trying toddler times: the feeding game #4

The recipe I came up with today isn’t really a cookie as such…. but it’s a cookie shape so I’m going to call it a cookie.  Everybody loves a cookie, right?  Anyway, Misty is becoming rather picky of late – I mean, I don’t blame him, after that nasty bout of gastro last week, no wonder his appetite is a little up and down.

It’s quite textural at the moment for Misty – he’s getting a lot more savvy at expressing what he likes and what he deems unacceptable.  Usually the latter is swiped away with a defiant “NO!” or “YUCK!”  Yeah, he’s so polite this child of mine.  He doesn’t like sticky, he doesn’t like smooshy, he doesn’t like crumbly and he doesn’t like crunchy.  Well, today anyway – tomorrow?  Who knows!

These cookies pack in a bunch of nutritious goodies, while holding together (no crumbling) and are nice and soft.  Perhaps it’s the teething thing, but Misty is not fond of hard morsels at the moment.  My challenge was I  had to use up whatever I had on hand in the pantry, as I have banned myself from going to the store…. yeah the healthy-cheap-skate-fridge-scraper reigns supreme.  This also means Viper gets to enjoy a lentil and chicken curry 3 nights in a row, and I get to have falafel salad wraps for the same duration.  Oh yes, we are on a budget-kick at the moment.  Anyway, these cookies we created vegan-by-default as I have no eggs or butter in my house.  No problem.

Spiced Pumpkin Cookies – for fussy Toddlers

(Vegan, nut, corn, soy, refined sugar free)

• 1/2C pumpkin puree
• 1/2C dessicated coconut
• 1/3C quick oats
• 1 flax “egg” – 1T ground flax seed, 3T water
• 1/4t ground cinnamon
• 1/8t sea salt
• 2T brown rice syrup (or maple syrup/honey/agave)
• 2T tahini
• 1/2C raisins (or any dried fruit)
• 1/2C wholemeal plain flour (whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1/2t vanilla extract (optional)

1. Pre heat oven to 180 degrees C, and prepare a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Whisk together your flax “egg” and set aside for 10 minutes or so to gel.
3. Combine all ingredients with the flax egg – mix well.
4. Wet and and pat golf balls of mixture into cookies shapes – you should get 12, depending on your sizing.  If the mix is too sticky to handle, just pop in the fridge for a few minutes – it should firm up a bit.
5. Bake for 8 minutes, the flip all cookies over, and continue to cook for a further 8 minutes or firm to the touch and slightly golden brown.
6. Cool on a wire rack.
7. Store in the fridge.

As the title suggests, these are a great transportable snack, and could even be a breakfast-on-the-run (or eaten in the car seat as we drop Viper at work).  Snacks that HOLD together and don’t create a huge disgusting mess in my car are always welcome.

I’m not going to suggest these are going to be a hit with every toddler, as we know how fickle these little creatures are.  Speaking of fickle, only a few weeks ago, Misty was enjoying a more traditional-style (crumbly) cookie with gusto – not any more.  Anyway, if you want to check out any more of my “trying toddler” snacks:

Fruity Oat Loaf

Baked Brown Rice Cookies

Picky Toddler Patties

It’s like a little bowl of porridge (oatmeal) in a cookie.  Without the mess and oaty-gloop-covered-hands-hair-and clothes….. success.

Any tips for feeding fussy toddlers?