Winter Energy Cookies
Wheat germ, whole-wheat flour, raisins, nuts, and chocolate chips take top billing in these jumbo, wholesome, take-me-along (skiing, snowshoeing, skating!) cookies.
Ingredients
Instructions
Cream the butter, brown sugar, molasses, and peanut butter in a large bowl. Blend in the eggs and vanilla. Mix the flours, wheat germ, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture until evenly blended. Stir in the oats, raisins, chocolate chips, and nuts. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease cookie sheets. Shape dough into balls using ¼ cup of dough per cookie. Place onto sheets, leaving 3 inches between them. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. When done, the tops will still be soft to the touch. Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool.
Yield:
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Reader Comments
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Substitutions?
I have loved this recipe since I found it on a calendar back in the late 90s! A friend has introduced me to the world of milled flax seed and chia seeds. Can you tell me if I would use these with the flour ratios or would I use these to replace the wheat germ? Has anyone tried one of the many different flours out there?
These are really good
These are really good cookies. I am a cyclist and they pack well for long rides as well. I do use half the amount of choc chips and double the amount of walnuts and like it better using dried cherries (cut smaller) than raisins.
These cookies were easy to
These cookies were easy to make and easy to bake. I work in the Health Ed. and Nutrition Dept. and the faculty loved them. I will definately make them again.
This is a great nutritious
This is a great nutritious and satisfying cookie. I used raisins and dried cranberries. The family loves them. My family doesn't usually eat anything but chocolate chip cookies. These are better than any energy bar. You can't go wrong.
I just figured out the
I just figured out the calorie content - if you make 2 dozen it's 350 calories per cookie.
They are yum.
N Bastedo
5 out of 5 Average Reader
5 out of 5 Average Reader Rating. 100% of readers would make this recipe again. Submit your own review below!
I made these for my Bible Study. After the first time, I was asked to make them every week! Being a diabetic, I used Splenda brown sugar, and Splenda granulated sugar. Now, I am making these for our City Council Mtgs. Everyone loves them in the City of Tonawanda! – Anonymous Review
SUPERB! You're right! I took some cookies with me to the skating pond and they were an excellent companion while I skated. – Anonymous Review
YUM! I used this recipe with both whole wheat flour and spelt flour and it came out great both times. Also used Agave and honey as a sweetener rather than processed sugar and it is yummy! – Reviewed by Wendy Wham
These are excellent in place of a power bar from the store. Much healthier and filling too. – Anonymous Review
Really good! Not too sweet. More nutritious than most treats. My friend says they are addicting! – Reviewed by Pat Muso
These are so good!! I replaced the brown sugar and chocolate chips with Splenda brown sugar, and carob and they were excellent! – Anonymous Review
I substituted Splenda brown sugar in this recipe and carob chips instead of chocolate chips and ALL my diabetic friends raved about these cookies! – Anonymous Review
Great and delicious, made it just like it instructed. – Anonymous Review
I don't use sugar (sucrose) so I have to substitute crystaline fructose (fructose)for any sugar and a dark honey (levulose) for molasses (sucrose). I just lower the baking temperature 25 degrees. This recipe works out fine. – Reviewed by G. Michael Sadie
These cookies are so good! I used all whole wheat flour (freshly milled white wheat) and substituted dried cranberries for the raisins. They were a big hit with my family. Definitely a "keeper" recipe. – Reviewed by Anne Nitkowski
I always keep these on hand! They help me keep my weight under control because they are so nutritious and have so much good stuff in them they satisfy without packing on the pounds. My favorite is a couple of them with a glass of skim milk at bedtime. Heavenly! – Anonymous Review
I made a few changes to make it a lower fat cookie. I substituted Splenda sugar for brown and only used 1 cup. I used 1 cup applesauce and soaked dates for 1/2 of the butter. I lowered the temperature to 325 and baked only 12 minutes. They turned out moist and soft. I might add some coconut next time to jazz it up. Really is satisfying to eat these while still warm on a cold winter's day. – Reviewed by Jeny Roberts
Sounds exactly right for a
Sounds exactly right for a housefull of boys. BUT HELP. What can I use INSTEAD of peanut butter? Anyone know? My great grandson, allergic to peanuts will say THANK YOU.
"People with peanut allergy
"People with peanut allergy are not necessarily allergic to tree nuts (e.g., walnuts) although they may be counselled to avoid all nuts due to the possibility of cross-contamination in processing or packaging." Quoted from http://www.calgaryallergy.ca/A...
So heeding the above advice, if his parents do not object, and they KNOW he is not allergic to them, you can find nut butters of several kinds at any good health food store. They should monitor how much he consumes; just a small bite the first time, then maybe only one or two cookies per snack. Then watch for any reactions, probably EACH time he eats them.
All that said... sunflower seed butter is one of the least expensive and tastes great. Other favorites of mine are almond butter and cashew butter; the cashew butter is much more expensive though.
You may consider making your own nut butters as well; perhaps with less cross-contamination risk. Simply use a food processor and the same oil as the nut; sunflower seeds and sunflower oil for example. You can probably find recipes online for the proportions. Do remember that all natural nut butters separate over time, so just stir the oil back in as needed.
Peanut butter is very cheap, so be prepared for the big price difference and make it a once-in-a-while treat.
A good idea would be to label that batch of cookies clearly as just for your great grandson; maybe even wrapping and freezing them individually or in twos. That can help you cut costs too.
Edited to add: Do NOT use SOY nut butter, as it is the same food family as peanuts (legumes). Try almond (plum/angelica/parsley family), sunflower (composite/aster family), or cashew (cashew/mango family).
I have made these several
I have made these several rounds, and they go over well with most everybody, but nobody wants to help me make them. :( I find they freeze well and are great for a middle of the afternoon snack or they even make a quick "meal" along with a glass of milk. They "stay"with you.
For quicker clean-up, please be sure to put newspaper under the cooling racks.