RECIPE
Lactation cookies
Notes
There is something so British about a postnatal bake! Good food is the perfect gift for new parents and there is something so comforting and uplifting about a box of cookies, one handed food and a bit of sweetness!
The most important thing I feel I must say about these cookies is that although they are called 'lactation cookies' they are not prescriptive and they are not exclusively for breastfeeding mothers. Yes there are some foods that are said to encourage milk supply but honestly, everything a healthy new mother needs is within her. She carried and birthed a baby so I would never claim that a mere cookie (no matter how delicious) has more power than her amazing life giving self!
A cookie is however a perfect one handed treat, perfect for those long postpartum days. The comforting sugar fix a new mother needs close at hand in her postnatal nest.
I find these turn out best made in a table top blender with a dough hook, I lightly fold in the last of the oats by hand.
Do not substitute the brewers yeast for any other kind of yeast as it’s the most lactogenic ingredient of all.
Half a cup of additional ingredients can be added to this cookie dough, some great combinations are
fig, fennel seed and walnut.
Dark chocolate, cranberry & hazlenut
Cherry, pecan and white chocolate, white chocolate is great with this combination but dark chocolate is too and I like dark chocolate in postnatal baking for the fibre, iron and magnesium. It's also great for mood and blood pressure.
This dough makes 14 - 16 cookies based on a dessert spoon of dough each, obviously more if extra ingredients have been added. Prep time 5 - 10 mins, no rush though! Cooking time 10 mins.
Ingredients
- 1 cup self raising wholemeal flour
- 1 and ½ cup oats
- ½ cup butter or coconut oil
- ¾ cup light brown muscovado sugar
- 2 tbsp ground flax in 2-3tbsp luke warm water
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 - 2 tbsp brewers yeast
- ½ tsp good coarse sea salt or himalayan salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Optional ½ cup extra ingredients of your choice.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy while the flax is soaking in the water.
- Beat in the the flax and vanilla
- Fold in the salt, cinnamon, flour brewers yeast and 1 cup of the oats until well combined.
- Lightly fold in the rest of the oats
- Spoon out and shape into balls, press onto baking sheet spaced out evenly. Flatten each ball slightly with your fingers but not too much.
- Bake for around 10 mins until lightly coloured depending on how crunchy you like your cookies. Don’t expect them to be firm on removal from the oven, they will firm up on cooling
I hope you like this recipe, do let me know if you have used any exiting combinations for extra ingredients!
These cookies are also available for sale, if you would like to order some do get in touch
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