Power Breakfast Cookies
by Missy Chase Lapine
This great grab-and-go breakfast cookie provides a nice kick-start in the morning. The teaspoon of sugar in each cookie is less than the average amount in a morning cup of Joe, and the cinnamon, walnuts, and Purple Puree will help hold off hunger longer than most breakfast cereals.
Make a few batches and store extra cookies in plastic bags in your freezer. They defrost quickly on the counter or in the car on the way to school (but they’re great frozen, too!).
- 1 large egg
- 6 tablespoons walnut, almond, or canola oil
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3⁄4 cup Purple Puree (see Make-Ahead, below)
- 11⁄4 cup Flour Blend (see Make-Ahead Recipe, below)
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons Ground Walnuts
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray with oil).
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, brown sugar, vanilla, and Purple Puree. In another large bowl, whisk together the Flour Blend, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, ground walnuts, and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just enough to moisten the dry ingredients. Drop large tablespoonfuls of batter onto the baking sheets, leaving about an inch between each cookie. Flatten the cookies with the back of a fork. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges.
Remove from the pan and let cool on a rack. Dust with a little powdered sugar and serve!
- 1 cup all-purpose, unbleached white flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup wheat germ, unsweetened
This blend can be stored in a sealed, labeled plastic bag or container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
- 3 cups raw baby spinach leaves
- 11⁄2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, no syrup or sugar added
- 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water
Thoroughly wash the spinach, even if the package says “prewashed.” If using frozen blueberries, quickly rinse them under cold water to thaw a little, and then drain.
Fill the bowl of your food processor with the spinach, blueberries, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of water; puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth-out the puree.
This recipe makes about 1 cup of puree; double it if you want to store another cup. It will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1⁄4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.
Missy Chase Lapine is the former publisher of Eating Well magazine. A mother of two young daughters, she knows how picky kids can be—and she’s got the kitchen experiments to prove it! She is on the Culinary Arts facility of The New School, in New York City, and also gives cooking classes and coaching to busy families hoping to learn how to eat healthier. Her book, The Sneaky Chef, is published by Running Press. Her next book The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen) will be out in April 2008. You can learn more about Missy at her website, www.thesneakychef.com
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