Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Breakfast Cookies

I have long been fascinated by the concept of a "breakfast cookie" - a delicious sweet treat healthy enough to replace breakfast. I'm now hunting for one, not necessarily to replace breakfast, but to eat as a healthy snack.














I first heard the expression "breakfast cookie" from a friend, the mother of 8. She mentioned that she often baked them for her kids to eat on the run - presumably running for the school bus...

She created her own version of a healthy oatmeal cookie, but I never thought to ask for her recipe. Now that I'm looking for one, I wish I had. I've done online searches for "breakfast cookie," but I haven't found many that I consider a substitute for a healthy meal. Most are high in sugar or fat - or both.

My first experiment is this oatmeal cookie made with tahini paste (similar to peanut butter, but made from sesame seeds). I found the on All Recipes Dot Com Canada.














It resembles another Tahini Cookie recipe I found in The New York Times Natural Foods Cookbook (published in 1972) - except that the online recipe calls for less honey, and chopped walnuts instead of sunflower seed kernels.

But as I read some of the online comments about this recipe, I am puzzled: some reviewers loved it while others hated it. (So I decide to give it a try!)

Tahini (and Oatmeal) Cookies

1. Mix together...
  • 6 tablespoons of tahini
  • 1/2 cup of honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
2. Add...
  • 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
  • 1 1/2 cups oats (uncooked oatmeal)












3. Mix well. Then drop teaspoons full on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpat.














4. Bake for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cool before removing from sheet.














Why would I consider them a suitable "breakfast" cookie?
I like the fact that there is no additional fat apart from the natural oil in the tahini and that the ratio of sweetening (honey) to oatmeal is 1:3.

Comment:
I like them better the day after making them. Next time I'll add raisins in addition to walnuts. This recipe might also be good using peanut butter (or almond butter) instead of the tahini... I may give it a try.

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