If a recipe calls for sugar, I usually substitute Sucanut or honey in place of the refined sugar. Sucanut is evaporated cane juice and is found online or at most health food stores. Although it's still a "refined sugar," it's not quite as processed as white sugar and is nice to use for an occasional treat for the family. Part of this recipe is sweetened with Sucanut and part of it with honey. It's a delicious treat for the family that is much, much better for you than oreo cookies or anything else found on the grocery store shelves!
I also would like to note that ALL store bought flour, including 100% whole wheat flour, is not healthy for you because 90% of the nutrients in wheat are lost during the first 72 hours that flour is ground. In addition, the most important part of the wheat berry, the germ and bran, are removed from store bought flour, leaving us a bag of lifeless, tasteless junk. Read "What is wrong with the American diet" for more information. If you really want to see an improvement in your health, purchasing a grain mill is of vital importance.
Therefore, this recipe calls for store bought flour, however, our family grinds our own wheat and we would substitute 2 cups freshly ground soft white wheat flour in place of the 1 1/2 c. of all purpose flour listed below. The additional flour is needed because cookies baked with freshly ground flour are more moist. You may need to experiment with the amount of freshly ground flour needed, as the moisture content varies greatly according to the type of wheat you purchase and the weather conditions during the growing season for that particular wheat crop. Baking with freshly ground flour is a bit of an art, but you can easily master it with a little patience. Does the dough clump together easily when you are scooping it out on the cookie sheet or does it spread out like a pancake? I look at the dough and add more flour if it seems too wet.
1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter
1/2 c. natural peanut butter
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. Sucanut (or brown sugar)
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour (or about 2 cups of freshly ground soft white wheat flour)
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
3 c. Old Fashioned Oats
1 c. raisins
Heat oven to 350F. Beat together the first 5 ingredients, add combined flour, soda, cinnamon, salt and mix well. Stir in oats and raisins. If you've got a chocolate craving, you can substitute the raisins for choc. chips, for an occasional treat that shouldn't become a habit! Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.