Grab 'n' Go Breakfast Cookies

Impressive! Here's a fast-food solution that tastes great on get-a-move-on mornings.

• Ready In: 37 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 12 cookies

Ingredients

•  shortening
• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
• 2⁄3 cup  packed brown sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1  cup whole wheat flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup rolled oats
• 1  cup  mixed dried fruit, dried cranberries or 1  cup cherries or 1  cup raisins or 1  cup  snipped  dried apricot
• 1⁄2 cup banana chips, broken up
• 1⁄2 cup  chopped walnuts or 1⁄2 cup peanuts or 1⁄2 cup pecans or 1⁄2 cup  almonds

Directions

1. Turn on the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with shortening. Save until Step 4. Cut up butter with the table knife.
2. Put butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed about 30 seconds or until butter is creamy. Stop mixer. Add brown sugar. Beat on medium speed until combined, stopping the mixer occasionally and scraping the bowl with a rubber scraper. Stop mixer.
3. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until combined. Put the whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Stir with the wooden spoon. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture. Stir in oats, mixed fruit bits, banana chips, and nuts.
4. Scoop the dough with a 1/4-cup measuring cup.* Drop the dough in mounds 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheet. If necessary, use the rubber scraper to push the dough from the measuring cup. Use your hands to flatten dough on cookie sheet.
5. Put the cookie sheet in the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until cookie edges begin to brown. Use hot pads to remove cookie sheet from oven. Let cookies remain on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Use a pancake turner to move cookies to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough, letting cookie sheet cool between batches or use a second cookie sheet. Turn off oven.
6. Serve with your favorite fruit-flavored yogurt and orange juice. *NOTE: If you like, use an ice cream scoop that holds about 1/4 cup to scoop the dough.