I like cookies for breakfast

I like cookies for breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunchtime treat, before dinner snack, dessert with tea...

It's a problem.

After a long bus ride down to NYC last weekend I wanted a little something and ended up eating a cookie from Starbucks. I wish I hadn't. Sugar before bed stinks and I'm convinced that it's the white/cornsyrupy sugar things that make my gums flare up. I've got these gums that just want to recede and I don't know why. Sometimes they get all red and pissed off, threatening their retreat. Have you ever had a gum graft done? I'd like to avoid this in the future. Send me your gum-health secrets. Um, if those exist?

But I digress.

After my moderate success with christmas baking and the more recent Apple Clusters, I've decided a good cookbook I should write someday will be called Cookies for Breakfast. And all the recipes would be healthy enough that you could eat 'em first thing in the morning and not feel too guilty. What do you think?

If I'm going to make cookies into a food group, they'd better be healthy. So this version uses whole grains AND whole grain flour, fruit AND vegetables. Whoa.

Sweet Potato, Apple and Banana Cookies
1/4 cup millet
3 Tbl. butter
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
3/4 cup Sweet Potato Apple Spread
(see recipe within this post)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbl. ground flax seed
1 banana, sliced fine
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Add 1 cup of water to millet in a small saucepan. (Why don't recipes ever say "in a pot"? It's always a "saucepan") Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer until millet has absorbed all the water, about 15 minutes. In a large mixing bowl combine all wet ingredients. Add flour 1 cup at a time, then baking powder, flax and salt. Mix to combine. Fold in banana, raisins and choc chips. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until browned.