Lactation cookies – possibly a crock, but a tasty crock

So it’s really hot here in England at the moment (yes, I know, I am as shocked as everyone else and trying to avoid being a stereotype by whinging about it incessantly but it’s hard not to when someone has their vile armpit up against your sensitive 7 month pregnant nose on a packed tube). ANYWAY, several new mums I know are having milk supply issues. When I was feeding last time someone sent me a recipe for lactation cookies. I think it was an Aussie recipe, but having googled it now, who would know in this big wide web world where it came from – they all look like a similar recipe.

I have no idea whether it has any medical basis, although I do know that drinking beer (and thus yeast) is a longstanding old trick for milk supply. The thought of sculling beer every night is personally far more appealing to me, but alcohol bad for baby except wine or expensive champagne consumed after last feed of day blah blah blah. ANYWAY – I made them and there were surprisingly good, and did seem to help. Could well have been in my mind, but anything that involves chocolate chip and has potential medicinal benefits and is thus justifiable AND tasty is tops in my book. Here is the recipe:

Housepoet’s Famous Lactation Boosting Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip & Flaxseed Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal (check local health food store)
2 large eggs (those omega 3 ones to REALLY justify it)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats (thick cut if you can get them)
1 cup (or more) of chocolate chip or m&ms (can also use raisins, pecan nuts etc)
2 tablespoons of brewer’s yeast (be generous – can’t use anything but this)

Directions
preheat over to 375 f. Mix together flaxseed and water, set aside for 3-5 mins. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well. Stir flaxseed mixture and add with vanilla to the butter mix. Beat until blended. Sift together dry ingredients, except oats and chips. Add to butter mixture. Stir in oats then chips. Scoop or drop onto baking sheet, lined with parshement or silpat (silicone even better). The dough is a little crumbly so it helps to use a scoop. Bake 8-12 mins depending on size of cookies. Makes 6 dozen cookies and takes 15 mins. Can freeze it into one of those rolls and then chop and cook at will (if you have no will power and are likely to eat the whole lot in one go. Still, surely more is better in this case?)