Cooking With Carmen: Breakfast Cookies

I love cookies.

I love to eat them, bake them, give them away.

Recently I have been searching the blogosphere for a yummy breakfast cookie, because as a "mom on the go" I sometimes have to have something I can just grab. Or something I can shove at the kids to have on the Subway as a snack or whatever. They seem to be hungry all the time. Or hungry at the most inconvenient times. Am I right mom's out there!? As much as I feel doughnuts, cereal bars, and the ever present goldfish are "grab and go" foods.... I would like for what I shove in my mouth to occasionally have some nutritional value.
Well. Most of the time anyway. Some days only a doughnut will do.

Whatever it is that I'm eating it's gotta taste good. Not like a mouthful of sand. I'll warn you now. I am not taking the butter out of the recipe. #Ibelieveinbutter. With cookies it's very difficult to find a butter replacement, and after some research I have concluded that it's the best fat to use for the job.

Disclaimer. These cookies are not:

Gluten free. 

Egg free.

Vegan.

Sugar free, or

Paleo.
Oh Please Paleo. I'm not going to down to China Town to get crickets for m'cookies. 

I suppose you could try and make them any of those things above, but there are plenty of recipes on Pinterest to satisfy your (god forbid) paleo needs. What I found difficult to fufill was just a regular hearty breakfast type cookie. No tricks. Something that will stick with you through the morning.

Lower sugar is FINE. These don't have tons of sugar. You are welcome to try and cut it more, but be warned that sugar is important to the chemistry of a cookie.You have to be careful. Be wary of sugar free. It makes me skeptical of what actually is replacing the sugar. With these it's not really something to get hung up on however. I find with these I don't need a second breakfast when I get to work!!

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup unbleached AP flour

3 cups whole oats (or quick oats)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 ½ tablespoon flax meal

1 ½ tablespoon wheat germ

½ cup flaked coconut (I like sweetened, but you can use unsweetened)

½ cup chopped and toasted almonds

½ cup chopped and toasted pecans or walnuts

¾ cup chocolate chips (if you don’t need a cocoa kick in the morning leave them out)

½ cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)

2 eggs

¼ honey or agave

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy.

Add eggs and sugars. Beat well.

Combine flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl.

Add flours to mixing bowl. Mix well.

Add oats, nuts, and coconut mix well.

Add by hand chocolate chips or dried fruit.

Using a medium or large scoop drop dough and flatten slightly onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 12 to 15 min. till golden brown. Cool on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Optional: ½ cup raisins, dried cherries chopped, or dried cranberries in place of chocolate chips.