Energy Cookies

In preparing for a recent ski trip, my boyfriend suggested that I make some cookies that we could tote along on the slopes. Both of us love oatmeal raisin cookies, so I decided to beef up this recipe so they were a bit more satisfying and (I hoped) would stave off hunger a bit longer. I am happy to say that I feel as though I achieved success; the cookies were delicious and very satisfying. Here's what I did:

Oatmeal Raisin Date "Energy" Cookies
*Note, this recipe contains pecans which could be substituted for another favorite nut variety or left out altogether

Ingredients

• 1 C Unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 C Whole wheat all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 4-5 T Cinnamon (I know this sounds like a lot, but I may have actually used more; tweak to your own tastes)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1tsp baking soda
  
  
• 3/4 C (1.5 Sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature (leave the butter on your counter for 30 mins or so)
• 3/4 C white sugar
• 3/4 C brown sugar (light or dark is your choice; I used light this time but plan on using dark next time)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
  
  
• 2 C Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 C raisins
• 1/2-3/4 C chopped dates (make them about the size of a raisin)
• 1/2 C finely chopped roasted pecans
• 1/2 C Roasted, Unsalted sunflower seeds

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
   
   
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to ensure equal distribution.
   
   
3. In another bowl, cream the butter and the sugars (beat for about 2 minutes or until the color lightens and the mixture starts to look a bit fluffier than before).
   
   
4. Add vanilla and 1 egg; mix until egg is incorporated and batter no longer looks excessively shiny (30 seconds give or take a few)
   
   
5. Add egg #2 and mix until the egg is incorporated and batter no longer looks shiny (30 seconds give or take a few)
   
   
6. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and stir or beat on lowest setting until just incorporated
   
   
7. Add remaining flour mixture and stir or beat on lowest setting until just incorporated
   
   
8. Add oats and stir to incorporate (note, the dough gets *really* heavy here, so using a mixer might not work very well, and you risk burning out your mixer engine if you're going slow enough to not make a mess)
   
   
9. Add Raisins, Dates, finely chopped pecans, and sunflower seeds and stir to incorporate
   
   
10. Drop cookie dough by spoonfuls (or use a 1/2 ounce cookie scoop if you have one available) onto an ungreased cookie tray. Leave 1.5-2 inches between cookies to allow for spreading
    
    
11. Place cookies in the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes; shorter bake times will result in chewier cookies, so shorten bake time to 10 minutes if you prefer your cookies softer. I baked mine for about 13 minutes to give them a bit more strength to hold up to us toting them around the mountain.

All in all, this recipe was a success. I'd love to hear of any recipes you've adapted to beef up the energy in them or if you give this one a try and have suggestions, I'd love to hear those, as well!

Happy eating! :-)