A Healthy, Portable Breakfast-- Breakfast Cookies!

This is a bit of a departure from my usual posts, but I just finished an interview with Jerry Weber on his blog radio show, The Catholic Revolver.  (You can listen to the podcast at the link.)  During a discussion on healthy foods, I mentioned that I made Breakfast Cookies this morning.  A listener asked for the recipe, so I thought I'd post it here. 

Breakfast Cookies are healthy and nutritious and can be eaten "on the run."  You can whip them up at night (no mixer required!), refrigerate the dough and then bake them in the morning.  I always double the recipe so that I can make them throughout the week.  They do contain some sugar, and even real butter, but the total calories are just 200 per cookie.  Add a glass of milk, and you're out the door.  The recipe is based on a Cooking Light recipe for Breakfast Fig and Nut Cookies.  I've modified the original recipe a bit to suit our tastes:

Peggy's Breakfast Cookies

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 large eggs

1/3-1/2 cup Craisins

1 tsp vanilla extract

Zest of one orange

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal (not quick-cooking)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir in cranberries, vanilla and zest.  Add flours, oatmeal, baking soda and spices until just moist.  Gently fold in nuts.  Drop by level 1/4 cup measures on a cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.  Place cookies about 2" apart.  Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until almost set.  (Cookies should look a little gooey as they will continue to cook while cooling.)  Cool 2 minutes in the pan, then transfer to wire racks and cool completely.  Makes 10 servings.

Nutrition information (per cookie):  Total calories:  201; Fat: 8.8 grams; Protein: 4.5 grams; Carbs: 26.4 grams

Modifications:  I've also made these with fresh blueberries instead of the Craisins.  In this case, I use lemon zest instead of orange.  If I don't have whole wheat flour on hand, I'll increase the all-purpose flour to 1 1/4 cups and add 1/4 cup of ground flax seeds.