Back to School and Back to the Blog

Breakfast" Cookies"

I really have no excuse other than to say that it's been a busy summer.  I felt like I was constantly on the move, what with everyone home, Kate's tennis tournaments, and college visits.  I'm exhausted.

Not only have I had a hamster wheel of a summer, I've also been, shall we say, without inspiration in the kitchen.  It's been all I can do to throw some chicken on the grill or cut up some tomatoes.  It happens.  Life is funny that way.

But school has started up again for Kate, which means we are pretty much back to school around here.  It's time to buckle down and get back to business.  The Common App is waiting too, along with the supplements.  Kate may be in denial, but the party has come to an abrupt end.

Charlie goes back to school later this week, and I can tell he's winding down on summer as well.  He wants to get back to his college friends and the routine  (i.e. social life) that school provides.  Summer jobs are just never as much fun as hanging out with friends in the dorm lounge and I get that.  I am also sure that he's had enough of my particular brand of mothering (nagging).  My endless questions about "what comes next" after graduation have gotten old, even though I have yet to get an answer that keeps me from asking again and again.

What can I say?  I'm a mother.  This is what I do.  Deal with it.

The point of all this is that I feel like I'm getting back into a routine and with that comes new blogging inspiration.  For the first time in a month or two, I am looking through cookbooks and making lists.  It's time to experiment with new recipes again.

Kate brought this recipe for for breakfast cookies to my attention.  Of course, we had to make substitutions because she wasn't all that excited about the selection of dried fruit in the original recipe. Nonetheless, I think we ended up with something workable.  (Apparently my daughter doesn't like raisins "in things".)  Feel free to customize (with or without the mini chocolate chips) for your family.

This recipe made 17 cookies. I froze all but six. I hope I don't forget I have them.  I mention this because it's a definite possibility given my limited organizational skills and memory.

I'm glad to be back.

Recipe:  Breakfast Cookies
(Martha Stewart)

Note:  Kate doesn't like raisins, dried papaya, and dried mango (in things) so we substituted like amounts of dried cherries, dried cranberries, and mini chocolate chips.  Hey... I have to go with what works and if chocolate chips work, who am I to judge?

This recipe make 8 one cup size cookies or 16 half cup size cookies.  I made the smaller size because no one needs such a huge cookie, even if it's healthy.  Take note: Even the half cup sized cookies are enormous. The next time I make these, I'm going for something a little more manageable.


Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups packed dark-brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins or currants
1/2 cup finely chopped dried mango
1/4 cup finely chopped dried papaya
1 cup dried banana chips

Directions:

Preheat a convection oven to 325 degrees or a conventional oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add brown sugar and mix until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix just to combine.

With the mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture and mix until well combined. Add oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, raisins, mango, and papaya; mix to combine.

Form dough into eight equal portions, about 1 cup each, and form into patties, about 4 inches in diameter. Place on prepared baking sheets. Top evenly with banana chips. Transfer to oven and bake until golden and firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets.