Kate Spade and Some Whole Wheat, Cinnamon Spiced, Apricot Cookies

This weekend, my husband and I had the great pleasure of attending the wedding of two of our most wonderful friends. He was the "best man," and as wife of the best man, I got all of the perks and none of the stress that goes along with the position. I had no speech to learn and I still got to sit at the same table as the beautiful bride and beaming groom. I also got to be on the arm of a tuxedo-clad man who was unabashedly displaying his dance moves on the crowded dance floor.  Here's the look I sported for the lovely weekend:

Pictured: Lovely man on my arm. This Kate Spade collared dress is currently one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe. For the most part, any "Kate Spade" items have to be on sale for me to justify a purchase
This dress was no exception. I love a good sale! Join the mailing list and look for the 75% off days.

After a weekend of "I'll have the steak" and "I love open bars!", the two of us were happy to cuddle up on the couch with our puppy and recover. I thought we could use something sweet, warm, and healthy to snack on while we stocked up on new Fall TV. This recipe is from a great cookbook called "The High Energy Cookbook: good-carb recipes for weight loss, health, and vitality" by Rachael Anne Hill and photographed by Nicky Downey. It's full of breakfast, lunch, dinner and desert recipes and even has a large section defining and explaining the benefits of a "good-carb" diet. Let's get started!

Whole Wheat, Cinnamon Spiced, Apricot Cookies

I want to note that these cookies turn out to look and taste more like a biscuit. They are heartier and, in my opinion, more satisfying than a traditional cookie.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole-wheat flour & extra for dusting
• 1 cup & two tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3-4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3 & 1/2 tablespoons polyunsaturated margarine (I used butter!)
• 1/3 cup dried fruit (I used dried apricots, chopped them, and used a little over 1/3 cup)
• 2 eggs
• About 2 tablespoons of skim milk & extra for brushing (I started with 2 tablespoons but poured in a little extra to keep the dough together).

Directions:*

• Sift the flours into a large mixing bowl.
• Add cinnamon, brown sugar, baking powder.
• Stir!

• Break the butter into small pieces, add to the dry ingredients and, using your fingertips, work the butter into the mixture.

• Stir in the dried fruit.
• In a smaller bowl, beat the two eggs and add the skim milk.

• Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix. (The cookbook says to mix with a "round-bladed knife." I did't have one of these, so I went over the mixture with a regular old knife to break up clumps, and afterwards kneaded the dough with my hands.
• Before transferring the dough to my floured surface, I added a little more skim milk to the mixture to keep the dough together. Don't add too much, though, or your cookies will lose their crumbly feel.
• Roll the dough out on the floured work surface until it is about 1 inch thick. 

• Cut out circles using a 2 & 1/2 inch cookie cutter and transfer them to a prepared baking tray.

Cookies and skim milk for brushing.

• Brush the cookies with skim milk and add a light dusting of whole wheat flour to the top.
• Bake at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. They should appear golden brown and well risen.
• These can be served warm or cold.
• The book suggests splitting in half and serving with a low-fat spread and sliced strawberries. I decided to add a dollop of greek yogurt  and top it with sliced raspberries. It made them look like tiny cakes!

Warm cookies on the kitchen counter? I may not cook, but look at me developing "domestic-like" skills!

*These directions were not taken directly from any cookbook. So as to avoid any copyright issues, I've fashioned the directions myself. (This is what happens when lawyers bake cookies and blog about them!).