Himalayan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Well the holidays are over, and I gave away the last of the Christmas cookies today. As usual the variety that disappeared the quickest was the Himalayan chocolate chips.

Starting in the early 1980’s, Gary and I would spend three to four months studying and meditating in a wonderful little town in the Himalayas. We would leave the January snows of Vermont in order to rejuvenate from our hectic schedule directing a Holistic Health Center in St. Johnsbury and running our meditation retreat center in South Woodbury. The winters were cold in the mountains, and although it only snowed a few times in the Kullu Valley, the rain would make for a perfect environment to meditate, chant and study the ancient yoga sutras. No cell phones, no TV, no newspapers, and no entertainment - just quiet days doing our practices and hanging out with good friends.

The only real social activity was around meals. My friend Komi was a great cook and we would hang out baking and cooking together. She invented this recipe with ingredients available at 4000 ft. in the mountains along with the chocolate chips from the West. The snow was often covering the tops of the surrounding mountains when we would have an urge for chocolate. It was a challenge to bake on the kerosene stove, using little more than a tin box sitting on top of the burner to capture the heat. Sometimes we would lose a whole batch to the fluctuating temperatures. Komi was a wizard in the kitchen thought, and as the smells drifted from her small kutir people would appear at the door following the scent of home baked delights .

I especially like this recipe because the cookies are crunchy and don't flatten out but look much like the cranky high mountains they came from. Enjoy these Himalayan treats!


Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Blend:
1 cup butter
1 ½ cup sugar (I use light brown sugar)

Add:
1 tsp water
¼ cup yogurt
1 tsp vanilla

Stir in:
1 ½ cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Add:
3 cups oats
1 ½ cups chocolate chips, nuts (anything you want!)

Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees