March 10, 2009

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.

11 comments:

michaela said...

every time i have something at starbucks i get so angry because not only is it not good for you, it tastes gross.

Anonymous said...

Cookies for breakfast sound great to me! I love this combination. Re: gum health, I was told to massage my gums with the pad of my index finger several times a day--basically just push against the gums and then move the finger in a little circle. Supposedly good circulation helps keeps gums healthy! :)

Vered said...

I love cookies for breakfast too.

These look really good!

Culinary Wannabe said...

This is possibly the first cookie recipe I've come across that starts with millet. I'll totally work with that as long as I can eat them for breakfast! :) And what a great book idea - It would appeal to all types.

Lori said...

Oooh! At first glace I thought they would be pumpkin, but sweet potato sounds even better. Yum!

Cookies for breakfast are always a big joke in our house b/c my husband has memories of getting in trouble for sneaking into the cookie jar in the mornings before school.

Not Another Omnivore said...

Those sound great! I like your idea about the cookbook...

I had a gum graft done last year, which I forgot about until now...It looks a bit weird and the dentist isn't too pleased with how it healed, but "since the bone isn't showing"...great...

I'm really afraid of losing my teeth. That and osteoporosis.

But you know what, I had a talk with someone about this the other day, of all the things to recover from , mouth problems aren't so bad. I had tons of people doting on me, I didn't feel that bad I was just out of it, and it gave me a reason to consume more than one milk shake a day.

Plus I got caught up on sleep...

I'm kind of joking...but not really :)

NAOmni

cook4seasons said...

I am SO with you on cookies for every meal! (OK, so you didn't exactly say that...) But with millet I can totally justify having them at breakfast. I might soak the grains the night before for the ultimate healthy bent. Or not:)

HangryPants said...

Anyone who creates breakfast cookies is good w/ me. They look delicious!

The Fat Dietitian said...

Who doesn't like cookies for breakfast??? :)

Michelle said...

Michaela – can you be a little birdie on my shoulder and remind me next time?

Ricki – you should see the tooth brushing/massage technique I rock twice a day. it takes forever. i hope it works!

Vered – they were good. i ate them all!

Culinarywannabe – Thanks for supporting my embryo of a book idea! I'm working on this. And by working on it I mean making and eating lots of cookies.

Lore – pumpkin would be awesome to try! you can make for your husband. wait a minute – he can make them for YOU! :-)

NAOmni – yes milkshakes would have been a good idea. instead the first thing i ate after my graft was french fries. Duh. Wrong move in so many ways.

cook4seasons – you're right, i was gonna soak them but got overeager to start baking!

HangryPants – sounds like i can count on you to buy the book one day :-)

FatDietician – sounds like i can count on you too, just like HangryPants!

Maris said...

I love cookies, just about any meal of the day!