Cereal Killer Cookies

I’m always amused at how my whacky mind works when coming up with recipes.  Sometimes I dream during the night, and wake up with new ideas.  When I’m biking long distances, snowshoeing, hiking or just walking,  I always come up with more ideas…maybe it’s the fresh air, the endorphines and dopamine pumping, or possibly just a smell or sight along the route.  I think that’s what makes a real cook…a person who strays from the usual track of thinking when it comes to ingredients and looks at ingredients from a whole new vantage point!

Here on the coast of South Carolina it starts to get humid in late Spring and certainly throughout the summer.  That means that many thing in my pantry just don’t last long despite the ‘expiration’ dates.  One thing, in particular, that suffers the ravages of humidity…cereal!

Another thing about cereal…when the cereal gets down to the bottom of the box, it seems that no one wants it.  So what happens is it sits there and can get stale unless one gets creative  before staleness sets in.  That’s how these cookies were invented—I had some cereal left in boxes, not enough for a good bowl, and rather than toss it out, which I detest tossing perfectly good food, I decided to make cookies.  Now, the name just sparked after Ben and I taste-tested them…I said, ‘Wow!  These cookies are killer good!’  The cookies just got their name, ‘Cereal Killer Cookies!’

Makes: 3 1/2-4 dozen mini cupcakes

Preheat oven 325 

What you need:

1 ½ cup old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup broken pretzels

1 cup sweetened coconut

1 cup cherrios cereal

½ cup granola cereal

½ cup grape nuts cereal

½ cup flax seed

½ cup chopped dates

½ cup salted peanuts

½ cup slivered almonds

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ cup dried cherries

1/2 cup dried blueberries

1 ½ cups sweetened condensed milk

5 egg whites

¼ tsp salt

What you do:

Combine first 13 ingredients (all dry) in a large mixing bowl and toss and blend.  Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over all ‘stuff.’  Set aside.

Meanwhile in another large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form.  Scoop about 1/3 into the dry mixture and fold in.  Continue with the remaining meringue.

Use the mini-cupcake tin.  You can coat tin openings with cooking spray or use cupcake holders.  Fill each almost full.  Bake in pre-heated 325 degree oven for about 15-18 minutes.  Cool and serve.  These keep for several days in an airtight container.

©2012  Alice D’Antoni Phillips  Ally’s Kitchen