Oh, yes.
If you know me, you know that for dessert to be dessert, it must have one key ingredient:
CHOCOLATE.
Pie is great. I like cake, for sure. Cookies are delicious. But if given a choice (unless it's Grandma Landin's pie with sugar on top), I will choose the one with chocolate. Every time. Except for when it's Grandma's pie.
That said, these peanut butter cookies have just been elevated from breakfasty-kind-of-cookie to Dessert-Cookie.
The hubby loves oatmeal cookies.
The son loves peanut butter.
I love chocolate.
These cookies are a win.
And? I didn't even tweak the recipe. Not one bit. And I let Joshie stand next to me on chair the whole time and "help" me. The recipe was that easy. It was our rainy day activity. The blah-day remedy. The "fill up a half hour so my son doesn't fall apart because of teething pain" diversion.
What recipe, you ask?
This one. Half brown sugar, half granulated. Butter. Peanut butter. (or "buttah-buttah," as my son calls it) Vanilla. Flour. Baking soda. Salt. Quick oats. CHOCOLATE CHIPS.
I love when a recipe has all simple, everyday ingredients but turns out so deliciously. Mmmm. Nobody ruin my bliss by telling me about empty calories, processed sugar, blah blah blah. I'll go running tomorrow. No, for real. I will. After I eat another cookie.
Go make these! Now. Go.
Showing posts with label dessert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dessert. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Monday, July 23, 2012
oatmeal cookies
Get to know my hubby a little bit, and you'll find out that the guy loves anything oatmeal or bran. Muffins, cookies, breads, cereal - it's a win in his book!
Last winter, he was asking me to make oatmeal cookies, and I diligently searched for a recipe. I had been getting a subscription to Disney's Family Fun magazine - one of those freebies that I didn't sign up for - and the next issue (March 2012) had a recipe for "A Better Oatmeal Cookie." The recipe is by Bill Collins, a personal chef in Massachusetts, whose blog is here. He looks pretty cool, and that's not just because he's a chai tea drinker. (He even has a recipe for chai!) Unlike other oatmeal cookie recipes, this one has such tiny amounts of sugar and fat - it's mostly oatmeal and raisins. I was skeptical, but tried it anyway. Of course, you know that I can't follow a recipe to a "t."
The first time around, I made these with dried cranberries and dried cherries - yum! They come out like granola cookies, not quite so much like a flat, chewy oatmeal cookie. They're delicious, and gone in no time when hubby's home. And, in my opinion, they almost count as a breakfast food or snack.
This time, I had no butter in the house (WHAT?!), so I substituted vegetable oil for the melted butter in the recipe. It might just be the different oven I used, but they came out more moist than last time! Firm on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside.
Another blogger has posted the recipe, but didn't care for it as we do! You have to realize that this is not ye-old-traditional-oatmeal-cookie. Here is the recipe, with my diversions (haha!) beside:
1/2 cup raisins (or dried cherries, dried cranberries, chocolate chips)
1/2 cup sifted flour (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon (heaping)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (oh, darn. that's what I forgot to buy more of at the grocery today.)
1 egg (I used an XL egg this time)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I guessed, using the lid of the vanilla bottle for a measuring spoon)
1/4 cup butter, melted (or vegetable oil)
3 cups quick oats
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with water, allowing them to soak for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to blend evenly.
Set aside three tablespoons of the water from the bowl of raisins, then drain the raisins, discarding the remaining water.
Whisk the egg in a medium bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract, melted butter, and reserved raisin water. (If you're using vegetable oil, measure that in a liquid measuring cup first, then beat the egg right into measuring cup with the oil. I used a fork to "whisk." Add vanilla and water to these nicely whisked liquids.)
Make a well in the flour mixture, then pour in the egg mixture and blend well. Add the oats and raisins. The dough will be lumpy.
With a tablespoon or 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, place portions of the dough on the cookie sheets, flattening the tops slightly. (I used my hands to portion out dough, squeezed it into a suitably cookie-like shape, and then placed on the parchment. Messier, but effective. And fun.)
Bake the cookies one pan at a time (um, I did both at the same time on two different racks), rotating the pan halfway through (I switched and rotated the pans), until they're golden brown (just barely, at the edges!), for about 16 minutes (14 minutes in my older gas oven without an electronic timer). Allow to cook on the cookie sheet for 3-4 minutes (or not), then use a spatula to transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
Eat them all.
I think these would be pretty amazing with, say, slivered almonds mixed in - perhaps 1/4 c. Maybe I'll try that next time. Or - what if I used peanut butter to sub for the butter? Ooh... or Nutella? And what if I added cardamom, and subbed in golden raisins? I think I'll experiment again, soon!
Last winter, he was asking me to make oatmeal cookies, and I diligently searched for a recipe. I had been getting a subscription to Disney's Family Fun magazine - one of those freebies that I didn't sign up for - and the next issue (March 2012) had a recipe for "A Better Oatmeal Cookie." The recipe is by Bill Collins, a personal chef in Massachusetts, whose blog is here. He looks pretty cool, and that's not just because he's a chai tea drinker. (He even has a recipe for chai!) Unlike other oatmeal cookie recipes, this one has such tiny amounts of sugar and fat - it's mostly oatmeal and raisins. I was skeptical, but tried it anyway. Of course, you know that I can't follow a recipe to a "t."
The first time around, I made these with dried cranberries and dried cherries - yum! They come out like granola cookies, not quite so much like a flat, chewy oatmeal cookie. They're delicious, and gone in no time when hubby's home. And, in my opinion, they almost count as a breakfast food or snack.
This time, I had no butter in the house (WHAT?!), so I substituted vegetable oil for the melted butter in the recipe. It might just be the different oven I used, but they came out more moist than last time! Firm on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside.
Another blogger has posted the recipe, but didn't care for it as we do! You have to realize that this is not ye-old-traditional-oatmeal-cookie. Here is the recipe, with my diversions (haha!) beside:
1/2 cup raisins (or dried cherries, dried cranberries, chocolate chips)
1/2 cup sifted flour (I used whole wheat)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon (heaping)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (oh, darn. that's what I forgot to buy more of at the grocery today.)
1 egg (I used an XL egg this time)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I guessed, using the lid of the vanilla bottle for a measuring spoon)
1/4 cup butter, melted (or vegetable oil)
3 cups quick oats
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with water, allowing them to soak for 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to blend evenly.
Set aside three tablespoons of the water from the bowl of raisins, then drain the raisins, discarding the remaining water.
Whisk the egg in a medium bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract, melted butter, and reserved raisin water. (If you're using vegetable oil, measure that in a liquid measuring cup first, then beat the egg right into measuring cup with the oil. I used a fork to "whisk." Add vanilla and water to these nicely whisked liquids.)
Make a well in the flour mixture, then pour in the egg mixture and blend well. Add the oats and raisins. The dough will be lumpy.
With a tablespoon or 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, place portions of the dough on the cookie sheets, flattening the tops slightly. (I used my hands to portion out dough, squeezed it into a suitably cookie-like shape, and then placed on the parchment. Messier, but effective. And fun.)
Bake the cookies one pan at a time (um, I did both at the same time on two different racks), rotating the pan halfway through (I switched and rotated the pans), until they're golden brown (just barely, at the edges!), for about 16 minutes (14 minutes in my older gas oven without an electronic timer). Allow to cook on the cookie sheet for 3-4 minutes (or not), then use a spatula to transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
Eat them all.
I think these would be pretty amazing with, say, slivered almonds mixed in - perhaps 1/4 c. Maybe I'll try that next time. Or - what if I used peanut butter to sub for the butter? Ooh... or Nutella? And what if I added cardamom, and subbed in golden raisins? I think I'll experiment again, soon!
 |
| Why only one cookie in the picture? Because the rest are tightly sealed in a plastic zip-top bag. If I take out more than one, more than one will disappear, if you know what I mean! |
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Strawberry Scones
Last night, I was planning to make biscuits to go along with dinner - ham, potatoes, salad for me, broccoli for hubby, and apple sauce. I pulled out my Betty Crocker cookbook for the recipe, but had sudden inspiration.
Chalk it up to pregnancy: the biscuits had to be sweet. With strawberries. I figured I'd add a couple more tablespoons of sugar, and call it a day. But then, I turned the page to the recipe for scones (page 74, Betty Crocker Cookbook, Bridal Edition). Yes! We'll have scones! For dessert, that is.
I set about making the scones recipe, figuring I probably had everything I needed (nope). So here's the recipe, with my changes in parentheses. You know I have a hard time sticking to a recipe!
1 and 3/4 c. all purpose flour
3 T granulated sugar
2 and 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
I sifted the dry ingredients together with my new vintage sifter, very much like this one. Did I tell you about that? Mom and I found it at a thrift store for a dollar. Sweet.
Anyway, I then had another moment of inspiration and decided to add the following:
1/2 t. cardamom
1/2 t. cinnamon
Betty clearly didn't know that this would make scones taste amazing-er.
Moving on. I then used my pastry blender to cut in the 1/3 c. cold butter, (cut into small pieces). Betty says to stir in the egg, vanilla, and just enough of the heavy cream (or skim milk!) so that the dough leaves the side of the bowl. Here are the quantities she recommends:
1 large egg, beaten (or not... I just cracked it into the mix)
1/2 t. vanilla
4-6 T of heavy whipping cream (um... make that skim milk)
Then, I skipped down to the raspberry variation of scones, and folded in about four large strawberries, cut into rough chunks. It was probably a little more than half a cup of fruit.
Next, Betty says to knead the dough and flatten into an 8" circle. I skipped the kneading and just plopped the whole thing down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I sprinkled sugar on top, cut it into eight pieces without separating the pieces, and in the oven it went! About 20 minutes later, we had delicious, hot, strawberry scones. So good! We had ours with a bit of vanilla ice cream - the hubby approved.
Chalk it up to pregnancy: the biscuits had to be sweet. With strawberries. I figured I'd add a couple more tablespoons of sugar, and call it a day. But then, I turned the page to the recipe for scones (page 74, Betty Crocker Cookbook, Bridal Edition). Yes! We'll have scones! For dessert, that is.
I set about making the scones recipe, figuring I probably had everything I needed (nope). So here's the recipe, with my changes in parentheses. You know I have a hard time sticking to a recipe!
1 and 3/4 c. all purpose flour
3 T granulated sugar
2 and 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
I sifted the dry ingredients together with my new vintage sifter, very much like this one. Did I tell you about that? Mom and I found it at a thrift store for a dollar. Sweet.
Anyway, I then had another moment of inspiration and decided to add the following:
1/2 t. cardamom
1/2 t. cinnamon
Betty clearly didn't know that this would make scones taste amazing-er.
Moving on. I then used my pastry blender to cut in the 1/3 c. cold butter, (cut into small pieces). Betty says to stir in the egg, vanilla, and just enough of the heavy cream (or skim milk!) so that the dough leaves the side of the bowl. Here are the quantities she recommends:
1 large egg, beaten (or not... I just cracked it into the mix)
1/2 t. vanilla
4-6 T of heavy whipping cream (um... make that skim milk)
Then, I skipped down to the raspberry variation of scones, and folded in about four large strawberries, cut into rough chunks. It was probably a little more than half a cup of fruit.
Next, Betty says to knead the dough and flatten into an 8" circle. I skipped the kneading and just plopped the whole thing down on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. I sprinkled sugar on top, cut it into eight pieces without separating the pieces, and in the oven it went! About 20 minutes later, we had delicious, hot, strawberry scones. So good! We had ours with a bit of vanilla ice cream - the hubby approved.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
improvisation: strawberry shortcakes
The other day, when I had made cookies for our little surprise, I had some leftover cookies that didn't get iced. They were in the freezer for a while, and I took them out last week to make (improvised) strawberry shortcakes!
First, I made some cream cheese frosting, following the Betty Crocker recipe. I mixed up just a little bit - about half the recipe - to use up the 4oz of cream cheese I had in the fridge.
Cookies: ready to go. First, I laid out five relatively flat-bottomed cookies, keeping another five to top them later.
Then, I spread a generous layer of cream cheese frosting on each cookie. Mmmm!
Next, I topped each cookie with some strawberry slices - pretty.
I love the way my Pyrex mixing bowls look in the background. Happy.
Next, I iced the underside of each of the reserved cookies...
...and made a cookie sandwich for each of the prepared strawberry cookies.
Then, of course, what would shortcake be without a sprinkling of powdered sugar?
They were delicious! Just the right amount of soft cookie, strawberry juice, and tangy cream cheese. Husband approved. :o)
First, I made some cream cheese frosting, following the Betty Crocker recipe. I mixed up just a little bit - about half the recipe - to use up the 4oz of cream cheese I had in the fridge.
Meanwhile, I defrosted some sliced strawberries from last summer's harvest.
Looking tasty!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Tropical Pineapple Cupcakes
My sister-in-law is here with me, and we made cupcakes! No surprise there...
I referenced a new cookbook from my MIL: "Scrumptious Cupcakes: For the Perfect Indulgence"
2 slices canned pineapple in natural juice
1 T pineapple juice
6 T butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 c. superfine sugar
2/3 c. self-rising flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put paper liners in a muffin tin.
Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice. Finely chop the pineapple slices. Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the egg. Add the flour and fold into the mixture. Fold in the chopped pineapple and pineapple juice. Spoon the batter into the paper liners.
At this point, I also chopped up and added maraschino cherries to the batter in each cup. My batter didn't go as far as the recipe said - I only had enough for 11 smallish cupcakes. Strange?
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until well risen and springy. Cool completely.
The recipe says to use a lemon cream cheese frosting - which sounds delicious - but I had no cream cheese. Instead, I made an orange butter cream!
5 T butter, softened
3-4 T orange juice
3 c. powdered sugar
Mix ingredients...and put on cupcakes!
And then I chopped more pineapple for garnish on the cupcakes! Can't wait to eat them...
I referenced a new cookbook from my MIL: "Scrumptious Cupcakes: For the Perfect Indulgence"
We decided on Tropical Pineapple Cupcakes:
1 T pineapple juice
6 T butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 c. superfine sugar
2/3 c. self-rising flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put paper liners in a muffin tin.
Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice. Finely chop the pineapple slices. Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the egg. Add the flour and fold into the mixture. Fold in the chopped pineapple and pineapple juice. Spoon the batter into the paper liners.
At this point, I also chopped up and added maraschino cherries to the batter in each cup. My batter didn't go as far as the recipe said - I only had enough for 11 smallish cupcakes. Strange?
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until well risen and springy. Cool completely.
The recipe says to use a lemon cream cheese frosting - which sounds delicious - but I had no cream cheese. Instead, I made an orange butter cream!
5 T butter, softened
3-4 T orange juice
3 c. powdered sugar
Mix ingredients...and put on cupcakes!
And then I chopped more pineapple for garnish on the cupcakes! Can't wait to eat them...
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
cocoa crinkle cookies
I can hardly contain the chocolaty deliciousness! My Grandma and Grandpa gave me a Hershey's chocolate cookbook for Christmas, and I've flagged some recipes to try. First on the list: Rich Cocoa Crinkle Cookies. Observe:
Oooh, ahhhh....
I am pretty sure this is a new go-to cookie. It might rank justabove below chocolate chip cookies (mmmm!!!). At any rate, it's a new personal favorite!
Here's the recipe from my new cookbook:
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Hershey's Cocoa (I used Special Dark)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar
1. Combine granulated sugar and oil in large bowl; add cocoa, beating until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to cocoa mixture, beating well.
2. Cover; refrigerate until dough is firm enough to handle; at least 6 hours.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (commentary: 1 inch is decidedly too large, in my book. However....); roll in powdered sugar to coat. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched lightly and tops are crackled. Cool slightly (2 minutes, here). Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
The recipe says it makes about 6 dozen, but I only came up with about 5.5 dozen, and with making the cookies smaller than suggested. I promise I only ateone two. So far, that is.
And how do they taste? A little like brownies! Slightly gooey, crunchy around the edges, so richly chocolate. A total success.
Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa!
I am pretty sure this is a new go-to cookie. It might rank just
Here's the recipe from my new cookbook:
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Hershey's Cocoa (I used Special Dark)
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar
1. Combine granulated sugar and oil in large bowl; add cocoa, beating until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to cocoa mixture, beating well.
2. Cover; refrigerate until dough is firm enough to handle; at least 6 hours.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (commentary: 1 inch is decidedly too large, in my book. However....); roll in powdered sugar to coat. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched lightly and tops are crackled. Cool slightly (2 minutes, here). Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
The recipe says it makes about 6 dozen, but I only came up with about 5.5 dozen, and with making the cookies smaller than suggested. I promise I only ate
And how do they taste? A little like brownies! Slightly gooey, crunchy around the edges, so richly chocolate. A total success.
Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
hazy summer days.
I need to make these! And in other news...
I'm loving the summer weather - being able to hang out with my hubby, enjoy the freedom to rest, and the time to do the crafts/cooking/baking I've been planning!
This past weekend, we took a trip to a beach on Lake Erie. I wasn't expecting much, since it's a lake beach - you know, stones, cold water, not-so-attractive swimming conditions - but it was great! The sand was mostly soft, and there was a bank of smooth pebbles leading into the lake water. It was a lovely 70 degrees outside, with a breeze, and the water was warm! and shallow! It was so wonderful to just relax all day. Peaceful waves, seagulls, colorful umbrellas, my hubby and family right there, a couple magazines...
I picked up some sea glass (pieces of broken glassware, tumbled smooth by the lake), got slightly burned shoulders, and enjoyed my new swimsuit and coverup. Thankful for a joyful time together! Perhaps we'll make another trip soon!
I'm loving the summer weather - being able to hang out with my hubby, enjoy the freedom to rest, and the time to do the crafts/cooking/baking I've been planning!
This past weekend, we took a trip to a beach on Lake Erie. I wasn't expecting much, since it's a lake beach - you know, stones, cold water, not-so-attractive swimming conditions - but it was great! The sand was mostly soft, and there was a bank of smooth pebbles leading into the lake water. It was a lovely 70 degrees outside, with a breeze, and the water was warm! and shallow! It was so wonderful to just relax all day. Peaceful waves, seagulls, colorful umbrellas, my hubby and family right there, a couple magazines...
I picked up some sea glass (pieces of broken glassware, tumbled smooth by the lake), got slightly burned shoulders, and enjoyed my new swimsuit and coverup. Thankful for a joyful time together! Perhaps we'll make another trip soon!
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