Butterscotch Lentil Cookies

Ingredients

1⁄2 cup butter
1⁄2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
11⁄2 cups puréed lentils*
1 cup cooked lentils (about 1⁄2 cup dry)
11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups oatmeal, made into coarse flour in blender or food processor
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup butterscotch chips plus extras to decorate the cookies
1 cup walnut pieces

*Preparing lentil purée: Add 2 ½ times the amount of water as lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir frequently. Cool slightly and do not drain. In small batches, mash or pureè lentils with a sieve, food mill, blender, food processor or potato masher. Purée should be the consistency of canned pumpkin. Add water to thin if needed.

Method

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease baking sheets.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Add puréed and cooked lentils, and mix in evenly.

In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients a little at a time, alternating with butterscotch chips and walnuts, until mixed evenly.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheet, decorate with butterscotch chips, and bake until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies on wire racks.

In a medium size pan, combine at least 2 ½ cups of water with each cup of lentils.  Add more water if you are cooking at high altitude or with hard water.  Bring to boil, cover and simmer slowly, until the lentils are tender, approximately 30+ minutes.  Drain off excess water.

Nutrition: 3 cookies