Breakfast Cookies

As you can see, I am still on that 'health kick'. My pantry is nowfully stocked with all sorts of healthy things: steel cut oats, baby food, agave, whole wheat flour, flax seeds, you name it! Eating healthy has been an attempt I've been making for some time now, but now that I'm taking a Human Nutrition class, I'm even more hell bent on doing so!

Not much of the information applies much to my baking habits, but when I learned that white flour and white rice has almost ALL of its nutrients removed from it, I was pretty shocked! Plus, when baking with whole wheat flour doesn't make much difference in taste, what's the harm in making things healthier?

These cookies are just as good as everyone says they are in the reviews and are most appropriately the perfect breakfast as their name suggests. They are chock full of goodies that keep you fueled throughout the day and just for some fun, I added a little spiced glaze, which just gave it that perfect amount of sweetness to make it seem like dessert too :)

Breakfast Cookies

Yields: 12 large cookies

Adapted from this Ellie Krieger recipe.

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food

3 tbsn. apple sauce

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup bran cereal flakes (I used cornflakes)

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted and chopped

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 F. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt in a medium sized bowl. Combine the applesauce, oil and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down the sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat for an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins, and walnuts and mix on low until just incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than typical cookie dough. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and using 3 - 4 tbsn. of batter, form a ball and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4 inch thick. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.