Breakfast Cookies

I can't remember if I've posted this before but I made some changes so I'm posting what I did most recently.  These are SO good, especially topped with a little bit of peanut butter.  I made them using about 1 T. of batter each, ending up with cookies that were about 2-3" across, and two of them is really enough for breakfast, along with some yogurt or glass of milk.  Mmmmm :)  I doubled my original recipe (using amounts below) and put probably 2/3 of them into the freezer.

Breakfast Cookies

Makes 85-90 cookies

 

3 C. whole-wheat pastry flour

2 C. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

1 stick butter

¼ C. canola oil

½ C. applesauce

1 C. dark brown sugar

3/4 C. sugar

4 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 C. rolled oats

1 C. Grape Nuts cereal

2/3 C. raisins

2/3 C. diced dried apricots

1 ¼ C. pecans, chopped

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350° F.

Whisk together flours à salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil, applesauce, pumpkin, and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds.  Grind up the pecans in the food processor along with the grape nuts until it’s all about the same texture. Add oats, and cereal/pecan mix, and mix over low speed just until incorporated.  Use the food processor to chop up dried apricots, and then add to dough along with raisins and mix well.  Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 1 and 2 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Other alternatives: Dried apples or dried cherries for raisins. Wheat germ for part of the whole wheat flour. more oatmeal for the cereal. applesauce or squash or even shredded carrots for the baby food. all kinds of nuts for the walnuts.