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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Carrot Walnut Breakfast Cookies

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I go through phases when it comes to our snack foods on hand. You can always expect our pantry to have tortilla chips and Wheat Thins or Triscuits, but beyond that it’s usually something homemade, and preferably something on the healthier side. For awhile it was homemade granola bars, either banana nut with cranberries or mocha coconut. After several weeks of bars, I got stuck on my favorite banana bread and made several loaves of this (not exactly healthy, but worth it!). My muffin obsession followed, and you could always expect to find a batch of the yogurt oatmeal date or carrot muffins in our freezer. Next up: these cookies!

Although Whole Foods technically calls them ‘cookies’ on their website, they might be the healthiest cookies I’ve ever encountered. Can you really call something a cookie without any added sugar, butter, eggs, or flour? Whatever you want to call it, these little things were addicting! If you hate the texture or taste of raisins, they’re pureed in this recipe and add just a touch of sweetness. You could also use dates or dried cranberries. I had plans to freeze the batch and take a couple each day to pair with a smoothie for breakfast, but Ryan discovered them before they made their way to the freezer and they disappeared all too quickly. No worries…I think we’ll keep this “healthy cookie” phase going for awhile!

One Year Ago: Creamy Mushroom Fettucine Florentine
Two Years Ago: Bourbon Peach Chutney and Brie Crostini
Three Years Ago: Summery Salad with Chicken, Avocado, and Corn

Carrot Walnut Breakfast Cookies
from Whole Foods Market

Ingredients:
-1 cup raw unsalted walnuts
-1 cup rolled oats
-1 cup raisins
-1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
-1 1/4 tsp baking powder
-1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ground ginger
-3 carrots, grated
-1 apple, grated
-1 very ripe banana, peeled and mashed
-1/4 cup apple juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Add walnuts, oats, and raisins to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add to a large bowl and stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger. Next stir in carrots, apple, banana, and apple juice, stirring until combined.
3. Drop rounded tablespoons about an inch apart to the prepared baking sheets (you should get 24 cookies). Using your hand or a fork, lightly press down on each cookie to slightly flatten. Bake for 20-25 minutes until bottoms are lightly browned.