My husband began to make breakfast on Sunday while I looked out my living room window with my mind in a fog. I felt overwhelmed and anxious when I woke up. I brought my journal and coloured pens to the dining room table and wrote while I sipped coffee. Journaling eased the anxious thoughts. My mental health continued to be crummy all day; pun coincidentally intended to go along with the savoury breakfast cookie recipe that will soon follow.
I was productive on and off throughout the day, like when I scrubbed a little too hard on my living room wall with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and took the paint off. Baking is one of the ways that I practice self-care and I made chocolate chip cookies in the afternoon while my husband and daughter ran errands. I pumped up my bike tires and went for a spin around the neighborhood, the first ride of the spring season.
I spent a good part of the day in a horizontal pose on the couch though and went to bed fairly early. On days that depression really holds me tight, I cannot get out of bed let alone make a batch of chocolate chip cookies and take my bike out for a ride. I am grateful that I have found ways to better manage my mental health. I was aware of what was going on and I did what I could.
Alright, now that we have touched on my crummy mental health day, it’s time to talk about these savoury breakfast cookies, that are actually more like a biscuit. I hope I didn’t get your hopes up about actual cookies for breakfast. These cookies will definitely be made again and packed into my backpack for hiking. I plan to add green goodness like broccoli, spinach, or zucchini to round it out a little more.
When it comes to baking food that is intended to be part of a meal (not ooey-gooey cookies, brownies, or donuts for dessert), we try to keep the ingredients as low-carbohydrate as possible. You will notice that these breakfast cookies are made with coconut flour instead of all-purpose or whole wheat flour. I aim to eat a liberal to moderate amount of carbohydrates in my day to day life.
I came across the recipe for Savoury Breakfast Cookies while looking for food that I can grab from my freezer. These are perishable due to the bacon, cream cheese, and egg but can still make their way out to the trail for a day or weekend hike. These cookies would be perfect for lunch on day one or for breakfast on the second day. Since these are perishable, I would not eat these beyond breakfast on day two of a hike but I am sure some people with iron stomachs who eat pizza that has been sitting on the counter for three days would.
I have watched a number of thru-hiking videos and hikers commonly pack out perishable food for a day or two after being in a trail town. Perishable food is heavier compared to dry food but once it is eaten, the weight is not a concern anymore. Food is a morale booster for me and a little home baked goodness does my soul good.
The key with transporting perishable food from home to the trail is to keep it in the freezer or fridge until you leave, transport in a cooler, and put into your food bag at trail head. Yes, you will need to make sure you’re organized well enough to do this, but when the flavours of a cheese biscuit and a frittata meet your mouth in one savory bite (recipe below!!), you will be glad you took a few extra minutes to plan. A little luxury is always nice!
Savory Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 lb breakfast sausage cooked and crumbled (I am not a fan of breakfast sausage so did not add)
- 6 slices Canadian bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese about 4 oz
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the eggs until smooth. Add the coconut flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder and beat until well combined. Stir in the sausage, Canadian bacon, and cheese. Spoon the mixture into 8 mounds on the lined baking sheet. Using wet hands, press the mounds down to a thickness of about 1 inch. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Let cool on the pan for 15 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week.
**Recipe from Amee’s Savoury Dish https://ameessavorydish.com/savory-breakfast-cookies/
Wild Woman Wisdom 