Thursday, July 2, 2009

Ellie Krieger's Breakfast Cookies


I have to thank my good friend Peggy for talking me into making this week's CEiMB recipe, Breakfast Cookies, chosen by Natalie of What's For Supper?. The cookies sounded good to me from the beginning, but I just wasn't sure I was going to be able to fit them in. Then I saw Peggy, who had already made them and raved about how fabulous they are, and suddenly it was clear that nothing I had going on could possibly be as important as making these cookies -- my tire rotation, filing deadline, permanent crown, birthday party preparations, handyman meeting, and sleep could all wait.

I've had store-bought breakfast cookies before, and thought they were really pretty bad. Like actually kind of inedible. So I didn't know what to expect with these, but I figured they had to be better than the store-bought ones. Sometimes it's nice to go into a recipe with the bar set really low.

This is certainly an unusual recipe. It calls for whole wheat pastry flour, which of course they did not have at Publix, so I used white whole wheat. It also calls for all-purpose flour; cinnamon & nutmeg to spice things up; brown and white sugar; a little bit of butter and canola oil, an egg and vanilla. The "breakfast" in these is provided by oats, bran flakes, raisins and walnuts. And the secret ingredient:


My poor hubs almost had a heart attack when he came home and saw that sitting on the kitchen counter. He said "What's THIS for??" and I saw the color drain from his face. I don't know if he felt any better when I told him it was just for the cookies I was making. Yeah, he probably did.


Wow, we love these cookies! They have a lightly spiced flavor and a wonderful soft and chewy texture. They feel hearty but not heavy. Most of the fat in these comes from canola oil, so they are healthier than most cookies, but they don't taste "healthy" (which is a deal-breaker for me with cookies). I will definitely make these again, and not just because I have the second container of baby food carrots that came in the two-pack. These are really delicious, and perfect for grabbing and going on busy mornings. Thanks for the great pick, Natalie!

Breakfast Cookies, Ellie Krieger 2007

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup (1 small jar) strained carrot baby food
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup bran cereal flakes
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant and chopped
Directions
Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

31 comments:

Leslie said...

I just burst out laughing at the thought of your husband and what must have been going through his mind (you're much nicer than I am; I would have played around with it just to torment him before breaking the good news).

I loved these cookies (M. hasn't had one because he's still out of town). I thought the spices were great and they tasted like an indulgence without being laden with fat. I'm glad you liked them!

Deb in Hawaii said...

Too funny about your husband and the carrots! ;-) These look really good--I am going to have to try them.

Audrey said...

I think these sound wonderful... I'm going to try them too (but not when my mom's around... hee hee. Or, come to think of it, Ripley's Believe it or Not!) It's always nice when a friend nudges you into a recipe and then it's fantastic, isn't it? I need grab-and-go breakfasts, too (consider me nudged!)

Pamela said...

Yep...I think Marc had the same, scared reaction. As if I were holding out on him and my belly pooch was actually something more than just the result of too much baking. I liked these, too and I was sure they were going to be just blah. Glad you liked them!

Nancy/n.o.e said...

It might take both your and Peggy's recommendations to convince me - my only experience with breakfast cookies was dreadful. I like the 'carrot cake' aspect of these... will bookmark the recipe.

Barbara Bakes said...

Love the story. The cookies sound perfect any time of day!

Creative Classroom Core said...

What a great cookie recipe! I will be bookmarking this one to make soon for sure!

Steph said...

haha.. that was hilarious! It's always a good thing when something healthy doesn't taste like it. Great job!!

Anonymous said...

My husband has learned never to ask what goes into my recipes...unless of course he suspects soy products then he puts up a stink.
Cookies look great!

Anonymous said...

HAHAHA luckily my boyfriend didn't see the baby food as I'm sure it would have given him pause as well. I'm not sure he would have taken comfort in the fact that they went in the cookies though LOL

Jennifer said...

I too am very glad that Peggy talked me into making these cookies too. While the making of them was somewhat disasterous, the result was really good! I will definitely be making them again. Your cookies look great!

Anonymous said...

hmmm...i may have to make these just for the excuse to freak my husband out with baby food!

nick said...

I agree with Leslie up there - if I was you I would've totally been like, "You know, we totally discussed this last Tuesday before bed after you had a few glasses of wine..."

Sara left the baby food out of ours, but I am yet to eat one of these things, lest the whole wheat shall open fist bitch slap my allergic ass all over town.

Nicely done!

Unknown said...

Haha I'm cracking up just thinking about what was going through your husband's mind. That's too funny!

Your cookies look delicious! I've been wanting to try these since seeing Ellie make them on her show not too long ago so I'm glad to see all the positive reviews today.

The Blonde Duck said...

I burst into giggles imagining the expression on your husband's face. I want to come live with you and have cookies for breakfast!

Megan said...

Ha! I should do the same thing to my husband - he would probably faint if he saw baby food on the counter!

sara said...

haha, I think you could have milked that a little bit with David. You gotta get the laughs in where you can!

Glad you guys enjoyed these cookies.

Alyssa said...

Your cookies look fantastic! I remember watching the episode where Ellie made these and yours look just like hers!

I modified my recipe a ton, but glad to hear the original was a hit - will definitely need to try it.

Madam Chow said...

I agree about the commercial cookies. And as for the white whole wheat, it probably provided a nicer texture for the cookie. Now, if I could just pull a similar "trick" on my husband . . . .

What's for Supper? said...

thanks for baking along with me. I love your story about the baby carrots. Very funny.

Mary Ann said...

This is definitely on my go-back-and-try-it-out-once-we-get-in-our-house list.
I love your commentary.
Happy 4th!

NKP said...

They look great, what a great idea to have for breakfast on the fly.
I scare my hubby once in a while when I venture into the baby aisle for strained veggies to make pasta dough out of. :)

Shari said...

Your cookies look beautiful and your endorsement has inspired me to make them. The acid test for me is someone saying they will make them again! Thanks. Enjoyed your post!

Flourchild said...

Yum these sound and look very tasty. I love easy quick things for breakfast!

Anonymous said...

The breakfast cookies sound yummy! I'll have to try them one day.

Di said...

Neat idea! I wonder if B&G would eat them. I'm always looking for new things that they can eat on the go in the morning. The carrots are probably the healthiest option, but I wonder if some of the baby food fruits would also work in these...

La Bella Cooks said...

I definitely want to try these since you said they are slightly spicy. I found that intriguing (yes, i am easily pleased) and I am hoping my kids will go for these as well. What are the odds?? lol

Cakelaw said...

LOL - I can see why your hubby had a coniption. Very unusual, but they look great.

Prudy said...

I've had a ball catching up on your posts this morning. What a great way to spend a Monday morning. I'm thinking of leaving some baby food on the counter for my husband to see, just to get another laugh out of this.

The Blonde Duck said...

I found your ode fabulous,
Making my fade in comparison,
Compared to your linguistic skills,
my poor odes can't pay the bills.

Maria said...

I can't wait to try these, you know I love my cookies:)

 
Blog Design By: Sherbet Blossom Designs