My husband Harry and I are participating in a pre-season beach clean-up on the North Fork of Long Island in Jamesport tomorrow with some other people from his company.  The dirty work will be followed with a tour of the Riverhead Aquarium and lunch.  I thought a batch of cookies would keep all of the cleaners happy and energized.  These came together with a base of oat bran (remember that from the 80’s?), whole wheat pastry flour, and some finely chopped toasted almonds and pumpkin seeds.  The wet ingredients are a mix of coconut oil, butter, kefir, two flax eggs, a ripe banana, and a bit of molasses and maple syrup, the zest of an orange, cinnamon, and zante currants found there way in too.  They baked up thick and cake like with just a whisper of sweetness and fragrant from the orange zest.

Dry Ingredients:

2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1-1/2 c. oat bran (I got it at Trader Joes.  Use rolled oats if you don’t have oat bran)
1/2 c. finely chopped almonds (mine were mixed with some toasted pumpkin seeds)
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. zante currants (raisins or dried unsweetened cherries would work well too)

Wet Ingredients:

1 stick butter, melted
1 tblsp. coconut oil, melted
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 c. kefir (or thinned out yogurt)
2 flax eggs (2 tblsp. ground flax mixed with 6 tblsp. water, let sit for 10 minutes to get goopy)
1 tblsp. pure vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Toss in the zante currants and toss to coat with flour so they are not sticking together.

In a large bowl or using an stand-up mixer combine the melted butter, coconut oil, banana, kefir, flax eggs, vanilla, and orange zest.  Add in the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.  Add in the cacao nibs and stir to incorporate.

Scoop by the tablespoon or by using a small ice cream scooper onto a parchment lined rimmed cookie sheet.  Bake for 14 minutes.  Remove to drying rack and cool.  Makes about 40 cookies.