Oatmeal Ginger Crunch Cookies Makes 1 Dozen
The special flavors and the texture of this spicy version of an old-fashioned favorite make it a crowd pleaser. Barley malt syrup, like brown rice syrup, is a naturally processed sweetener. Unlike other sweeteners, which are made up of simple sugars such as glucose, sucrose and fructose, barley malt and rice syrup contain the complex sugar maltose, which means they break down more slowly in the body without the quick rise in blood sugar levels associated with simple sugars.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes

1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon nonaluminum baking powder
1 cup currants
1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup canola or light walnut oil
1/2 cup barley malt or pure maple syrup
Zest of an orange, minced
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, whisk together wet ingredients. Stir into dry.

3. Transfer heaping tablespoons of dough onto baking sheet. If uniformity is important, use a 1/4- or 1/3-cup scoop. Flatten cookies with the back of a fork to make 3- or 4-inch round shapes. Dip fork in juice to keep it from sticking.

4. Bake cookies until edges and undersides are golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meredith McCarty is a personal dietary consultant, cookbook author, lecturer and teacher who lives in Mill Valley, Calif. She's author of Fresh from a Vegetarian Kitchen (St. Martin's Press), American Macrobiotic Cuisine (Avery), and the Quick Whole-Grain Sourdough Breads video. Look for her upcoming book, Sweet Inspirations -- Naturally-Sweet and Dairy-Free Desserts (St. Martin's Press), in 1997. She co-directed the East West Center, a natural health education center in Eureka, Calif., for 19 years.