Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Sometimes I get in the mood to bake something. Problem is most baked goodies aren't exactly good for the waistline, so the other day I modified a cookie recipe from my Lion House Desserts cookbook. Some things I don't substitute, like butter, but this is definitely more healthy than it was. I also added a couple spices to give it that perfect autumn cookie flavor.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup agave nectar*
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/8 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 1/4 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup golden raisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet or line with wax paper (I used my Silpat silicone cookie sheet liner and it worked like a charm). In a large mixing bowl, mix agave and butter (consistency will be thinner than if you were creaming butter with sugar). Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, oatmeal, and raisins. Drop in small spoonfuls onto you cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Let rest for a couple minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Makes 2 dozen cookies.

*Agave nectar can be found in specialty baking stores (like the Bosch Kitchen Store), health food stores (like Whole Foods or Sunflower Market), or sometimes even Costco. It comes from a plant in Mexico, is 1.5 times sweeter than honey, but is lower on the glycemic index than sugar or honey. Because it is sweeter, less is required in recipes than sugar or honey. Because it dissolves quickly, you can also use it to sweeten peppermint tea, oatmeal, or even plain Greek yogurt.