Breakfast Nuggets

Ok, so they are called Rise-and-Shine Cookies and are a favorite in my house. They are intended to be eaten for breakfast, like a granola bar, and are completely delicious and quite healthy.

I don't like calling them cookies though, they are more like a granola bite (it's the rolled or steel cut oats). First biting into them reminded me of a few years ago. I had found this pumpkin "cookie" recipe in a Runner's magazine (ya getting the picture here? Runner's magazine.), but I have a mild obsession with pumpkin so I tried them out. I loved them, but cookies, they are not. I took them to my grad school class and my friend asked to try one. She took a bite, daintily spit it into her napkin, and announced that they tasted "healthy." I laughed. Not was she was looking for in a "cookie" apparently.

No gobs of butter, or tons of oil. They do taste good however, I promise, and are perfection with coffee.

Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup wheat germ

Turn oven on to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, & nutmeg.

In a large bowl, beat together brown sugar, egg, oil, & vanilla. Add flour mixture, followed by the oats, and wheat germ.

Spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Should yield about 12-15 cookies.

(Adapted from AHA Quick and Easy Cookbook)

Now you understand why I have renamed them "Nuggets" or Granola Bites (that sounds better.)

They will keep you coming back for more.