Double Apricot Almond Breakfast Cookies with Sweet Almond Butter

I had some apricots that were really ripe, so I decided to use them in a batch of Breakfast Cookies.  The new flavor I come up with is ~ Double Apricot Almond Breakfast Cookies.  I added a little bit of honey to this recipe to enhance the flavor of the fruit, but you could leave it out (or use another type of sweetener), if desired.  I really enjoy the combination of the flavors of apricot & almond together ~ they seem made for each other.  I decided to include a spin on 'icing' for this cookie, because I was in the mood for something that was a bit fancier this time around.  Since I was already using almond extract, almond butter was the logical choice.  Besides, I'm a big fan of sweetened almond butter ever since I made ~ Semla.  (the much loved Swedish Almond Cream Pastry Bun ~ check out my easy version of the traditional Semla recipe here)

Having all this fresh seasonal fruit around really makes for some tasty & unusual Breakfast Cookies ~ Enjoy!

Double Apricot Almond Breakfast Cookies ~ with Sweet Almond Butter

makes 16 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal ~ uncooked
• 1 ripe banana, mashed with fork until creamy 
  
• 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2/3 cup pureed apricots (about 4-5 fresh or canned (drained) 
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped (regular or unsulfured)
• 3 Tbsp almonds, or to taste ~ slivers, sliced or chopped (or nut of your choice) 
• 2 Tbsp honey (optional)
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or more, to taste) 

Sweet Almond Butter

• 3 Tbsp Almond Butter (or your favorite nut butter)
• 3 Tbsp Greek yogurt, non-fat or low-fat
• 4 packets Equal, or to taste (or your favorite sweetener of choice)
• 12 whole almonds for garnish (optional)

Directions

Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix mashed banana, pureed apricot, honey, almond extract & cinnamon into the applesauce ~ until completely combined.

Combine the applesauce mixture with all remaining ingredients & let sit for 10 minutes

Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into rounds.

Bake cookies approx. 30 minutes, or until golden & done.  While the cookies are baking, mix all of the Sweet Almond Butter ingredients together & store in the fridge until ready to use.

Remove cookies from the oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.  Cookies will firm up/sweeten up as they cool.  When cool, serve with the optional Sweet Almond Butter & garnish each cookie with an almond ~ if using.
 
Store completely cooled cookies in a covered container.  Store any remaining Sweet Almond Butter in the fridge.

*  If serving the cookies with the optional ~ Sweet Almond Butter ~ wait until you are ready to serve the cookies before spreading the nut butter on  top.