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.

Cashew Butter Trail Mix Bars

Cashew Butter Trail Mix Bars

This recipe is a slight variation on the original Trail Mix Bars I made a few months back.  As promised, I added in some soy nuts to increase the protein and also switched up a few of the nuts and the nut butter to give it a slightly different taste.  I also left out the dark chocolate chips as I felt they overpowered the last batch and added more sugar than was necessary.  Once again, I made these as a nutritious snack for my husband and I to eat on the run since I too was getting sick of dropping seeds and nuts all over myself.  My husband texted me the other day from work actually requesting I make a batch of these because he said that eating seeds while trying to work on his computer was not fun. These bars do need to stay in the fridge in order to maintain their shape, but there is nothing about them that is perishable, so they can easily be taken with you wherever you go and are certain to keep your hunger healthfully at bay for hours.

Trail Mix Bars

Trail Mix Bars

In the effort to eat more protein without eating more meat, I have found myself "eating like a bird" and chowing down on large amounts of seeds and nuts all day long. While I love trail mix and have a large jug of a delicious homemade combination on my counter, it can sometimes be tedious and messy to eat, especially when on the move or in the car.  So what better way to fix that than to turn that mix into a bar!  This combination is a bit sweet, a bit salty and full of flavor.  Still a bit messy on the fingers, it is certainly a lot easier to eat and the extra protein and healthy fats from the almond butter and coconut oil will keep you satisfied all morning or afternoon.  I am planning on adding in soy nuts next time as well to increase the protein content as this recipe is extremely flexible depending on what types of seeds, nuts and dried fruits you prefer.  And it requires no baking so it is super simple!!