Infant Cereal Cookies

Cookinari!

As an accomplished eater of solid foods, Jude typically wants to eat things he has to chew these days, so I'm finding myself with a surplus of infant cereal. To avoid any going to waste, I decided to use some science and a general knowledge of baking to take items we had on-hand in the kitchen and transform excess cereal into something he'll actually eat. Here's the final result:

Baby Biscuits:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup baby cereal (any variety)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 10 ounces of ice cold water

*You may sweeten the mixture in a number of ways. I added 2 tablespoons of natural Maple sugar. You could use brown sugar, raw sugar, or even bits of fruit though if you want. It's up to you.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425
2. Mix the flour and the baby cereal together.
3. Add the olive oil, stirring as you do.
4. Stir for a while, the mixture will appear dry -- that's ideal.
5. Stir in ice water gradually, a few ounces at a time until the dough begins to take form and pull away from the bowl.
6. You want it to maintain its shape but not be watery!
7. Roll the dough out to the thickness of a Ritz cracker on a floured surface, you can use your hands if you don't have a rolling pin.
8. Cut dough into the desired shape, I just used an upside-down baby bottle to make them into circles.
9. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
10. Allow them to cool completely and then serve!

I tried one as soon as they came out of the oven, still too hot for baby hands, and have to say they're pretty good. I decided for my second batch to dress them up a bit. I dusted the tops of a few with brown sugar and added rainbow sprinkles to a few others. Fun! I used infant multigrain cereal and infant oatmeal for the original batch. I think I will make a batch of infant wheat and infant rice as well though and leave them unsweetened for serving alongside lunch and dinner.

We know I enjoyed them but the important question is: did the baby? Yes.

Success!