Trail Mix Cookies — Katie Lee Jacobs

Last month, when we drove from Iowa to NYC, I snacked on trail mix almost the entire drive to keep my energy up and my tummy full. So, when I opened the latest issue of Bon Appetit magazine and saw these Trail Mix Cookies, I just had to try them! The great thing about these cookies is that you can make the dough 3 hours - 3 days ahead of time and keep in the fridge to cool. In addition, you can chose whatever nuts, chocolate, and dried fruit you like best.

We recently took these on our 5 hour hike Upstate and they were devoured by the time we reached the top of the mountain. Truly delicious and guilt-free.

INGREDIENTS

1½ cups assorted raw nuts and seeds

½ cup (60 g) old-fashioned oats

1 large egg

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup (packed; 50 g) dark brown sugar

2 Tbsp. (25 g) granulated sugar

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. baking soda

¾ cup assorted dried fruit (cut into ½" pieces if large)

¾ cup chopped bittersweetchocolate bars or chips or disks

½ cup (63 g) all-purpose flour

NOTE: For the nuts we added cashews, almonds, flax seed, pumpkin seeds, for the dried fruit we added raisins, mango slices, and dates. The fun part about this recipe is that you can add whatever nuts and dried fruit you like!

RECIPE PREPARATION

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Toast nuts and seeds and oats on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; let cool.

Meanwhile, mix egg, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; let sit until nuts are cool (this will make for a chewier cookie).

Add dried fruit and chocolate to nut mixture; toss to combine. Give egg mixture a good stir, then stir in flour. Mix in nut mixture, smashing it against the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until combined and mix-ins are evenly coated in dough. (It will look like too many mix-ins, but dough will come together as it chills.) Cover and chill at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Reheat oven to 350°. Using a ⅓-cup, portion out dough, packing firmly, to make 12 cookies. Divide between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets as you go. Using measuring cup or your hand, press cookies into 2½"-diameter disks about ¾" thick; sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake cookies, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back once, until golden brown and no longer wet-looking, 11–13 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets.