Lactation Cookies

Now before you get grossed out, let me explain. These are basically just glorified oatmeal cookies, and they're pretty tasty. I've made them for friends in the past, and when we got home from the hospital a few weeks ago, it was so cute when Ross said, "hey, now you can make those cookies for us!" So I did. Repeatedly.

The reason behind the name is that oatmeal, flax seed, and Brewer's Yeast have all been touted as galactogogues, meaning that they can help increase milk supply. I think technically the evidence-based verdict is still out, but many moms swear by these ingredients. Even if it's a myth, those are all also healthy ingredients and I'm pretty darn hungry right now. If nothing else, this is a good excuse to eat cookies in the middle of the night!

I based my recipe off of this one, but of course I lightened it up a bit and made it gluten-free as well. We love them!

Gluten-Free Lactation Cookies
(makes about 2 dozen, depending on how much dough you eat first!)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 Tbs water
2 Tbs ground flax seed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup rice flour (brown or white will work)
1/2 cup almond meal or almond flour
2 cups gluten-free oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 Tbs Brewer's Yeast (or nutritional yeast)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Cream the butter, sugar, water, flax, eggs, and vanilla with a beater. Add rice flour, almond flour, baking soda, salt, and yeast and mix well. Stir in the oats and the chocolate chips and roll into Tablespoon-sized balls of dough. Place on a lined cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes.