Breakfast Cookies

Cookies for breakfast? These are a great breakfast. Fast and quick, out-the-door, to-the-bus breakfast. I found them in a cookbook that I purchased for my grandsons, Better Homes and Gardens New Junior Cookbook.

Breakfast Cookies
Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 12 minutes
Oven: 350 degrees
Makes: 12 cookies

Utensils Needed: cookie sheet, table knife, large mixing bowl, electric mixer, measuring cups, rubber scraper, measuring spoons, small mixing bowl, wooden spoon, hot pads, pancake turner, wire cooling rack.

Ingredients:
shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup dried mixed fruit bits, dried cranberries or cherries; raisins; or snipped dried apricots
1/2 cup dried banana chips, broken up
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, peanuts, pecans, or almonds

1. Turn on the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with shortening. Save until Step 4. Cut up butter with the table knife.

2. Put butter in the large mixing bowl. Beat with the electric mixer on medium speed about 30 seconds or until butter is creamy. Stop mixer. Add brown sugar. Beat on medium speed until combined, stopping the mixer occasionally and scraping the bowl with the rubber scraper. Stop mixer.

3. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until combined. Put the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the small bowl. Stir with the wooden spoon. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture. Stir in oats, mixed fruit bits, banana chips, and nuts.

4. Scoop the dough with the 1/4-cup measuring cup. Drop the dough in mounds 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheet. If necessary, use the rubber scraper to push the dough from the measuring cup. Use your hands to slightly flatten dough on cookie sheet.

5. Put the cookie sheet in the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cookie edges begin to brown. Use hot pads to remove cookie sheet from oven. Let cookies remain on cookies sheet for 1 minute. Use the pancake turner to move cookies to the cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining dough, letting cookie sheet cool between batches or use a second cookie sheet. Turn off oven when all of the dough is used.

Note: If you have a cookie scoop 1/4 cup size use may use it instead of the measuring cup.

Nutrition facts per cookie: 284 cal., 15 g total fat (7 g sat. fat), 57 mg chol., 198 mg sodium, 36 g carb., 3 g fiber, 5 g pro.
Daily values: 7% vit. A, 1% vit. C, 4% calcium, 8% iron
Exchanges: 1/2 fruit, 2 starch, 2 fat