Whole Wheat Apple Hermits

I get a big kick out of baking "healthy" cookies. It pleases me to no great end to make a whole grain, fruit or vegetable filled cookie and have my rather picky daughter declare it to be "weally dood!" I like to take a normal recipe and change it up completely. I especially like it when it works out well. Yesterday's creation, the whole wheat apple hermit, was fabulous. This hermit is a moist, spicy cookie studded with soft apple pieces and chewy dried fruit, and is a new house favourite, destined to take up a permanent space in my recipe box. Really, this is more of a fall recipe than a summer recipe, but I don't play by the rules. Plus, it's been cold, wet and windy.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup softened margarine or butter
1 beaten egg
1 cup of packed brown sugar
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 generous tsp of ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped into itty bitty pieces
1 cup of raisins (we use and trust Sunmaid)
1 cup of Craisins (for the love of all that is holy, don't use the icky flavoured ones)

In mixer, cream together margarine, egg and sugar.
In separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, spices and salt.
Add the dry ingredients slowly to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. It will end up looking too dry and you might feel a little panicked. Add the fruits, mix well and place balls of cookie dough about an inch apart onto a greased cookie sheet (we use a silpat lined cookie sheet). Flatten slightly. Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack. Your house will smell like spicy goodness. Enjoy!