Oatmeal Flax Clusters

These little cluster cookies are very addictive! They are packed with oats, flax and a variety of nuts and seeds. They are based on an old recipe for oatmeal cookies from a Betty Crocker cookbook from the 1960s but I have substantially modified the original recipe both in ingredients and method. In those days people were not as careful about the amounts of sugar or fats they consumed. The original recipe called for 1 cup of butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. This would be considered too much by today's standards.

Ingredients   

1 cup shortening

    3/4 cup brown sugar

    ¼ cup water

    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1 large egg

    1 cup whole wheat flour

    1/2 cup oat bran

    1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick cooking)

    1/2 cup flax meal

    1/4 cup sesame seeds

    1 cup dried cranberries

    1/2 to 1 cup of chopped nuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds

Directions

1.      Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.      Mix the sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat gently until sugar is completely dissolved. Let cool to room temperature

3.      In a large bowl, mix in the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, oats, oat bran, flax meal, nuts and seeds, and dried fruit.

4.      Rub in the shortening with your hands until the mixture resembles a coarse meal

5.      Beat together the egg and vanilla extract. Add this to dry ingredients along with the sugar water. Mix until a dough forms.

6.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

7.      Scoop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Flatten each ball of dough slightly. These cookies do not spread much.

8.      Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool them on the baking sheets for 15 minutes or so. Decrease oven temperature to 250 degrees Fahrenheit then put the cookies back in the oven for another 20 minutes. Move them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.