Chia Cookies

Instructions

• 1
  Weigh the chia seeds into a small bowl, pour the measured amount of water over them, stir, and let them swell and form a gel at room temperature for at least an hour. Then stir again.
• 2
  Butter (it must be at room temperature, otherwise it will be too hard to cream) and sugar should be creamed together in a kitchen mixer or with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. The butter must visibly lighten and increase in volume, which means at least 10 minutes of work with a mixer with a paddle attachment or 30 minutes by hand with a wooden spoon.
• 3
  Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and thyme together with a whisk, then add the oats and briefly mix again. Mix the soaked seeds with lemon juice and gradually stir them into the butter mixture by spoonfuls. Then gently incorporate the dry ingredient mixture with a wooden spoon.
• 4
  Preheat the oven to 190 degrees, line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 12 portions. Use a teaspoon to scoop out each portion, about the size of a ping pong ball, and gently roll it into a ball with your hands. Do not press too hard and do not worry about unevenness, the dough is soft, but with a little patience, this can be done. Place the balls on the baking sheet with a spacing of 10 x 10 cm, you should fit six on each sheet. Using the back of a spoon lightly moistened with water, gently flatten each ball in the center to a height of about 1-1.5 cm. Bake each sheet separately in the preheated oven for 13-14 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden on the surface and do not leave a noticeable fingerprint when touched. At this point, the cookies may seem too soft and underbaked, but they will firm up significantly once cooled. Remove the sheet from the oven and immediately transfer the cookies to a wire rack with a wide spatula to allow air to circulate underneath and prevent them from becoming soggy.
• 5
  Either eat the cookies the same day or store them in an airtight container after cooling to maintain their crispness.