Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies

These breakfast cookies are full of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, which makes them a great alternative to any store-bought cookie. That being said, I am not entirely sure that these cookies qualify as a breakfast cookie. They are  more of a cookie with healthy aspects. I’d call them chocolate chip cookies that have apricots and white kidney beans in them that kids can use to negotiate with their parents so that they can eat chocolate first thing in the morning. Never the less, these cookies are really easy to make and tasty really good. I will most definitely be making them again, although probably not for breakfast.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups large flake oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup wheat germ, toasted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1 19oz can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place all the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until fully blended. Pour into a mixing bowl.
3. Put the beans into the food processor and pulse until smooth.
4. Add the butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla to the beans. Pulse until fully blended.
5. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and add the chocolate chips and apricots, mix until fully combined.
6. Drop spoonfuls of the dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press gently down on each cookies. 
7. Bake until lightly golden around the edges but still soft in the middle, about 8-10 minutes.
8. When baked, remove from the oven. While the cookies are still warm transfer to a cooling rack. Store cookies in the fridge or freezer. 

Thanks for reading!

Oatmeal Molasses Bread

You use to have to bake bread yourself if you wanted a piece of toast in the morning. Times have changed though, and now you can buy a loaf of bread at the grocery store for $1.90. That doesn’t mean that the whole world should stop baking bread though! Homemade bread can taste even better than that store-bought bread. It can also give you something that the store bought bread can’t–a sense of accomplishment.

As a recreational baker, I often stick to baking easy things like muffins and cupcakes. Sometimes though I like to challenge myself by baking goodies like meringues and . And bread. For bread you have to knead it quite well, it takes an afternoon to bake and the yeast could be dead. Bread is tough. I’ve tried twice to perfect the art of baking bread, and I’ve finally succeeded! Well…sort of.

In the recipe book Earth to Table there is a recipe for oatmeal molasses bread. Advertised as a sweet yet hearty loaf of bread I was determined to make this recipe the moment that I read the recipe through. I had found my next baking challenge. The first time that I tried to bake this bread it was a complete failure. The bread didn’t rise at all and it didn’t bake all the way through. This didn’t dishearten me though; I’d just try again. The second time that I baked it the bread rose, but the yeast had died making the bread very dense. So close, and yet so far. Third time’s the charm? I tried again recently and it turned out beautifully. Houston, we have a success.

They didn’t look as beautiful as the picture in the book, but that didn’t really matter in my eyes. The bread tasted good and that’s what mattered. Both loaves rose and the yeast didn’t die. The taste made my taste buds sing. I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud of a loaf of bread in my life. I don’t really know why the loaves don’t look beautiful–maybe it’s my molding skills. Regardless, I’d suggest trying this recipe out. The trick is to knead it continuously for those 12 minutes suggested in the recipe. Set the timer and get to it! Your muscles may be sore after, but you’ll be happy in the end. Challenges are meant to be conquered. When you hit an obstacle on your way to beating that challenge, don’t let it stop you. Just keep on going, or in this case, just keep on baking. I know I’ll be. 🙂

Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats, divided
• 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup mild (light) molasses
• 6 cups all-purpose flour (approx.), divided
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon dry instant
• 1 large organic egg, whisked with 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine boiling water, 1 cup of the oats, butter and molasses; let cool until lukewarm.
2. In another bowl, whisk together 2 cups of the flour, brown sugar, salt and yeast. Add to the oat mixture, stirring well to combine. Using a spoon, gradually work in the remaining flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 12 minutes. Place in a large greased bowl, turning dough to grease all over. Cover with a tea towel and let rise in a still oven, with light on and door closed, until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
4. Punch down dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half and press each half into a 12- by 9-inch rectangle. Starting at a narrow end, roll up into a cylinder and pinch along the bottom to smooth and seal. Cover with tea towels and let rise in still oven until dough no longer springs back when lightly pressed, about 40 minutes. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining oats. 
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake loaves until they are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 50 minutes. Turn onto wire racks to cool.