By December approaches. Jasmine turns thirteen on the 15th. A teenager. Both my children will be teenagers simultaneously and I am requesting hazard pay from the universe. Marcus at fifteen is the philosopher-debater who argues about justice and cooks his own steak. Jasmine at almost-thirteen is the singer-writer who fills notebooks with songs and makes cornbread from memory and has started giving me The Look — the look that teenagers give their mothers that says "I love you and also you are the most embarrassing person on earth." I recognize The Look. I gave it to Mama. The Look is genetic. The Look is the line.
Christmas planning: the menu, the guest list, the decorating. The Cascade Heights house gets its first Christmas. I am decorating with intention — the tree goes in the living room, near the kitchen doorway, so the lights reflect off the granite counter. The stockings: seven, plus one for Mama (empty, symbolic, the eighth stocking for the eighth chair). Curtis will wake up Christmas morning and come upstairs and sit in his chair and the house will smell like breakfast and the tree will be lit and Mama's stocking will be on the mantel and this will be the first Christmas in this house and also the continuation of every Christmas in every house where Jackson women have cooked and served and loved.
Made gingerbread cookies with all four kids — the tradition from year three, now established. Isaiah participated this year without being asked (progress: he brought his own apron, which he bought himself, which has the words "GREENS KING" on it, which Derek ordered custom and surprised him with and which Isaiah wears with the particular pride of a boy who has been given a title and earned it). His gingerbread men were precise. Jasmine's were artistic. Marcus's were conceptual (he says). Zoe's were professional. The kitchen was covered in flour and icing and the sound of four teenagers who are becoming siblings one cookie at a time.
The gingerbread is the tradition, but these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are the ones I keep in my back pocket for every other day of December — the days when the kitchen is already chaotic and I need something forgiving enough to survive four pairs of hands and still come out right. Isaiah brought his apron. Jasmine had opinions about the icing. Marcus had a philosophy about gingerbread men that I still don’t fully understand. But when the decorating is done and someone’s still hungry and the oven is still warm, these are the cookies that get made next — simple, wholesome, and good enough that even a GREENS KING will reach for two.
Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 27 minutes | Servings: 24 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (or unsalted butter)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat. Heat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
- Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the melted coconut oil, maple syrup (or honey), egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
- Combine. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until a cohesive dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips. If the dough feels too soft, refrigerate for 10 minutes before scooping.
- Scoop and shape. Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, drop rounded balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand — these cookies don’t spread much on their own.
- Bake. Bake for 10—12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look just set. Do not overbake; they will firm up as they cool.
- Cool. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 105 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 14g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 55mg