Life, and people, can be messy. You miss a subway train by 5 seconds, and the next one isn't coming for six. whole. minutes. and you're terribly late. You wait in line at Rite Aid behind two woman debating the best discount grocery stores for saving 20 cents on yogurt, and feel sad under the fluorescent lights. The elliptical machine makes a funny clinking sound on the right side every time you stride (and you really didn't want to be inside sweating anyway).
It's also surprisingly, stunningly, out-of-the-blue messy in a good way. The woman at Pret hands over your morning latte -- "it's on me today". He's late for dinner, so you miss your reservation and go across the street, and eat one of the best salads you've had in a long time (side note, fried haloumi, why you gotta be so good?)
At the end of the day, let's expect things to be unexpected. Some stomach-swoopingly, grin-inducingly good, and some not so good. To navigate the seas between the two poles, remember that there are some things in life that are clean, and well-defined, and within reach.
“A good novel will always be waiting. Listening to “Latch” by Disclosure will always make you want to dance. And these particular oatmeal cookies will always come out chewy and just a bit sweet.”
Chewy Spelt Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Adapted from GOOP
1/2 cup raisins
1 heaping cup rolled oats
1 1/4 cups spelt flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup light amber maple syrup
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the oil, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and stir to combine well. Stir in the raisins.
Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, drop scoops of the batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. LEave some space between them -- they will spread out a bit. Make them as big as you like, but just keep the size consistent so that they bake evenly.
Bake them for about 13 minutes. I like to take them out before they feel quite ready and are still a bit underdone-- this makes them stay extra chewy once they cool. If you do this, store them in the freezer -- they are very good frozen.