Back to Nature Oatmeal Cookies

If you're looking for a healthy 'back-to-nature' cookie -- look no further. This drop oatmeal cookie is easy to prepare, cooks in minutes (30 minutes from preparation to your mouth), is super healthy and tastes great!! You can't go wrong with this one -- a fan favourite of youngsters to geezers :)

Ingredients Required:

• 8 tablespoons heart-smart margarine
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (helps to balance the acid in the honey)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (sift to eliminate lumps)
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups of porridge oats (the one with oat bran, wheat bran, flax seed)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/8 cup of milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup unsalted pistachios
• 1/2 cup raisins
  
• 1/2 cup craisins

This yields approximately three dozen cookies -- with a few left over for the baker :)

Steps to Prepare:

• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Use an electric mixer to cream your margarine, eggs, honey, milk, vanilla.
• In a large bowl hand mix all your dry ingredients (except of the nuts and fruit).
• Slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients while stirring.
• Once all the liquid has been stirred into the dry ingredient you can fold in your pistachios, raisins and craisins.
• Use a small ice cream scoop (just larger than one tablespoon) to drop the cookie dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. Space the cookies approximate three inches apart from each other.
• Place in oven and cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Some ovens can have hot spots so you may wish to switch and rotate (180 degrees) your cookie sheets at the 8 minute mark.
• Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let sit for 2 minutes prior to removing the cookies to a cooling rack.
• Let cookies cool (30 minutes) before sealing in a container.

Enjoy!!