Check out our current e-mail newsletter! Don't miss the February/March 2010 issue, it's coming soon! Subscribe now.

If you asked me years ago if I would consider getting into “raw food”, I would have flat-out said No and give you a weird look. I don’t know what happened, but in the past year, I’ve softened up to the idea of making raw food concoctions. Two weeks ago, I ordered Ani Phyo’s recipe books. When I got them last week, I keep thinking why the heck she looks and sounds so familiar. Then I looked at her bio and of course! She’s the author of one of the most useful web design books I have when I was starting my business many moons ago. That’s crazy! Hah.

Ok, back to the food. Here I am, vowing to get healthier in 2010 and willing to try new things.

Here’s my foray into raw food “cooking”:

They don’t look the the same as your regular oatmeal raisin cookies, and I’m not going to lie to you, they have  a different taste and texture as well. However, I think they are a pretty good substitute; this coming from someone who attached childhood memories to her favorite oatmeal raisin cookies. This raw version is very simple to make and has only 4 ingredients: raw oats (I used quick oats), pitted dates, raisins, and cinnamon. The dates hold the cookie together, so the result is a dense cookie.

I’ve only really tasted “raw food” on a few occasions (I mean, of course I eat veggies and fruits raw as snacks), one of them was at the Foodbuzz Festival in San Francisco. One thing I can say about all the times I have tried it: it’s bursting with flavor. This cookie is packed with the sweetness of dates and the comfort-food (at least for me) taste of oatmeal. It is rich and fudge-like, compared to a regular cookie, so you actually don’t eat much of it– two at most.

I certainly won’t ditch the baked version, but this is a nice alternative. I don’t tend to overeat eat, and it’s just enough to go with tea for a quick snack or dessert.

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIS (RAW)

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw oats (quick oats or steel cut oats will work, but they are not technically raw)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup Medjool dates, pitted, packed
• ½ cup raisins

Preparation

1. Combine oats and cinnamon in food processor and pulse until you get small pieces.
2. Add dates and pulse well. You should have a thick/dense paste.
3. Add raisins and pulse a few times to just blend it.
4. You can shape the dough into flat discs by forming a ball and pressing it. You can also use cookie cutters to shape them by pressing dough in them. A third of an inch, I find, is a good thickness for this cookie. Place on a parchment lined sheet tray.Serve immediately. Can be stored in a sealed container or bag. These will keep at room temperature for a week, or in the refrigerator or freezer for much longer, just be sure to thaw for 15 minutes before serving.Note: The ‘dough’ is very sticky because of the dates.