Jason’s Breakfast Cookie Recipe

Cookies for Breakfast?

 

You bet! A pretty healthy breakfast option that has whole grains, fruits, nuts, fiber, protein in a form everyone loves and will definitely chase those winter blues away. This is a perfect recipe for those on the go, it can be modified to be vegan, gluten-free and/or diary free.

The Wellspring School hopes to feature some recipes from our instructors, local chefs and community over the next year that align with our whole foods philosophy. For our first post, Rylen called upon the baking genius of her brother and chef,  Jason Lee, to provide us with today’s delicious recipe.

Jason refers to himself as “a decent cook” and has worked in the culinary arts in Portland for the past decade. He now spends most of his time cooking nutritious meals for his family and friends, taking time to learn innovate approaches to classic creations along the way, making them healthier and heartier for all.

We tested this in our own home kitchen and it is tried/true and delicious .

Jason’s Delicious
Gluten-free Breakfast Cookies

Dry Mix
1 ¾ cup gluten-free flour mix (Bob’s Red Mill makes a good one)
½ cup oat bran
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ cup millet
½ cup ground flax seeds

Wet Mix
¾ cup sugar (agave, brown sugar, or honey)
¼ cup oil (olive, sunflower, or butter)
2 eggs
1 cups apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla

Fruit and Nuts
1 ½ cups grated carrots
1 cup dried berries (raisins, dried cherries, cranberries)
1 cup dried diced fruit (apples, peaches, apricots)
1 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans)
½ cup dried, unsweetened coconut

Directions:
Sift Dry Mix together. Cream sugar and oil together till very smooth. Add remaining wet mix ingredients. Add Wet Mix to Dry Mix stir until just blended together. Fold in Fruit and Nuts. Chill for 1 hour.

Form into ¼ – ½ cup size cookies, about 1 – 1 ½ inches high mounds about 1 inch apart, on prepared cookie sheet (greased, parchment or silicone lined). Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, cookies are done when a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Options:
Vegan – omit eggs and add ¼ cup more oil or add ¼ more apple sauce.
Low Fat – omit eggs and oil add ½ cup more apple sauce.
Keeping the ratios the same (Dry, Wet, Fruit) change fruit, spices, nuts to personal liking.

Makes 18 – 20 cookies

FROM

JASON’S KITCHEN:

Where Did This Recipe Come From?: I came up with these cookies after the bakery I use for the restaurant I manage discontinued theirs.  I wanted to make something simple that had good ratio balance (wet mix, dry mix, fruit etc.) that I could play round with and add or subtract any ingredients I wanted but as long as the ratios were maintained they would always turn out.

What Do You Do?: I currently work for Providence Health Services as a retail restaurant manager. I have been in food service forever. I have been an executive chef for Bridgeport Brewpub and Bakery and have worked as a chef in many hotels and restaurants in Boise, Vail, CO and Portland.

Can You Talk  About Your Connection To Healthy Cooking?: I started cooking for special diets when I became a personal chef and was doing small private catering. Living in Portland gave me an opportunity to work with people with many diverse diets and restrictions.  I became interested personally in healthy cooking when after many years of cooking in commercial restaurants I myself became very overweight and quite unhealthy.  I once had triglycerides in the 600 hundreds.  I knew that one could not survive on the food that I made a living from in restaurants and began to feed myself and my family better.  Soon I realized that I could no longer work in those mainstream kitchens and starting working as a personal chef and now work in a hospital as a manager for nutrition services.  I eat and preach a very broad diet (allergies and sensitives allowed) with major emphasis on plant-based, whole grains and “pure” ingredients. I can cook anything and always love to try new ideas and recipes. I am a super food nerd and will breakdown recipes or create recipes and analyze  why they work they way they do.

Food Starts With Family For You…: Ultimately, my favorite meal is the one I make for my family.  I love feeding my kids and watching them enjoy all these foods that adults are just now trying to like. Most of us are trying to learn how to eat better, if we started our lives eating good, we would never have a need to change.