Hilary's Hiking and Camping Cookies

I haven't posted a recipe for a long time so we're overdue.  I just happened to have enough  ingredients on the list for these delicious cookies and since the three-year-old twins will be here tomorrow,  I have a good excuse to make them.

We first had Hilary's Hiking and Camping Cookies on one of our housesitting assignments...the very kind homeowner (Hilary) left them for us.  She and her husband like camping and hiking...hence the name, I think.  Hilary told me that she adapted this from a basic recipe she found in her Laurel's Kitchen cookbook. 

This recipe lends itself to whatever variations you care to make...keeping proportions and the basic ingredients, of course.

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter*
1 cup honey
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups whole wheat flour.

Extra Goodies:
1/2 cup (or more) each of:
Dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, blueberries, etc.)
Sweets (chocolate or white chocolate chips or carob chips, etc.)
Nuts (pine nuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.)
Miscellaneous (granola, coconut shavings, etc.)

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

• Mix peanut butter and honey
• Lightly beat egg and add to Peanut Butter and  honey.  Mix.
• Add vanilla, almond extract, baking soda.  Mix well.
• Add other goodies.

The dough will be VERY sticky...just so you know :-)

• Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets.  Or roll balls of dough in coatings such as coconut, chopped nuts, etc.)  (I lined the cookie sheets with parchment)
• Bake 12 - 15 minutes.  Watch at the end because honey will make overcooked cookies turn black.

You can make the dough, form it into a roll in clear plastic wrap and freeze it for later slicing and baking.

* Pure peanut butters are best because they don't contain added sugar, etc.   

When I made these, today, I used pecans, raisins, unsweetened coconut and sunflower seeds because that's what I had in my pantry.  However, they're chewier and sweeter if you use both raisins and another dried fruit like cranberries or dried cherries.  In fact, I baked only one pan of these and I have the remaining cookie dough in the refrigerator.  In the meantime I went grocery shopping and bought some dried cranberries so I'm going to add those.

And here's something kind of crazy...you know how most of the time there's nothing like a cookie right from the oven?  Still warm?  Well, I prefer these after they've cooled.   Not sure why.

I do love a recipe that lends itself to a little "tweaking".  And this one does.  If you try this recipe be sure to let me know your own special tweaks.