Healthy Cookies (yes they exist!)

We've been on the hunt for healthier snack alternatives for Aidan, without too much sugar ('coz he's energetic enough as it is!) So after Googling around, I found a great cookie recipe which we tried this morning!

If you've been following my tweets today, you'd have seen the results as the cookies were being made.

Here's what happened (click on photos to see larger version):

Mash a large ripe banana


Add in butter & sugar


Sift the flour


Add all the dry ingredients to the wet ones and Mix!!


Chop up an apple in the Happy Chopper


Add it into the mixture


Mix it into a dough!


Spoon them and drop 'em onto the cookie pan


Bake for 20 mins at 160 degrees C


Here they are baking...they SMELL DELICIOUS!


All done! Onto the rack to cool...


...and into Aidan's tummy! Yum!!

Here's the recipe, which I got from ChefMom.com. I've tweaked it a little...didn't add the cinnamon or macadamia nuts, 'coz I didn't have any at home!

Apple-banana wholemeal cookies
1 large ripe banana
1/2 cup unsalted butter, really soft (or use olive oil as a healthier alternative)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup of oatmeal
1/2 cup white flour
3/4 cup wholewheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1 apple, chopped

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Mash banana in a large bowl. Add butter (or olive oil) and brown sugar. In another bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add these to the banana mixture. Add the nuts and apples last.

Spoon onto cookie pan lined with greaseproof paper, about 5 cms apart. Bake in oven at for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Prep time: 30 to 45 minutes. The recipe makes about 30-40 cookies, depending how big you make them!

And trust me, they were REALLY yummy. I usually gravitate towards chocolate, but these weren't too sweet so I just kept popping them into my mouth! WARNING: 1 or 2 cookies might be a healthier alternative to chocolate; pop 6 or 7 of these babies like I did, and you'd need to swim 10 laps!!