Low Fat Banana Maple Oatmeal Cookies

Weekends have been my sanctuary lately.

They've been my crunch-time fun time without a moment to lose. . .

 . . .filled with good company. . .

(Me and my family)

(Me and Jon)

. . .fun adventures . . .

Maple sap collecting in a deer skin pouch at Wolf Maple for Maple Weekend In Western NY

Maple glazed pop corn!

Cows munching on some dinner . . .yum, green tongue.

Jon and I visited Wolf Maple in Middleport, NY for Maple weekend. They had a bluegrass band (which was awesome), a variety of maple treats (including some super tasty soft serve maple ice cream), tours of their maple tree taps, and a bunch of very nice and knowledgeable sap collectors.

We learned about how the trees produce different grades of sap throughout the year (light, amber, medium, and dark), and how much weather factors into the production of good maple sap. The tour guide even let us put our finger under the tap to taste the sap dripping out of the tree. It was watery and slightly sweet!

We visited their gift shop and were surrounded by a plethora of maple flavored/inspired treats. I like to buy locally and support the people who work through a family business, so I picked up a couple items. I bought a ketchup bottle looking container of pure, homemade maple syrup for only $11. It was light in grade, but it was all natural and would have cost a small fortune in my local co-op.

I knew just what to make with my newly purchased maple. . .cookies!

With some help from the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, I created these:

Banana-Maple Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten free, too!)

You'll need:

1 T ground flaxseed

2 tablespoons water

1 cup rolledolled oats

1 cup gluten free flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup raisins (I used golden raisins)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 banana, mashed

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice To make: 1. Preheat the oven to 375. 2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the ground flaxseed with the water and set aside. 3. Mix the oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a separate medium mixing bowl. Add the raisins. 4. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, mashed banana, and lemon juice to the flax mixture and combine well. Pour into the dry mixture and stir well. 5. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined parchment paper. 6. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until bottoms and sides are lightly brown.

These cookies were soft and chewy. They were slightly sweet, but the raisins gave each bite a nice burst of sugar here and there. Also, they are gluten free and virtually fat free so, no guilt! :)

How do you spend your weekends - catching up on chores or making up for lost fun time?
Do you have a favorite maple recipe?