Joy’s Trail Mix Cookies

These cookies are my latest addiction.  They come from one of my favorite bloggers, Joy the Baker‘s recently released cookbook.

The addition of whole wheat flour (I used Massa Organics) makes for a nice touch.  Maybe we could even say these cookies are somewhat healthy because they have whole grains in them??  ;)

Cream the butter, brown sugar, and cane sugar until light and fluffy, then add the flour mixture all at once.

Then comes the good stuff: Roasted Salted Peanuts (honey roasted would be awesome as well), Peanut Butter Chips (I used the natural kind), and SunDrops in place of M&M’s since they don’t have all that junk in them and taste just as good, if not better.

Scoop the dough out and get ready to bake.

Up close and personal with the trail mix dough.

Don’t be tempted to eat these right out of the oven, because they will fall apart if you do.  They need at least 5 minutes to cool to keep their cookie shape.  These were super addicting, and I’ve eaten about 7 by myself.  Great snack, or breakfast The batter makes about 3 dozen.  If you want to keep these guys hanging around freeze some of the scooped/rolled out dough and then store in the freezer.  When you’re ready for them simply put them in the oven at 350F, and bake a little longer (about 15 to 17 minutes).

Joy’s Trail Mix Cookies

Slightly adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks/8oz) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated cane sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup (6oz) peanut butter chips

1 cup SunDrops (I got mine in the bulk section at Whole Foods; or you can use M&M chocolate candy)

1 cup roasted and salted peanuts (honey roasted would work well here, too)

1/2 cup golden raisins

Directions

1.  Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat to 350F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside.

3.  In the bowl of an electric hand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment  (or using a good amount of elbow grease and a wooden spoon), cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 3 to 5 minutes).  Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed for 1 minute between each addition.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl as necessary.  Beat in the vanilla until incorporated.

4.  Stop the mixer and add the flour mixture all at once.  Beat on low speed until just incorporated.  Then add the peanut butter chips, SunDrops (or M&M’s), peanuts, and raisins.  Turn on mixer again and beat the additions at low speed until just incorporated.  Remove the bowl from the mixer, and finish incorporating (get those loose batter pieces at the bottom of the bowl), the cookie batter with a spatula.

5.  Using a cookie scoop, scoop out dough and place on prepared cookie sheet (if you don’t have a cookie scoop use a tablespoon, scoop out dough, and roll it between palms to make dough balls).

6.  Bake for about 13 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.