Yolk on the walls

Husband and I love breakfast.  Not the take it on the run, wrapped bagel in a napkin that you eat as you pretend you can drive perfectly well while juggling feeding your face and steering.  We love the getting up early, out-to-eat lazy breakfast that can only come on the weekends.  It's our favorite thing to do and the meal that we eat out the most.  Which is odd -- as breakfast in and of itself is really pretty easy to make at home and pretty easy to make as tasty as you can find in a restaurant.  Maybe it's the treat of a weekend when it's nice to have someone else cook comfort food for you.  Or maybe it is a sign that Husband and I do have a bit of obsession with eggs and salty meats.  Did I mention we have a painting of bacon in our kitchen?  And one of our kitchen walls is the color of an egg yolk...oh, man, I just now realized that.  How funny.

One of the reasons we make a production of breakfast on the weekends is our schedules do not allow for a hot breakfast during the week.  It's darn near impossible.  So, I'm always trying think of easy things to have on hand that are perfect for lives on the go.  I've made homemade granola that we eat with creamy and tart Greek yogurt.  I've also done overnight oats that soak in yogurt and are accented with nuts and fresh fruit.  For me, I tend toward a baked good for a quick breakfast.  It's a little harder to find a baked good that satisfies that pastry craving while still filling you up and not being wholly unhealthy for you.

A nearby bakery has delicious banana chocolate chip muffins which I thoroughly enjoy.  So, I thought I would try to make a pastry that reminded me of this banana/chocolate combination but would still be hearty enough for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

When I try to make a baked item a little healthier I do a few things: 1) I substitute part or all of the flour with a combination of whole wheat flour, wheat germ and flax seed meal.  You could substitute the whole of the flour with whole wheat flour but I find that whole wheat flour, specifically true 100% whole wheat is too strong of a flavor.  When you bite into a baked good made solely with 100% whole wheat flour, it's like getting slapped in the face with a iron skillet.  Really, Whole Wheat, I love you but I don't love you enough for you to be the star of the show.  2) I substitute part of the butter with fat-free Greek yogurt.  3) I drop the sugar content by 1/3 to 1/4 because typically you don't notice it's been removed.  

Banana Snack Cookies
adapted from Field Guide to Cookies

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 3/4 cups rolled old-fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
1/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt (must be Greek yogurt, can just do 3/4 cup butter if you don't have Greek yogurt on hand)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Combine the flour, wheat germ, flax seed meal, oats, baking soda, and salt together.  In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the Greek yogurt, egg and vanilla and mix until combined.  Add half the flour mixture, mix, and then add the banana and mix. Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined.   Mix in chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoon-sized balls onto the baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating halfway through.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.