Try this healthy version of America’s classic cookie. It has all the rich taste, none of the junk. Your kids will say, “Where’s the milk?”

　　

Ingredients

makes 2 dozen cookies

　　6 tablespoons unsalted butter or non-hydrogenated butter substitute, at room temperature

　　3/4 cup light agave nectar

　　1 large egg

　　1 tablespoon vanilla extract

　　1 cup barley flour

　　3/4 cup oat flour

　　1/2 teaspoon baking soda

　　1/2 teaspoon sea salt

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1 cup grain-sweetened chocolate chips

　　1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

　　

Step 2

In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the agave nectar and beat until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

　　

Step 3

In a separate bowl, combine the barley flour, oat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and combine well. Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets and press down slightly. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, until lightly golden. Do not overbake.

　　

Step 4

Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

　　Reprinted with permission from Baking with Agave Nectar: Over 100 Recipes Using Nature's Ultimate Sweetener by Ania Catalano. Copyright © 2008 by Ania Catalano; photography © 2008 by Lara Hata. Published by Celestial Arts, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.Ania Catalano is a graduate of the Natural Gourmet School of Cooking in New York and the owner of the Gourmet Whole Foods Catering and Cooking School in Milford, Connecticut.