I have absolutely no idea who Manuel Freedman is (or was). My recipe dates from when we lived in Key West (mid-80s), but I have no idea where it came from, who gave it to me or any other explanations. What I do know is that these cookies are easy, healthy, and delicious. They contain no added sugar – all the sweetness comes from the dried fruit (which is why cranberries are not the best choice), and only 1/4 cup of vegetable oil – the other fat comes from chopped nuts. Best of all, the ingredients are things I usually have on hand in my pantry, making these a very frugal choice.
The recipe says that the cookies should be sliced before baking – don’t skip this step! They firm up during baking and are very difficult to cut afterwards. The recipe also calls for dates, but I have substituted raisins with success. I’m guessing that other dried fruits could be used as well, but the cookies will be less sweet (or not sweet at all).
Oh yes, the cookies have been kid tested and approved! My girls adore these cookies even though they’re less sweet than other cookies I make or buy. I made a pan the other day and they disappeared quickly, and I was asked not to wait so long to make them again.
MANUEL FREEDMAN’S OATMEAL COOKIES
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats, either quick or regular
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/4 cups finely chopped dates (or raisins)
1/3 to 1/2 cup water
Preheat oven to 325°. Generously grease a 8″ x 8″ baking pan. Blend flour, oats, salt and oil until evenly mixed. Add walnuts and chopped dates, and 1/3 cup water, mixing together with your fingers until evenly damp (you can add more water if necessary, but dough should not be “sticky”). Press down very well into the baking pan, then cut into 16 2-inch squares. Bake for 30 minutes; cookies will not get dark. Cool completely before removing from the pan.
January 25th, 2012 at 7:44 am
Thank you for this recipe. I’m going to try it. We eat totally organic, vegetarian and only use honey for sweetener. This recipe will be perfect for us. I think I’ll use the raisins as I always have them on hand. Thank you so much for sharing. It’s hard to find recipes for the way we eat, although we eat delicious food:)
January 26th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
I hope you like them. I have always loved these cookies, but hadn’t made them in awhile and wondered if our girls would still like them (they did when they were little), and they loved them and asked me not to wait so long to make them again. I still have some dates in the pantry, so will probably bake them again next week or so!
February 2nd, 2012 at 9:06 am
Such an interesting recipe. I’ll add it to my list!