Lactation Cookies

My little sister gave birth to adorable (and hungry) twins a few weeks ago.  She has been exclusively breastfeeding both of them, and her lactation consultant suggested that she try eating lactation cookies to help increase her milk supply.  She asked if I knew how to make the cookies, and if I had tried them.  I had certainly heard of them, and their benefits.  I breastfed both my babies, one for 9 months, the other for 6 months, and I had supply issues that I battled both times the entire duration.  I remember looking at recipes, and then losing motivation to actually bake them.  Babies are exhausting, and when you are breastfeeding, you get short little breaks between feedings that you'd rather use to shower or shove carbs down your throat; not standing in the kitchen baking.  That memory made me insist that my sister not worry about making the cookies; I would make them for her.  So for those of you new breastfeeding mamas; send this recipe to your mom, your sister, or good friend and have them bake them for you.  You go take a nap.

Lactation Cookies

Recipe Adapted from Noel Trujillo

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp Flaxseed Meal

2 Tbsp Water

1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened (or Coconut Oil)

1 Cup White Sugar

1 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar

2 Eggs, beaten

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 1/4 tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Brewer's Yeast

3 Cups Old Fashioned Oats

1 Cup Semi Sweet or Milk Chocolate Chocolate Chips

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together the flaxseed and water in a  small bowl and set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Stir in the beaten eggs.  Add in the flaxseed meal/water mixture and vanilla, and stir until all combined.

3.  In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and brewer's yeast, and then add the dry mixture to the butter/sugar mixture.  Stir in the oats and chocolate chips until well mixed.  (Tip: for a thicker & softer cookie, refrigerate the dough for a few hours)

4.  Line a baking pan with a silpat mat or parchment paper.  Drop heaping tablespoon sized balls of dough evenly across the pan, about a dozen to a pan.  (Pro tip:  roll the balls while they are still cold if you refrigerated them, and then keep the balls in the fridge until it's their turn to go into the oven.  If you put them in the oven when they are still chilled, they will be nice and fluffy!)

5.  Bake for 12-14 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until golden brown.  Let cool and then store in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze them.

6.  To increase supply, eat 4 cookies a day for the first two days, and then 2 cookies a day on day 3 and 4, and then 1 cookie a day thereafter.  Or you can just eat as many cookies as you want--because hey you are breastfeeding and deserve as many cookies as you want.