What’s for dessert? Oat bran cookies covered in dark chocolate!

Usually, when a recipe claims to be really nice and healthy, I automatically assume it’s dry, bland and boring and look for a different recipe. The cookies I made tonight are just that: incredibly healthy. And OH. MY.GOD. do they taste good!

In stead of good old oatmeal (which, in my opinion, can sometimes give cookies a bit of a chew rather than a good crunch), I used oat bran (which is bursting with nutrients and contains 50% more fiber than oatmeal).  But most importantly: these cookies are crunchy, full of flavor and just downright delicious (none of us can stop eating them, I’m glad I made a ton). And they’re ridiculously easy to make!

The given quantities will make cookies for four to six people or, in our case, the three of us and a cookie jar so we can have some tomorrow as well. I strongly recommend making a larger batch while you’re already at it, but if you’re just making them for yourself or your family doesn’t like sweets, it is perfectly fine to just cut the quantities in half.

You will need: 

– 200g butter
– 200g (2dl) sugar
– 225g (4 dl) oat bran
– 60g flour
– 2 teaspoons of baking powder
– 2-3 teaspoons of vanilla sugar
– 2 eggs

– 225g of dark (50-70% cocoa works best with these) chocolate for the glaze.
1. Preheat your oven to 210°C
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan at medium heat.
3. Take another saucepan (one that’s small enough so you can place a bowl over it) and fill half of it with water. Bring the water to a simmer and place a bowl with chocolate (that you’ve broken into pieces) on top.
3. While the butter is melting, mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4. Add the melted butter and the eggs to the rest of the ingredients, mix until you have an even dough.
5. Cover your oven tray with a sheet of baking paper and start shaping your cookies. Roll the dough into tiny (about 2 cm in diameter) balls and place them on the tray, leaving space (enough to easily fit another one) between each one. Flatten them a little with your thumb and put them in the oven. Always let the oven tray cool before you put on your next batch of cookies.
6. Cooking mine took ca 6-7 minutes, but I strongly recommend you to babysit your first batch so they don’t burn. Your cookies are done when they’re nice and golden brown.
7. Take your cookies out of the oven and place them upside down (!) on a tray or plate. They’re soft when they come out, but once they cool, they’ll become nice and crunchy.
8. Take a pastry brush, dip it in the melted chocolate and put an even glaze on one side of the cookie (this is why you turned them upside down).
9. Let the chocolate set before you serve your cookies in a bowl.

#1 Tip for making your chocolate glaze: add half a teaspoon of high-quality olive oil to your melted chocolate and mix thoroughly. This will make it easier to apply the glaze evenly and will make it pretty and glossy. Don’t worry, you will not be able to taste the oil at all.

Now all that’s left to do is enjoy your cookies with a glass of milk or a nice cup of coffee and try not to fall into a food coma.
The last bit is nearly unavoidable, though… that’s just how good these are!