The Joys of ‘Procrastibaking’ to Avoid Real Work Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

The Joys of Procrastibaking to Avoid Real Work

Procrastinate relieve stress — and get a tasty cookie in the end

Michael Woytek / AARP Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Now, Gardner, who blogs at , has come out with a new cookbook, Procrastibaking: 100 Recipes for Getting Nothing Done in the Most Delicious Way Possible (whose introduction, she claims, was written the night before it was due). The key to procastibaking, Gardner explains, is that “it's a , not stress inducing.” Many of the recipes, such as her easy-to-adapt Kitchen Sink Bars, are based on pantry staples and are simple to whip up when you'd rather be playing with sugary cookie dough than, say, responding to work emails or cleaning the bathroom. “I call them the counter bakes — like you bake them to sit on the counter and people pick at them all day.” The projects toward the end of the book grow more complex, until you get to Gardner's procrasti-masterpieces, including a made-from-scratch gingerbread house and an elaborate, classic French croquembouche, which looks like the subject of a technical challenge on The Great British Baking Show ("If you're looking to create a baking masterpiece while taking up as much time as possible, there is no better cuisine to turn to than the French,” she writes). This is Gardner's recipe for Breakfast Cookies, one of the healthier treats in the book. With ingredients that include oats and apples, she observes, “you're getting a little fruit and fiber and , but it's kind of fun to cook, and you feel like you're eating a cookie.”

Breakfast Cookies

Makes 18 large or 32 small cookies These tender and delicious cookies are a nice change of pace if you're in a cereal or yogurt rut. They also make for a great 3 p.m. pick-me-up to power you through the rest of your day.
2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds 1/2 cup water 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted 1 1/2 cups grated apples (about 2 medium apples, no need to peel) 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries 1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flaxseeds and water. Set aside to thicken while you assemble the rest of the ingredients. 2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. 3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and ginger. 4. In a smaller bowl or large glass measuring cup, whisk together the maple syrup, oil and flaxseed mixture. 5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to combine. Add the apples, walnuts and cranberries, and mix to incorporate. 6. Scoop the dough into 11/2-inch balls (0.75-ounce scoop or 11/2 tablespoons) for small cookies or 3-inch balls (1.5-ounce scoop or 3 tablespoons) for larger ones. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet 2 to 3 inches apart. Use wet fingers or the bottom of a glass to press down the tops of the cookies to break up the scooped shape. 7. Bake, rotating the pan front to back halfway through, until the edges are golden brown and firm, 10 to 12 minutes for small cookies and 12 to 15 minutes for large ones. 8. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan before transferring to a rack to finish cooling. 9. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Alternatively, freeze for up to 3 months and pull cookies to thaw in the refrigerator the night before you want them for breakfast. Copyright 2020 by Erin Gardner from Procrastibaking: 100 Recipes for Getting Nothing Done in the Most Delicious Way Possible, published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc. AARP NEWSLETTERS %{ newsLetterPromoText }% %{ description }% Subscribe AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS