The Perfect Lunch Box Choc-Chip Cookie

Everyone needs a really good choc-chip cookie in their repertoire! This one is the perfect combination of crunch and just a little bit chewy. Cookie Heaven!!

I don't like to "healthify" all my lunch box baking for the kids, as sometimes you just want something tastes delicious. That said I've added wholemeal flour and oats to bump up the fibre (particularly soluble fibre) content of these cookies. In my work as paediatric dietitian I see a lot of kids that don't get enough fibre in their diets. A big culprit is the over reliance on a lot of starchy pre-packaged snacks for kids that are low in fibre, combined with insufficient fruits and vegetables in their diet. 

Oats are also great for helping to promote good gut health in our kids. Oats contain prebiotic fibres that nourish the probiotics (the good bacteria) living in our guts and this can have flow on health effects beyond just keeping you regular (see our blog on gut health for more info).

The Perfect Lunch Box Choc-Chip Cookie

Ingredients:

1 cup plain flour, sifted 

1/2 cup of wholemeal plain flour, sifted (return husks to bowl after sifting)

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 egg

2 tsp pure vanilla essence

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed

1/2 cup white sugar

180g butter at room temperature

1 cup choc chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 180 ℃ and line two baking trays with paper. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream butter and sugar. Add in egg and vanilla essence and beat until light and fluffy. Remove from mixer and add in sifted flours, baking powder, oats and choc chips. Mix through until firm mixture forms.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out even portions of biscuits onto a lined baking tray. Flatten with a fork. Cook for 15 mins at 180 ℃ or until golden brown. 

Makes 22 cookies. Keep in an air tight container. Will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.