breakfast cookies

While in the San Juan Islands on the Yankee Clipper as co-galley cook with my friend and future apartment-mate KatieJay, we wanted to avoid excess sugar on our menu. One way in which we dodged both was by making breakfast cookies instead of buying individually packaged oatmeal bars.  They stuck to the kids' ribs better which is oh-so-important on long, cold days of sailing, and were also also significantly cheaper. Not to mention tastier.

When we returned to land, I set my mind to making an SCD version. While I started by looking up Danielle Walker's breakfast cookies from Against All Grain, I proceeded to ignore the recipe and dump in whatever I felt like. It has proved to be a wonderfully flexible recipe. 

Substituting one dried fruit or nut variety for another works beautifully. The peanut butter provides a wonderful texture, the dried fruit proves to be delightfully chewy, and adds a sweetness that doesn't overpower the other flavors. The use of thickly flaked coconut gives these cookies the crispy, hearty, oatmeal texture I have so missed. 

They have proven to be perfect early-morning bus breakfast, lunch filler, or filling snack.

Katie's BREAKFAST COOKIES

Recipe significantly modified from Danielle Walker's Against All Grain

Makes 10-12 generous cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F.

2 c dried fruit (up to 3 dates, apricots, plums, currants, raisins)

3/4 c nuts (walnuts, peanuts, almonds)

Finely chop.

1/2 c peanut butter

1/3 c applesauce [or water for a dryer, cakier cookie]

Mix with dried fruit

1/4 c coconut flour

Sift into mixture and combine

1 c shredded coconut (and/or coconut chips)

2 medium eggs

1/2 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

Add and mix until all are combined.

Place in large mounds on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

The cookies do not spread so place as close as desired.

Bake 17 minutes or until golden brown at the edges.

Remove to a rack and let cool completely.