1/2 c. vegetable oil, plus 1 tsp. for preparing cookie sheets 2 c.
SmartBran™ cereal 1 - 1/4 c. apple juice 1 tsp. vanilla 2 c. whole wheat flour 1/3 to 1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar 2 - 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground allspice 1/8 tsp. salt 3/4 c. raisins 3/4 c. chopped walnuts
Brush two cookie sheets lightly with oil. Place racks in center and preheat oven to 375°F.
In a bowl, combine the cereal, apple juice, and vanilla. Set aside to soften for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.
Stir the oil into the cereal mixture. Pour the cereal mixture on top of the dry ingredients. Add the raisins and walnuts. Stir to combine. Taste batter. Stir in more sugar, if you wish.
Using your hands, shape bits of dough into balls about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Place about an inch apart on the 2 oiled cookie sheets. (If dough is moist and sticky, drop heaping tablespoons directly onto sheets.) With your fingers or the back of a spoon, flatten dough into rough circles with a 2-inch diameter.
Bake for 9 minutes. Rotate the pans back to front and bottom shelf to top. Continue baking until the bottoms are golden, 8 to 10 minutes more. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack. When cool, store in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 4 months.
Yield: Makes about 2 dozen soft, chewy cookies This recipe was created especially for Nature’s Path® by Lorna Sass, the award-winning cookbook author of Whole Grains, Every Day, Every Way. At Nature’s Path we recommend you use organic ingredients whenever possible.
