Pocono Pabulum for Mind & Body: Breakfast Cookies

Regular Breakfast Cookies

Chocolate Coconut Breakfast Cookies

Nothing is better on a weekend (or snow day) morning than a freshly baked treat hot from the oven. But sometimes preparing and baking something can take too long and it is closer to lunchtime before my family gets to enjoy whatever it is I am whipping up in my kitchen. So when I saw a recipe a few months back for breakfast cookies that you prep the night before, I was intrigued. Last weekend I finally got around to trying my own version of this idea and it was really good. I made the dough the day before, wrapped it up in plastic and put it in the fridge. So the next morning, with my husband's help, we just sliced up the dough and baked them.

The original cookies were delicious, and if I were to try to describe them, I would say they are a cross between a biscuit and biscotti. More crispy than flaky, they held their shape well and my kids were able to eat them without it turning into a big crumbly mess. The chocolate version I made this past weekend wasn't such a success. While absolutely delicious and melt in your mouth decadent, they literally fell apart on contact and we nicknamed them the "exploding chocolate cookies". I honestly think it might be completely to blame on the fact that I used whole grain spelt flour instead of regular whole wheat. I had heard that spelt flour was "easier to digest" than wheat and was a perfect substitute and mistakenly thought I could just switch it out. But I guess you need to adjust other ingredients first and in such a delicate recipe as this, I probably should have just stuck to my usual flour.

I see no reason why the cookies would not have held their shape when I added in the cocoa powder and additional coconut oil, so I am probably going to try this recipe again sometime soon using regular whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour. I also think adding an egg or two would moisten the cookies and bind them together better, as well as make them more "cookie like", and less like a biscuit. All in all, I would definitely recommend this recipe if, like me, you enjoy fresh baked goods and yet don't want to spend your whole morning in the kitchen.

Regular Breakfast Cookies

local organic butter

1 3/4 C. organic whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 C. organic butter, softened

1/4 C. pure maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 C. chopped fruit and nuts

organic milk, if needed

Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Add in the dry ingredients, nuts and fruit and mix well until a stiff dough forms. If the dough seems too dry, pour in some milk, one tablespoon at a time. Shape the dough into a large log, about 3 inches in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch slices and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 325F for about 20 - 25 minutes, depending on the size of the slices. Makes 12 cookies.