Mornings Made Easier

Two recipes that make morning a little more interesting and a little more nutritious than boxed cereal. My kids loved the Morning Cookies when they were little (with peanut butter in between) and Todd and I really like the Breakfast Cups. I make them ahead of time and micro them for about 45 seconds when we're ready to eat them.

Morning Cookies
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 wheat bran (I use All-Bran cereal)
1/4 nonfat dry milk powder
1 egg white
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon (or better yet, Pampered Chef Cinnamon Plus)
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. ground cloves (omit this if you're using Cinnamon Plus)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 c. soft-style cream cheese or peanut butter

In a mixer bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with a mixer until well combined. Add whole wheat flour, applesauce, oats, bran, milk powder, egg white, soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and cloves. Beat on low speed just till combined. Stir in raisins and nuts. Spray a baking sheet (or use your baking stone). Drop rounded tablespoons (PC Medium Scoop) of dough, 2-3 inches apart onto baking sheet. Spread dough so each cookie is about 2 inches across. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack. Spread bottoms of half the cooled cookies with cream cheese or peanut butter; top with remaining unfrosted cookies. Chill until serving or wrap individually and freeze. Makes 8 sandwich cookies.


Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Cups

8 ounces sausage or crumbled bacon
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
10 large eggs, beaten
1 can (12 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12- cup muffin pan with paper baking cups.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, pepper, and onion until the sausage is cooked through. Drain if necessary and let cool slightly. Divide evenly among muffin cups. Divide drained mushrooms evenly among mushroom cups. Fill muffin cups with beaten eggs about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until set. Let cool completely and store in a zipper bag in the refrigerator.