Back to School Cookies (You’ll Love Packing Them, Your Kids Will Love Eating Them)

Back to school cookies isn’t really the best name for these cookies. Better known as “Kitchen Sink Cookies,” whatever you call them, you will get requests for them to be made over and over again! Addictive is what they really are.

I’ve realized I don’t have many cookie recipes on my site, and that will have to change, and I’m starting with these “back to school cookies.” Someone recently informed me that people google, “kitchen sink cookies” when looking for this type of cookie–who knew?

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Great for lunch boxes and care packages!

As you may know, my son is at Georgetown University which is on the other side of the country,  so I’m limited to the sort of cookies and food I can send him. These cookies are almost always in his care packages; in fact, the photo above is from a batch I made for him to take with him when he flew back to school for his senior year, about two weeks ago. I still had some left to send in my daughter’s lunches too, since she had already started her senior year of high school. Yikes, where does the time go?

A sneaky way to add all sorts of nutritious ingredients!

What I love about these cookies, is that I can throw in so many healthy ingredients, but as long as there are a few chocolate chips, kids still love them. Instead of giving them prepackaged, processed cookies full of unknown ingredients, I make a big batch of what I call, “Back to School Cookies”, and often freeze them for later (either the dough or the baked cookies).

You may also enjoy this Blood Orange Ricotta cookie recipe!

In this batch I used a natural raisin bran, along with oats, coconut and some ground flaxseed, but you’ll see how flexible the recipe is: you can add nuts, other cereals, grains, dried fruit, etc. Ultimately, these back to school cookies could be called so many different names.

Consequently, everyone will be asking you to make these cookies over and over again, and you’ll be happy to know that there’s actually a lot of nutrition in every bite, instead of chemicals, corn syrup and preservatives.

Back To School Cookies
(aka Kitchen Sink Cookies)

adapted from a recipe cut from a magazine?

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (140 g) flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup (225 g) butter, softened
1 cup (200 g) brown sugar (not packed)
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup cereal (75 g) (I used an organic raisin bran, but any similar flake cereal will work)
2 cups (180 g) old fashioned oats (rolled oats) Hamlyn’s is my favorite brand, but not easy to find in the US
1/2 cup (90 g) Coaches’ Oats or steel cut oats
(1 tbsp ground flaxseed or hemp seed) -optional
1 cup (75 g) flaked or shredded coconut (natural, unsweetened)
1/2 cup (about 70 g) dried fruit or nuts
1 cup (170 g) good quality dark chocolate chips (I love Callebaut when I can find it, but Trader Joe’s is ok)

NB: I avoided putting the number of cookies this batch will make as it truly depends on how large or small you make them. I will add, though, that this recipe makes a WHOLE LOTTA cookies! It’s a big batch, so divide it in half if you don’t want to make enough for your entire block! :)

Make the Back to School Cookie Dough

Preheat oven to 350º F (175º C)

Put the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, put the cereal, two types of oats, (flax/hemp seed), coconut, dried fruit and chocolate chips, and also set aside.

In a large mixing bowl (for a stand mixer if you have one) cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar for about 5 minutes. Then add the milk, vanilla and eggs and mix well.

Next, add the contents of the first bowl with the flour, and mix in slowly.

When well incorporated, remove the bowl from the stand mixer and add the contents of the second bowl, with the oats and fruit, etc. and stir in with a large wooden spoon, until evenly mixed.

Next, drop by heaped teaspoonfuls or larger (depending on how large you prefer your cookies), onto a lined cookie sheet. I love my Silpat baking sheets.

Bake the Back to School Cookies

Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes, then turn 180 degrees, and bake for another 4 to 6 minutes. Look for golden brown on the edges (the center should still be a little pale).

Finally, remove from pan with metal spatula and place on cookie rack to cool.  Back to School Cookies are lovely when served warm, with a glass of milk or cup of tea!

 

 Here’s a recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies from my friend, Janette at Culinary Ginger!

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