Flu-Fighter Cookies

My ‘sister’ in Florida just had a beautiful baby girl, Stella. To celebrate these two lovely ladies and their leading man, I wanted to bake and send her favorite treat – a variation of Flu-Fighter Cookies. Although more of a fall treat, these cookies are amazing. Chockfull of antioxidants and bursting with color, flavor, and lots of texture, these cookies are guilt-free…a great breakfast or afternoon snack – take them anywhere!

Flu-Fighter Cookies (yield: 30 cookies)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• Pinch of cloves
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup molasses
• ¼ cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
• ¾ cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 ¼ cup raisins
• 1 ¼ cup dried blueberries
• 1 ¼ cup sliced almonds

Directions:

1. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or foil.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
4. Stir in molasses, yogurt, ginger, and lemon zest to butter/sugar mixture. Lightly beat in flour mixture; batter will be sticky (do not overmix).
5. Fold in oats, half of the raisins, blueberries, and almonds.
6. In a small bowl, mix the remaining half of raisins, blueberries, and almonds. Set aside.
7. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter onto baking sheets. Top each with some of the reserved dried fruit and nut mixture. Chill cookies for 30 minutes, and preheat oven for 375°F.
8. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.