The Italians eat cookies for breakfast. We should, too. Nutritious cookies, yes. But cookies that also taste good. I've been tinkering around with my recipe for traditional Italian breakfast cookies so that I can make the cookies in the air fryer. I've also tried to make the cookies a bit more nutritious while increasing the "yum factor." I think I've succeeded. The cookies are quick to make in the air fryer. They're sweet, but I've reduced the actual amount of sugar in them. I've also cut the fat and added in some fiber in the form of quick oats. The cookies now have more texture to them yet remain tender. What about the taste? To boost the flavor of the cookies beyond plain vanilla, I've added freeze-dried strawberries and orange zest. The result is a light, bright, slightly sweet cookie that's a little cake-like, a little chewy, and quite good with your morning coffee. Or afternoon tea! I like to put the cookies in the toaster to toast/heat them and then enjoy them as an afternoon snack. If you do want sweeter cookies, go ahead and dust the tops of the cookies with a little sugar before you bake them. It will add crunch as well as sweetness.
Air Fryer Strawberry-Orange Cookies -- Makes 12+
1 egg
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of whole-wheat flour
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of quick oats
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 cup of freeze-dried strawberries
Grated zest of an orange or two clementines
Additional sugar to sprinkle (optional)
In a medium bowl, combine the egg, sugar, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla and whisk them well. Stir in the salt, flours, oats, and baking powder. Crush the freeze-dried strawberries a little with your hands and add them and the orange zest to the dough. Stir until everything is well combined. Break off 1 1/2 tablespoon-sized pieces of dough
(a little smaller than a large walnut) and roll them into football or oval shapes. Cut pieces of baking parchment into 6-7-inch squares to fit your air fryer. Place two or three cookie ovals on each parchment sheet. If you'd like, sprinkle a little sugar on top of each cookie, pressing it into the dough a little. Place one cookie-covered parchment sheet in the air fryer and set the control at 320 degrees. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes or until light brown and almost firm to the touch. Repeat the process with the remaining cookie dough. Alternatively, you can make as many cookies as you want/need and stash the remaining dough in the refrigerator to bake later.
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