Nutty Cereal Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups wheat cereal flakes
1 cups rolled oats
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted**
1-1/2 cups dried cranberries, raisins, dried cherries, or dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl combine flour, flax seed meal, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour mxiture as you can with the mixer. With a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour mixture. Stir in wheat cereal, oats, walnuts, and dried fruit.

Drop by well-rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden and set. Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen.

**To toast the nuts, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees F for five or ten minutes until they are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool.

The adjustments that I made to the original recipe are as follows:

1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Smart Balance

I use raw sugar instead of refined white sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped walnuts

I vary the dried fruits but I combine at least two different such as raisins and cranberries. I do keep the proportions to 1-1/2 cups.

Just follow the method in the original recipe and you are good to go.

I think the next time I make them, I'll use all whole wheat flour. Maybe stoneground. I'll post the results.

Flaxseed, like nuts, are high in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed can can help reduce total cholesterol levels. Ground flaxseed will assimilate into your body better than whole flaxseeds which can travel through your body quickly so you won't get the benefits that you will with ground.

I keep flaxseed meal in the freezer and sprinkle it on cereal and include it in recipes such as meatloaf. And, of course, you can put it in your baking...like these Nutty Cereal Cookies! I also sprinkle it on top of muffin batter before popping them in the oven.

Vegens often use flaxseed as a substitute for eggs in baking. One Tablespoon of flaxseed meal in 3 Tablespoons of water equals one egg. The texture of the baked goods will be slightly altered but it's still an excellent substitution.

Photo Courtesy of steffenz

Nuts have been shown to be among the healthiest of foods. They're an excellent source of protein and are included in the USDA Food Pyramid in the Meat, Fish, Poultry, Dry Beans and Nuts category.

Nuts are quite high in fat but it's unsaturated fat which can actually help reduce the levels of "bad" cholesterol. Walnuts are an excellent source of the Omega-3 fatty acids that help fight arthritis, heart disease, etc. It's recommended that we eat 1-1/2 ounces of nuts like walnuts, each day. Nuts are high in antioxidents, too, which help protect the body against cell damage.

Nuts will keep for about six months if they're stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keep them in the freezer and they'll last about a year.

Although fresh fruit is far superior to dried fruit, there are some benefits to using dried fruits from time to time. Dried fruits are very high in fiber and roughage and they keep almost indefinitely. They're a good snack in reasonable amounts.

Try to buy organic dried fruits because they will not contain sulfites which are preservatives. Sulfites can cause allergic reactions in some people.

The very first cookies weren't cookies at all. They were really cake batter. A small amount was put into the oven to test the temperature of the oven. And they were called "Little Cakes". The word cookie is derived from the Dutch word koekje.

Cookies are called biscuits in England, Canada and Australia. In Germany they are called keks and in Spain cookies are known as galetas.

Biscotti or Amaretti is a cookie in Italy. Biscotti means "twice baked". Biscotti dough is baked in a "round" and then sliced and baked, again. Biscotti with a cup of espresso is pure heaven. So is a shortbread biscuit and a cup of tea.

Cookies were introduced in American in the 17th Century but they were a luxury because of the high cost of sugar. At this point, cookies were flat and unleavened. In the 19th Century, when the cost of sugar and flour came down and leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder became available, recipes for different varieties of cookies were developed.

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