Lactation Cookie Recipe Request/Review

[ShuBunny]

Hi folks,

While my chocolate chip cookie dough is chilling in my fridge, I'm keen to to make a batch of lactation cookies at request of a new mom.
Looking this recipe from homesweeteats

I've not made oatmeals cookies before and wonder if this looks like a good ratio.
I'm leaving out the brewer's yeast, by subbing cranberries for raisins, using raw cane sugar instead of white sugar at request of the new mom.
And subbing sunflower oil instead of coconut oil.

In grams	Ingredients	Percentage
180	12% flour	100%
168	Butter	93%
56	coconut oil	31%
300	sugar	167%
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk	eggs
270	rolled oats	150%
10	vanilla extract	6%
225	raisins	125%
25	flaxseed	14%
1/2 tsp	cinnamon
1/4 tsp	salt
1/2 tsp	baking soda
1/2 tsp	baking powder

INSTRUCTIONS​

• Preheat the oven the 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, yeast, flaxseed, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and coconut oil on medium speed until creamy. Add in the sugar and beat on medium to high speed until fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed. Add in the egg and egg yolk, beating until combined, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract and beat until combined again. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined and mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips with a spatula until they are evenly dispersed.
• Scoop the dough into 1-inch rounds (I use an ice cream scoop so they are fairly uniform in size) and place on a baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until the bottoms are just golden. Let cool completely before storing in a sealed container.

Any comments, chastising for subbing so much stuff or even lactation recipe shares much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Coconut oil at 90% is almost pure saturated fat.

Sunflower oil contains 11% saturated fat

54 g coconut oil contains 48 g saturated fat
54 g sunflower oil contains 6 g saturated fat

A whole flaxseed will not be digested, it will just pass through the system. So you won’t derive any nutritional benefit from it.

If it’s ground into a powder it will have a thickening affect in the dough. It’s used as a binder in gluten-free baking.

 

[ShuBunny]

Coconut oil at 90% is almost pure saturated fat.

Sunflower oil contains 11% saturated fat

54 g coconut oil contains 48 g saturated fat
54 g sunflower oil contains 6 g saturated fat

A whole flaxseed will not be digested, it will just pass through the system. So you won’t derive any nutritional benefit from it.

If it’s ground into a powder it will have a thickening affect in the dough. It’s used as a binder in gluten-free baking.

thanks @Norcalbaker59 - I'll grind the flax into flaxmeal. Thickening doesn't sound like a bad thing for now.... Until I mess up the cookie.
Looks like switching the coconut oil to sunflower is a good? call given the saturated fat content.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

thanks @Norcalbaker59 - I'll grind the flax into flaxmeal. Thickening doesn't sound like a bad thing for now.... Until I mess up the cookie.
Looks like switching the coconut oil to sunflower is a good? call given the saturated fat content.

Switching to coconut oil is not good. Saturated fat is the oil that is not recommended by the heart association. The oil that is good for you is high monounsaturated fat. You want to avoid saturated fats.


If you grind the flaxseed, you want to use two whole eggs instead of one egg and one egg yolk. The extra egg yolk will thicken the dough. The extra water in the white might be needed to counter the all that thickening of the flaxseed.

In future tried changing your flour to something like a Type 70. The bran and germ makes for a more nutrient rich flour.

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats can have a beneficial effect on your heart.

www.heart.org

Saturated Fat

Eating too much saturated fat can raise the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood.

www.heart.org

 

[Emmie]

I can't comment on the recipe and method as a whole, but if you can get it and the mother is happy to eat it in the cookie, the brewers yeast is what is considered the key 'lactation' bit of the lactation cookie. Flaxseed and oats are considered beneficial but it's the brewers yeast people are generally after. (Obviously the mum may have her reasons for not wanting it.) I might not be a cookie expert but, my goodness, did I try everything in the book to be able to feed my child! Getting flapjack flashbacks as I type!

 

[ShuBunny]

the brewers yeast is what is considered the key 'lactation' bit of the lactation cookie. Flaxseed and oats are considered beneficial but it's the brewers yeast people are generally after. (Obviously the mum may have her reasons for not wanting it.)

Ah I see, thanks @Emmie yes, she has her reservations - but I'll point this out to her and ask her if she would like it included in the next batch.

hi @Norcalbaker59

Switching to coconut oil is not good. Saturated fat is the oil that is not recommended by the heart association. The oil that is good for you is high monounsaturated fat. You want to avoid saturated fats.


If you grind the flaxseed, you want to use two whole eggs instead of one egg and one egg yolk. The extra egg yolk will thicken the dough. The extra water in the white might be needed to counter the all that thickening of the flaxseed.

In future tried changing your flour to something like a Type 70. The bran and germ makes for a more nutrient rich flour.

sorry if I wasn't clear - i was planning to remove the coconut oil and use sunflower oil in replacement. Looks like sunflower oil is a better option.

Thanks for the tip on using 2 eggs instead. Type 70 sounds like a whole meal. I'll experiment with using that if asked to make a second batch.

So glad I asked for advice here before making it.

 

[Emmie]

Ah I see, thanks @Emmie yes, she has her reservations - but I'll point this out to her and ask her if she would like it included in the next batch.

hi @Norcalbaker59


sorry if I wasn't clear - i was planning to remove the coconut oil and use sunflower oil in replacement. Looks like sunflower oil is a better option.

Thanks for the tip on using 2 eggs instead. Type 70 sounds like a whole meal. I'll experiment with using that if asked to make a second batch.

So glad I asked for advice here before making it.

Brewers yeast is not a particularly appetising-sounding ingredient, is it? But I was never able to taste it in my flapjacks.

 

[ShuBunny]

Brewers yeast is not a particularly appetising-sounding ingredient, is it? But I was never able to taste it in my flapjacks.

I read that it is bitter but I think it is more so that new moms have some taboo foods during their first month post birth. So she just avoiding the unfamiliar!

 

[ShuBunny]

And here’s the outcome! 35g per scoop and baked for 18mins at 175Celcius.
Could do with a slight longer bake time. Cookie turned out soft and slightly chewy.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Ah I see, thanks @Emmie yes, she has her reservations - but I'll point this out to her and ask her if she would like it included in the next batch.

hi @Norcalbaker59


sorry if I wasn't clear - i was planning to remove the coconut oil and use sunflower oil in replacement. Looks like sunflower oil is a better option.

Thanks for the tip on using 2 eggs instead. Type 70 sounds like a whole meal. I'll experiment with using that if asked to make a second batch.

So glad I asked for advice here before making it.

Oh OK. Coconut oil is in the formula, so I assumed you were going to use it.

Yes sunflower oil is the better option.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

And here’s the outcome! 35g per scoop and baked for 18mins at 175Celcius.
Could do with a slight longer bake time. Cookie turned out soft and slightly chewy.

View attachment 3690
View attachment 3691

I agree it does need some additional date time. There are gummy streaks in the center. How was the flavor? They look good.

 

[ShuBunny]

I agree it does need some additional date time. There are gummy streaks in the center. How was the flavor? They look good.

Flavour is 7/10.
Texture 6/10. 7/10 if I baked it a little longer.

It’s cakey because of amount of wheat flour, flax meal and I ground 1/3 of the oat into oat flour.
Chewy cos of the cranberries, and the remaining 2/3 oats that were toasted with some butter and milk powder.

I mean, I’d rather eat the choco chip cookie than this.

If you are planning to bake this, please let me know. I’ll update the percentages more accurately.

 

[Emmie]

Flavour is 7/10.
Texture 6/10. 7/10 if I baked it a little longer.

It’s cakey because of amount of wheat flour, flax meal and I ground 1/3 of the oat into oat flour.
Chewy cos of the cranberries, and the remaining 2/3 oats that were toasted with some butter and milk powder.

I mean, I’d rather eat the choco chip cookie than this.

If you are planning to bake this, please let me know. I’ll update the percentages more accurately.

They look lovely and gooey! I hope the mum enjoys them! I just remember baking flapjacks nearly every other day when my little girl was born - 4 ingredients plus some dried fruit and nuts were about all my brain could handle.