as that should be quite simple.  After all, fat is fat, right?  Not so true, I learned.

Butter is easy.  It contains milk -- cream more specifically-- and sometimes a little bit of salt.  It's solid at room temperature all on its own, due to the saturated fat it contains.  Then there are all kinds butter variations that make the butter softer at room temperature.  Sometimes other healthier ingredients are mixed with butter (like air or olive oil or gelatin or water) to reduce the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol and lower the calorie count.

Margarine was developed in France in response to a butter shortage.  Instead of animal fat, it's made out of vegetable fat.  The problem with vegetable fat is that it isn't naturally solid at room temperature.  Or even when refrigerated.  In order to keep it solid, margarine needs to be hydrogenated, which creates trans-fats which are bad for the heart.  There are margarine brands that are made without trans-fats, like Promise, Earth Balance and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter.  Finally, like butter, margarine can contain additives just like butter, that make it healthier in terms of heart health.

As for baking, the article recommends using a solid stick of trans-fat free margarine instead of butter.  So, I picked up a package of Earth Balance from my local supermarket and plan to make these cookies tomorrow.  After all this decision-making, here's the cookie recipe!

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

To keep the icing for these chewy morsels from cracking, spread it on while the cookies are still hot. Applesauce helps trim the amount of margarine needed, and flaxseed meal stands in for eggs.

2 Tbs. flaxseed meal

1 cup oat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbs. vegan margarine, softened

½ cup light brown sugar

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup applesauce or prune purée

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats

½ cup raisins or dried cranberries

Icing

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

2 Tbs. lemon juice

To make Cookies:

1. Stir together flaxseed meal and 3 Tbs. water in small bowl. Set aside. Whisk together oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl. Set aside.

2. Beat margarine, brown sugar, and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add flaxseed mixture, applesauce, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Stir in oat flour mixture with spatula or wooden spoon. Add oats and raisins, and stir to combine. Cover, and chill 2 hours, or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray. Roll cookie dough into golf ball–sized rounds, and place dough balls 1 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten each cookie to 1/4-inch thickness with bottom of drinking glass dipped in water. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies look dry on top and are just beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, to make Icing:

4. Whisk together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in small bowl until smooth; Icing should be thick, but spreadable. Gently brush Icing on hot cookies with pastry brush. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in airtight container.