It was a pleasant Saturday morning. My early-riser routine included breakfast on the balcony with my younger twin, Ahi, while he played with his blocks. After building a little roof for his house, I finished my porridge and fed him. He gathered the remaining blocks, stacked them on top of the roof until all the pieces were used, stepped back to scrutinize his structure and, eyes wide, declared, “Mama, this is the tallest building I’ve ever seen.”
For a moment I was stunned by the wording from my three-year-old—especially the emphasis on “ever seen.” Then I laughed out loud. Those small surprises make you realize how fast children grow. It feels like only yesterday they were first learning to walk and speak; now they put sentences together clearly and say the oddest, most charming things that leave me giggling or wondering where they picked up certain words.
The other day the elder twin, Ammar, walked into the kitchen and asked what I was doing. “Cutting beets to cook for you,” I said. He replied, “I love beets,” then pointed to the onions and asked about them. “They are to cook with the beets,” I explained. He surprised me by saying, “Mama, don’t use onions. They don’t have flavor.”
I asked him how he knew the word “flavor.” “I just know,” came the confident answer. I can’t remember using that exact word around the house, yet here he was discussing flavor like a tiny gourmand. Those moments—short, shining and utterly ordinary—are the ones I want to keep forever. I wish I could put them into a treasure chest to be opened again and again.
Because my boys are growing and their tastes are still developing, I bake cookies they both enjoy. Ammar tends to avoid walnuts—sometimes he says they taste bitter or look like bugs—while Ahi isn’t overly fond of plain oats. To please both of them I combined oats and walnuts into cookies they happily eat.
Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and offer benefits for heart health, brain function and inflammation. Rolled oats provide fiber, minerals and vitamins, making them a wholesome pantry staple. These cookies are crunchy with chopped walnuts in every bite; the caramel notes of brown sugar and a hint of cinnamon make them irresistible. I often bake a batch once or twice a week because they disappear quickly.
If your children resist oats or nuts, try this cookie form—it’s an easy way to combine nutritious ingredients into a treat kids will love.
Oats and Walnut Cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats (plain)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup neutral oil (I used canola)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract (or 1/4 tsp cinnamon)
1 egg
Chocolate drizzle (optional)
8 pieces cooking chocolate
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tsp sugar
Method:
- Whisk the egg with the brown sugar, then add the oil and whisk until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flours, baking powder, oats and chopped walnuts. Add a pinch of salt and cinnamon if using.
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring as you go.
- Mix with a spoon until the dough holds together. The dough will be sticky and not suitable for rolling out.
- Pinch off portions, flatten each piece in your palm and place on a greased baking sheet. Alternatively, grease cookie cutters and press dough into the cutter to shape.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 20 minutes, or until the edges turn golden.
- Cool the cookies on a wire rack. Once completely cooled, store them in an airtight container.
- For the chocolate drizzle, melt the chocolate with water, whisk in the cornflour and sugar, and heat gently until it reaches a pourable consistency. Drizzle over the cooled cookies.
Notes:
The chocolate drizzle is optional—I use it to make the cookies more appealing to the boys, but the cookies are delicious on their own.
