Sunday Brunch

Fall has arrived and I couldn't be happier. I love this time of year. The colors are so spectacular and all I want to do is get out and take as many hikes as I possibly can. During the summer, I work in my garden. The garden is now in the process of being put to bed for the winter, so now I have time to take a bike ride or a nice long walk through the forest preserve. When I'm out, I love to have a little something tasty and nutritious to snack on. I found this wonderful recipe last year in a ski magazine. It was just a tiny little recipe tucked into a small space next to an ad. The caption read, "Bake and take these wholesome cookies on your next ski trip for a chairlift ready energy boost." They are great for any time that you need a little boost and they are vegan as well! This is not a brunch recipe, but I love it and thought I would share it with you today. 

Super Cookies

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/3 cup oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I really like cinnamon so I added a whole teaspoon and a little nutmeg as well)

1 cup mashed peeled sweet potato (I used canned pumpkin as I didn't have a sweet potato on hand) 

2 tablespoons coconut oil

4 tablespoons nut butter of choice (I like almond butter)

1/4 cup honey

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup of chopped nuts and seeds (I used pecans, walnuts and sesame seeds since I had them on hand)

3/4 cup tart cherries (I used orange infused dried cranberries)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in small bowl.

I another bowl, cream the potato (or pumpkin), oil and nut butter until smooth.  

Add molasses,

honey and vanilla and mix.

Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Add chopped nuts and dried fruit.

 Form balls and place on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet.

 Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the bottoms are slightly brown. 

Cool and enjoy!

Makes approximately 24 cookies.

The cookies freeze well, so make up a double batch and save for your outdoor winter activities.

Hope you are having a lovely Sunday wherever you happen to be today.