The Great Cookie Experiment

I originally got the recipe for breakfast cookies from my BW friend Karen.  I decided to tweak and add a few things to see if I can make them even healthier.  I started out with the recipe she gave me, but soon it turned into an experiment to see how much wholesome stuff I could pack into them.

So I started with putting this stuff in a bowl:

2 cups crushed cereal (I used PC Organics Ancient Grains)

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup spelt flour

1/4 wheat germ

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

Then I started to go a little nuts.  Every time I looked into our newly organized pantry I saw something else that I thought about throwing in.  So I added (approximate amounts, I wasn't even really measuring at this point)

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/4 cup ground almonds

1/4 cup ground oatmeal

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/4 cup sesame seeds

In another bowl I mixed:

3 eggs (original recipe called for 2, but seeing as how I was significantly adding to the dry ingredients, I figured I'd better add another egg)

3/4 cup ricotta cheese (Karen also recommends tofu)

1/4 cup peanut butter (not in the original recipe, but I thought why not?  Next time I will use a different type like almond or cashew)

6 tbsp agave nectar (originally called for brown sugar)

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 cup oil (I used some melted butter and coconut oil)

1/4 cup apple butter (again, not in original recipe)

I think that's everything?

I mixed the contents of the two bowls together then assessed the consistency.  Still a little on the wet/sticky side.  So I threw in some more spelt flour to make it more cookie batter like.  What the heck, I threw in some more of the Ancient Grains cereal too, this time leaving the flakes whole instead of the crushing them.

Then I put balls of batter on a greased cookie sheet and flattened them a little. 

Stuck them in the oven and prayed they would work.  16 minutes at 400 degrees.  I got 3 dozen cookies out of it.

Success!  They were yummy, moist, and chewy.  I think you could flatten them a little more and cook for a little less to get a crunchier variation.

They were a hit with the boys for sure.  Now I won't feel so guilty when they ask for a cookie.

So, next time I'm thinking shredded apple or carrots.  I'm thinking raisins or other dried fruit.  I'm thinking chopped almonds.  I'm thinking pumpkin and sunflower seeds.  I'm thinking shredded coconut.  Really, the possibilities are endless.  Try it yourself and have fun with it.  I don't think you can mess this recipe up really, just keep adding stuff until you get the right consistency.  It was fun and easy!  And definitely better than any store bought stuff.

What should I call them?  Hmmmmm.........