Baking Obsession

These cookies are full of healthy nutritious ingredients. Thus they are perfect for packing into the lunch boxes.

Makes about 4 dozens.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¾ cup (lightly packed) dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped pitted dates, mixed with 1 tsp of flour (to prevent them from sticking together)
• 1 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Preparation:

Center the oven rack. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the baking sheets with parchment or silicon mats.

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer, in a large bowl, beat the butter for a couple of minutes. Gradually add the both sugars and continue beating until fluffy. Beat in the honey, eggs (one at a time), and vanilla. Reduce the speed, and gradually add the flour mixture. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the oats, raisins, dates, and seeds. Drop the batter by a tablespoon (a little ice cream scoop is a very useful tool here) onto the prepared sheets, spacing the mounds 2 inches apart. Flatten the cookies slightly.

Bake the cookies in batches until golden brown, about 12-13 minutes. Cool completely on the sheets on a rack. Can be made 2-3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Variation:

Sometimes, I use dry cherries and chopped bittersweet chocolate instead of the raisins and dates. Add chopped walnuts (or different nuts) instead of the seeds.