Fruity Breakfast Cookies

Fruity, oatmeal breakfast cookies similar to Baker's Breakfast Cookies - only you pick which fruit & nut combo you want! Batter is very stiff and sticky to work, and working with wet hands is a must. The trick with these is to underbake them a little bit and the result is a soft, cakey cookie that will fill you up and last all morning.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 36
• Yields: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 1  cup brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup Splenda granular, sugar substitute
• 2 1⁄2 cups quick oatmeal or 2 1⁄2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  cups whole wheat flour
• 1⁄2 cup flax seed meal
• 1  tablespoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon baking powder
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 2  teaspoons cinnamon
• 1⁄4 cup canola oil
• 1⁄2 cup prune baby food
• 1⁄2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2  tablespoons water
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons  apple juice or 1 1⁄2 tablespoons milk
• 5  egg whites
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1⁄2 cups dried cherries (or other fruit, I mix cherries, blueberries, raisins)
• 3⁄4 cup pecans, chopped or 3⁄4 cup walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookies sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flours, sugars, flax, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl combine all the wet ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet blend. Mix until well blended. Stir in the fruit and nuts. Scoop cookies using an ice cream scoop or roll into golf ball sized balls with wet hands. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets and flatten to 1/2" tall. These cookie do not flatten while baking!
3. Bake 8 minutes for chewy cookies, 10 minutes for dry cookies. Cookies will not get crisp. Remove from the cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.