guilt free chewy ginger cookies..mmmm

I'm not a baker. I don't own cookie cutters or a rolling pin. I guess I haven't been a domestic goddess long enough.

But I made cookies...and good ones....versatile ones! They took no time to make. They are a great, middle of the day snack, after dinner treat, and I even ate them with a morning miso soup, where they took on an almost scone like quality-balancing the saltiness with a mild spicy sweetness. They were even teenager approved by my 15 yr old sister, Julia. Sylvie has been toddling around with one in her hand, her favorite thing to do is pick out the raisin first before munching away.

I have an excellent cookbook: American Macrobiotic Cuisine; A macrobiotic celebration of America's ethnic cooking by Meredith McCarty. I found this recipe, and increased some of the measurements slightly, as the dough was too dry when I followed it exactly.

Makes two dozen

You will need

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup brown rice syrup or maple syrup

1 1/4 cup apple juice

3 tablespoons safflower or corn oil

2 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

raisins to garnish

Heat all ingredients together except flour and raisins, then stir and add flour to form dough. Don't let dough sit or it tens to harden. Roll out to quarter-inch thickness and cut with a 3" cookie cutter or other shape, (or improvise as I did). Press a single raisin into the center of round cookies. Grease pan ad bake until golden on the bottom, 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. (Mine took 20-25 minutes as they were the thicker and heartier version:)