Carrot-Walnut Cookies

I used to eat a granola bar and piece of fruit as my morning snack each morning at work, but although I chose granola bars without high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners or non-whole grains, I was not happy with how high sweeteners fell on the ingredient list. I changed by snack to nuts and dried fruit without added sugar, but I've been missing having something a little more special for my morning snack. I've made granola bars many times in the past, but when I saw this recipe on the Whole Foods website, I knew it was a great new solution to my problem. It's only filled with healthy ingredients-nuts, whole grains, and fruit-but still a sweet little treat that will go splendidly with a piece of fruit and cup of green tea. Food is a very important part of my life and having 10 minutes with a healthy, delicious snack in the morning goes a long way towards buoying my energy and mood for the rest of the workday. This is truly a cookie you can feel good about eating, be it morning, noon, or night.

Carrot-Walnut Cookies
adapted from Whole Foods
makes about 24 cookies

1 cup raw unsalted walnuts
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 carrots, grated
1 apple, grated
1 very ripe banana, peeled and mashed
1/2 cup apple juice

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine walnuts, oats and raisins in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon and ginger. Add carrots, apples, banana and apple juice and stir until combined. Drop by rounded tablespoons an inch apart on the prepared baking sheets, making about 24 cookies. Press down on each cookie with the back of a fork to flatten them slightly. Bake until tops and bottoms are lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.