I got lost in a blog.
Getting lost in blogs is one of my favorite activities (online at least—surprise, surprise): that feeling of total enrapture as you’re drawn in by a good story and gorgeous pictures…and then you find 98275982734 recipes you want to make.
Funnily enough, this blog didn’t have any pictures of food. Nor did it have all that much content or blog posts. But it did have one great story and several other well–thought out posts that included tons of links to books to read and interesting studies and all around generally interesting facts. And I left feeling inspired—to do something other than cook, for once.
For the past few weeks, I’ve tried to put everything in my life on hold while I study to take the GMAT. If I do get accepted to business school next fall, it’ll be after only two years of work experience but I’ve been feeling adrift lately. While studying is by no means fun, it does feel good: I finally have a direction again and I’m working to get there. Reading those blog posts made me remember that I can work towards literally anything; I just need to set a direction. I felt empowered.
Almost empowered enough to take charge of my sugar addiction and eat only one cookie. Almost.
I’ve been obsessed with the idea of making a really good vegan or gluten-free chocolate chip cookie: this is neither, and they’ve got sugar (boo). But they’re really good, with a lovely soft chew to them and crisp bronzed edges. I figured they were worth posting because they are super easy and I see this as an easy jumping off point to all types of modifications: a flax egg instead of the egg, olive oil in place of the butter, maple syrup for sugar, buckwheat or oat flour in place of the whole wheat, or more rolled oats.
Other blogs I’ve gotten lost in, still love getting lost in, and have lately gotten lost in:
Edible Perspective
Smitten Kitchen
Can You Stay for Dinner
Imma Eat That
Oh My Veggies
My New Roots
Cup of Jo
Honey Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter at room temperature (alternatively: olive oil, but I haven't tried it)
- ½ cup unrefined sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup ground flax seed
- ½ cup oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg, honey and vanilla; beat to combine. Add all dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined.
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet (or lined with parchment, if you like) and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown and set around the edges. If the middle still looks slightly soft, it will firm up as it cools.
Notes
Did you try this recipe?
Tag @thepancakeprincess on Instagram!
These cookies look really delicious, Erika. These days I sometimes feel in bad mood and don’t feel to do anything and I’m thinking that whether I should learn to cook to ignore something bad that always hit my mind. Thanks for sharing your story and sharing this tasty honey oat chocolate chip cookie recipe!
These honey oat cookies look fantastic and a great pick me up for late night studying! Good luck on your GMAT, so glad to hear that you have found your direction and it makes you feel good about it 🙂
Thanks Kelly!! I need all the luck I can get!
I LOVED that link! She really is so inspiring! I especially appreciated how she mentions that she still works full-time, but still makes the effort to practice.
I’m recently obsessed with Macklemore and the opening song to his The Heist album talks about this – how if you want to be good at something, then you have to work at it. Like, a lot:
“The greats weren’t great because at birth they could paint
The greats were great cause they paint a lot”
“Empowering” is definitely the right word to use! It really makes you feel like you can achieve anything.
Also, good luck on the GMAT! My only advice would be to take as many practice exams as you can and TIME yourself. When I practiced, I was fine on timing, but I found myself scrambling during the actual exam. You got this!
Alex–thanks for the super thoughtful comment, as always! You are the best 🙂 That’s a great opening line–super inspiring. So if I do this blogging thing for enough hours, I’ll get good at it someday right? 😉
And THANKS! Bah. I’m working on it. My issue is…I CAN’T DO MATH!
Girl, you can totally do anything you set your mind to. I mean, look at me. I’m the girl who systematically dismantled my scientific calculator when I finished highschool and swore I’d never do any math or science again! And now I’m doing a MSc… how’d that happen?! I love the idea of these cookies. I’ve been craving cookies lately but staying away from baking any because the very slow recovery from my broken ankle involves very little of what I consider to be ‘real’ exercise, and I’ve had to really, like *really* watch what I eat. But I just realized the other day that I work in a huge office full of people who I can pawn off baking on, so I think cookies are in my future, a moderate amount, and I’ll also be everyone’s new best friend at work. Thanks for the recipe!
Haha that was me too!!!! I managed to take not one math class in college. It was amazing. How DID that happen for you?? What made you decide to pursue it?
And girl, I hear you. I feel like I’ve been tied to my desk lately so I cannot be housing cookies on a daily basis…but yes, I think sharing the answer because I don’t think either of us want to stop baking!
I know what you mean about getting lost in blogs. I start browsing, and a few hours go by. The dance in a year thing was amazing! And these cookies look amazing, too!
Ugh, such a time suck! But a wonderful one 🙂 Glad you liked the video!
Good luck on your GMAT’s! I am sure these cookies will help you get through those late night study times. I also love getting lose on your delicious blog too! Take Care, BAM
Thanks Bam! You are the sweetest!
I looove getting lost in blogs. Mmmm
These cookies are singing to me! They look so perfect, I looove the combo of flavors!
They do seem like they’d be right up your alley! 🙂
I just visited danceinayear.com and watched her video. That’s incredible and so inspiring. I really wish I could pursue my passion without any regard to all the fear that comes along with it: fear of failure, fear of poverty, fear of the unknown. I wish I had the strength and courage to leave a career that doesn’t fulfill me. Thanks for sharing this, Erika! I’m happy to hear that you found your direction again and that you’re pursuing it. Good luck with the GMAT, girl! Gawd, I hate those standardized tests. The LSAT made me want to slit my wrists. As for these cookies – yum! They have oats ‘n honey so in my humble opinion, that means they’re healthy and totally appropriate for breakfast!
EX.ACTLY. To all your points. Especially fear of poverty! I just realized once you said that–that is one of the greatest fears holding me back from just giving everything up now and going for after what I really want (which I haven’t even taken the time to sort out, because I’m afraid I won’t be able to go after it). Which is sad, really. Anyway. Glad you liked the video! And thanks for the good thoughts 🙂
Gimmie a glass of milk and about 12 of these cookies and I would be one happy momma! I love getting lost in blogs too!
Haha same here!
Arg also I’m trying to comment on your blog but it keeps giving me an error message saying “error: empty message” Boo. Just know that I think your quiche sounds AMAZING!!
You are killing me! I want one of these cookies so badly right now!
Aww 🙂
The honey oat component sounds great in cookies!
These cookies look massive and delicious, my favourite combination 😀
Cheers
CCU
These look super yummy Erika! I make some cookies like this but with all oat flour and almond butter and add cocoa to make them double chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. In fact I just made some this past weekend, so these caught my eye when your email came through, lol! I love flax in cookies and I bet the honey gives them a nice sweetness. 🙂
Oh that sounds delicious!