Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting

I used to have really great time management. Apparently it has gone away, or my kids have taken it I'm not sure which one is to blame. Regardless of the cause I can't seem to get things done as quickly or in the same amount of time that I used to. I make lots of plans and 10,000 things seem to sprout up to waylay them. I never used to be late for weddings or funerals. The last wedding my family went to we missed everything except the reception and the last funeral we made it in time to drive to the graveside burial. Granted my youngest was car sick both times and there was road construction that we were stuck in for an hour (we were literally 20 feet from the exit, we could have walked quicker). Still I hate being late, or not getting things done early and the older I get the more things seem to be getting done last minute. However, I have also learned that sometimes last minute strokes of genius aren't so bad. I once made a dragon tail for my son's music performance out of an old towel and some newspaper after I found out all the other mommies had sewed costumes for weeks. My son's tail ended up being a hit and he felt like a superstar. So maybe not all things that happen last minute are so bad.

It's fall and that means one thing, pumpkin recipes. I love pumpkin, in drinks, breads, sweets, you name it. One of my favorite ways to incorporate pumpkin in is cookies. Pumpkin cookies are a great way to celebrate fall and the following recipe for pumpkin cookies has a beyond delicious recipe for a browned butter frosting. The frosting alone is worth making the recipe!

Adapted from Betty Crocker Website.

Pumpkin Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting

Recipe by Foodie in WV

Yield: 30 Cookies

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup pumpkin
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose or bread flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons whole milk or heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter

Cooking Directions

1. With a mixer combine sugars, 3/4 cup unsalted butter, and vanilla.
2. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
3. Add in pumpkin and eggs.
4. In another bowl combine flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.
5. Add to ingredients in mixing bowl and beat on low speed for 1-2 minutes.
6. Roll into one tablespoon balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven.
8. In a saucepan melt 1/3 cup unsalted butter oven medium heat.
9. Stirring constantly cook butter until it turns light brown.
10. Take butter off stove and add to mixing bowl along with powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.
11. In mixer beat on low speed for 2 minutes until combined.
12. Add more milk if needed.
13. When cookies have cooled, frost with browned butter frosting.

Tips: 

• If you don't have ginger, cloves, and cinnamon, 1-1 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice would also work well in this recipe. 
• Make sure to constantly stir the butter while waiting for it to brown in order that it doesn't burn. Browned butter can go quickly from browned to burnt, so make sure to not leave it unattended. 
• If you don't have parchment paper a greased or foil lined baking sheet would also do. I prefer parchment paper since it allows for even baking of cookies and other baked goods. It really does make a difference. 

Oat and Nutella Cookies

Gluten Free Oat and Nutella Cookies

I am jealous of adorable well behaved kids. My house seems to play by another set of rules, or at least my two boys seem to think it does. While I love my kids to no end, they can be the kids that other parents dread. You know the kids, the ones that fight at the store, touch everything they see, talk non-stop (really I don't think they breath in-between sentences), and think that having a MMA fight in the middle of the store is something that should happen. I have those kids. They are adorable, but since they travel in a pack it's like trying to tame wild hyenas. Then every once in a  while I run into another parent with multiple boys, and we share a moment. In a glance, a smile, or a joke we have instantly bonded over having all boys. The world seems a little less crazy, and then I realize my boys are currently on the floor trying to tackle each other. My word realigns back to normal and I realize I don't have perfect kids, but I love them just the same. Hopefully they will one day turn into the adorable well behaved kids that other parents seem to have, in the meantime they are still my off center version of perfect and that's just fine with me.

I have a slight Nutella obsession. I can't keep full jars in the house or I will eat them (normally with a spoon straight out of the jar - is there any other way..). So in order to avoid my waistline from becoming non-existent I only buy Nutella for recipes or as a very seldom treat. My Nutella obsession happens to work perfectly with my cookies obsession, they are a match made in heaven. Today I tried a new recipe for Oat and Nutella Cookies from the May 2014 issue of Food and Wine Magazine. Here is the recipe with changes.

Adapted from Food and Wine Magazine. 

Oat and Nutella Cookies

Recipe Type: Dessert

Summary:

A delicious combination of Nutella and oats that makes for a great snack or dessert.

Cooking Time: 0h, 10m

Total Time: 1h, 0m

Yield: 60 Cookies

Oat and Nutella Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 13 ounces Nutella (one jar)
• 2 cups quick cook oats

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl and mix.
3. Using a mixer, cream the shortening and sugars until creamy (2-3 minutes on medium).
4. Add the eggs one a time and then add Nutella.
5. Beat the mixture until smooth (another 1-2 minutes on medium).
6. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Roll the cookies into balls (1 tablespoon for each ball).
8. Place the cookies on the baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes. Do not over bake these cookies. They should be just barely set, if you bake them too long they will be way too crunchy. 

The original recipe has a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. I made the cookies as written in the magazine and I found that the cinnamon flavor was a little much. Now, that may just be my tastes, if you love cinnamon go for it. My husband thought that the cinnamon was the best part of the cookie, so you might love the cinnamon like he did. I also reduced the amount of salt. I found a full teaspoon to be too much for my tastes, so I reduced it to 3/4 of a teaspoon. However, I under salt everything so I'm a little strange. If you aren't a fan of vegetable shortening I would assume that coconut oil (you might need to reduce the total amount), butter, or another fat would work just as well. The version I made I used gluten free all purpose flour that had xanthan gum already added. If you use another type of gluten free flour I would suggest adding xanthan gum to the mixture (about a tablespoon).

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

So I am becoming somewhat of a hypocrite. When I started this blog I had a lot of idealism and firm rules in place on recipes. While I still believe in many of the ideas, I also have realized that some of my opinions have changed. The biggest change in my opinions is in regard to the use of recipes. I was pretty firm on my stance that I would never re-print a recipe from another site. While I still don't believe in re-printing recipes verbatim, I have softened my opinions on adaptations. That's part of the reason I took a couple of weeks off from blogging, I needed a break to decide what I wanted to do going forward on the blog. I have decided that I will begin to print recipes on my site with clear links to the original recipe and clearly adapted steps and directions. A lot has changed in the last three years since I started this blog and I have realized that I am constantly in a state of change myself. I hope that none of my readers will think badly of my decisions and continue to read my blog.

Now that I got through with the heavy stuff, on to the recipe. My kids are both home for the summer and have been eating me thru house and home. We are all big sweet eaters in my household so I am always trying new recipes for cookies and baked goods. Chocolate has always been my personal weakness, I can't get enough of the stuff. One of my favorite recipes is for No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, they are so good! The recipe is as follows.

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Cooking Directions

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a sauce pan.
2. Bring to a boil and rapid boil for two minutes. In order for the cookies to completely set you must allow the cookies to boil for two minutes. If they aren't boiled long enough the cookies will stay soft.
3. Take mixture off heat and quickly add oats, peanut butter, and vanilla.
4. Drop cookies onto wax paper (I normally make my cookies about 1-2 tablespoons each, but the size is really up to you) and let cool. If your cookies don't completely set place the cookies in the refrigerator until firm.

My kids really love this recipe. Every time I make them they only last a couple of hours. They also freeze well in-between sheets of wax paper and placed in a freezer bag. Since there is no flour in the cookies it's a nice gluten free option that doesn't use a gluten free all-purpose flour mix (just make sure your oats are gluten free). 

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten Free/Reduce Sugar Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Cookies 

My husband and I don't exchange Christmas gifts. That's right, none whatsoever. We do give lots of gifts to our kids and parents etc., but we decided a long time ago that neither one of is into giving each other gifts on Christmas. Instead we give gifts throughout the year. My husband will see a new red wine at the store and bring me a bottle home as a surprise. Our television will break and he will find a great sale and buy one for out living room. One year when we were first married I spend months collecting all the figures for a series of Gothic novels that he was collecting. It wasn't a birthday or Christmas, it was a just because gift. To add to the Christmas gift weirdness I also hate jewelry. While most women would be elated if they received diamonds, I would take them back. I hate diamonds, my husband had to convince me to wear a wedding and engagement ring, I can't stand them. My ideal piece of jewelry is a single strand of real pearls with a little black dress, timeless, beautiful and perfect. I also love kitchen utensils, exercise gear and power tools. My husband and I are perfect for each other because I don't think I would get along in any other marriage. He gets me, I get him and we enjoy being unusual together.

As most of you know I have a huge sweet tooth. I love pretty much anything with sugar and hate most salty snacks (which is funny since all three males in my house could eat salt right out of the shaker). I try to reduce the overall amount of sugar and fat in my family's diet, especially around the holidays since we tend to eat more treats than the rest of the year. Last week I tried a new recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies made with Greek yogurt.

Confederate Memorial Spring Hill Cemetery Huntington, WV

I made a few modifications to the original recipe. First, I eat gluten free so I tried the cookies both as written and then a batch that I made with coconut flour. Honestly, the coconut flour cookies almost turned out better, my boys loved them. Second, I made one batch with the full amount of sugar and the second batch with half sugar and half sugar substitute. They baked up the same as the full sugar version and it was nice having a lower fat/lower sugar cookie to snack on with my coffee in the afternoon. The gluten free version took a little longer to brown, which is normal with gluten free baking.

Albert Jenkins Grave Spring Hill Cemetery Huntington, WV

These cookies turned out really tasty. I love that they have Greek yogurt which reduces the total amount of fat and adds protein. They worked perfectly being made gluten free and reduced sugar, which is nice since I have dietary restrictions (Celiac Disease). I would definitely make this cookies again in the future!

For the recipe go to Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe Type: Dessert

Summary:

A recipe for chocolate chip cookies using Greek yogurt (no butter or oil). Light, fluffy and can be made gluten free!

Preparation Time: 0h, 5m

Cooking Time: 0h, 10m

Total Time: 0h, 15m

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies

My husband hates cake and most sweets. I love any type of chocolate, and have eaten an entire cake by myself on more than one occasion. He likes salt, I can barely stand it in most dishes. We are opposites snack and food wise. When we got married he could care less about the cake. He nodded his head and pretended to be listening, but in the end I chose everything myself. He did have a ton of opinions on the meat try at the buffet at our reception, I could have cared less. Sometimes I have to laugh at how different our food tastes our. When we went to Columbus for a job interview when we were in our mid twenties we went to a restaurant. I ordered mini beer battered corn dogs, he ordered a sashimi lettuce wrap plate. The waitress gave me his and him mine. Nope, I love fried fattening foods and he likes salad. He likes savory, I like sweet. One of my husband's new favorite flavors is salted caramel. He has found caramel sauce, ice cream, candy, you name it, if it comes in a salted caramel flavor he will eat it. So to indulge my family's love of salted caramel I decided to use the last of the packaged caramels I had from my sponsored parties a couple of weeks back and make Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies.

Ruben Pizza from Backyard Pizza Huntington, WV

This recipe has 13 ingredients. It takes 45 minutes of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 16 cookie bars. I did make numerous changes to the original recipe. First I used 2 1/4 cups of flour. I have never owned a 1/8 cup measure and didn't want to deal with a half of a 1/4. Most of the time I weigh my cookie ingredients, I did not for this recipe. I did not use heavy cream with the caramels. Instead I used 2 percent milk. I rarely have cream in the house and see no reason to buy a container for only 3 tablespoons. I heated the baking caramels and milk on the stove until they were fully melted and then followed the remainder of the recipe. When the cookies were done I let them cool for 30 minutes, then for an hour in the fridge. They were still hard to work with so I cut them, took them out of the pan and placed them in the freezer. This allowed the bars to be less gooey.

Last Heirloom Tomato of the Season (It freezes tomorrow night!)

I would make a few changes to this recipe. First, do not make it in a 9 inch pan. The cookies came out too high and had to be cut very small so the taste wasn't over whelming. I would suggest using a 13 by 9 inch pan. This way the cookies would be nice and thin, while still having the great salted caramel taste. I would also suggest that if you use baking caramel like I did to let them set in the freezer, the cookies were great after they had set in the freezer for about an hour. Overall, these cookies had a nice sweet/salty combination according to my kids and husband. I think with the few changes I suggested the cookies would be perfect and nice for a party since salted caramel is very in in the foodie community right now. Great for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

For the recipe go to Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies

Recipe Type: Dessert

Summary:

A nice combination of salty and sweet, these Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies would be perfect for a party or to enjoy all by yourself!

Preparation Time: 0h, 15m

Cooking Time: 0h, 30m

Total Time: 0h, 45m

Yield: Serves 16

Toffee Peanut Butter Cookies

Toffee Peanut Butter Cookies

My oldest survived his first day of 2nd grade. I was worried how my youngest would do with not going to school until next year, but he was a trooper. His biggest complaint was waking up at 7 am this morning. I really don't blame him, it takes a couple of weeks for everyone in the house to re-adjust to a school schedule. It was nice to be able to sit down with a cup of coffee this morning while my youngest was playing in his bedroom. I could feel the stress of the summer melting off of me. Don't get me wrong there will be lots of homework, school events, sports etc this school year. However, there will also be the school hours where I only have one child. With two boys all I have heard this summer has been lots of noise. I had no idea how much noise a 4 and 7 year old boy can possibly make while in the same house for two months. Mommy needed a break. After my cup of coffee I spent the rest of the day cleaning up after summer. Every year after school starts I spend a day going through the house and taking things to donate. I ended up with two bags of old toys from my boy's room so I made decent progress and my house stayed nice and quiet until the bus came. To celebrate the start of the school year, I did a little baking. Today I tried a new recipe for Toffee Peanut Butter Cookies from the Hershey's website.

Owingsville, Kentucky

This recipe has10 ingredients. It takes 25 minutes of total time, 15 minutes is which is active and makes 36 cookies. I made a number of significant changes to the original recipe. First, I changed the all-purpose flour to gluten free flour. I found that I had to add slightly more gluten free flour in order for the dough to come together and not be too thin and spread during baking. I only had a half of a bag of toffee chips left, so I added the entire amount into the dough instead of following the procedure in the recipe. It made the texture of the cookie more what I was desired.

Downtown Owingsville, Kentucky

Gluten free baking can be hit or miss, but these cookies turned out well. I made a batch with regular flour also and according to my kids they were great. I slightly increased the baking time since they didn't appear fully browned at 8 minutes. This recipe would also be delicious with a combination of the toffee chips and dark chocolate chips. I love anything with dark chocolate.

For the recipe go to Toffee Peanut Butter Cookies.

Toffee Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe Type: Dessert

Summary:

A recipe for peanut butter cookies with toffee chips. Take only 8 minutes to bake.

Preparation Time: 0h, 15m

Cooking Time: 0h, 8m

Total Time: 0h, 25m

Yield: 36 cookies

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

After two and half years of blogging I decided that I needed to get over my fear of having myself photographed. I have never liked photos. I inherited my dad's rather large nose (thanks dad!) that in photographs looks horribly large. I have become great over the years in making sure I am looking down or having my hair cover most of my face. However, as my boys have gotten older I have realized a number of things. I lost both my mother and grandmother to cancer. Once someone is gone all that you are left with are the memories you have stored and photographs. I don't want my kids to remember me without a photograph to remember my face. I want them to be able to show their grand children what I looked like and take pride in where they came from. So I've come out from behind the camera. I promise this was not an easy decision, I still cringe at my photos, but I am slowly getting better. Now that you know my face, on to the recipe. This week my two boys have been in day camp at the library so I have been baking a number of snacks for when they come home in the afternoon. Yesterday I tried a new recipe for Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

This recipe has 9 ingredients. It takes 20 minutes of total time, 10 minutes of which is active and makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies. I only made a few changes to the original recipe. First, I doubled the amount of white chocolate chips. My two boys are big chocolate chip fans and since they were eating these as treats I increased the amount. The dough was hard to work with when first combined so I set the bowl in the fridge for a 1/2 hour. After it had cooled I formed the dough into balls and flattened them slightly before adding to the baking sheet.

These cookies are a little more adult oriented. My husband liked that they weren't overly sweet, but my two boys weren't fans of the brown sugar. The cookies do have less sugar than most cookie recipes, which was a bonus to me, but a downside for my kids. My husband would rather not of had the dried cranberries, he would have preferred dried cherries instead. This is a recipe that could easily be modified to include other dried fruits or chocolate chip flavors.

For the recipe go to Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Craving Cookies and Ran Out of Eggs? Try Eggless Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Gluten Free Eggless Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I canned a batch of cherry jam this evening. There is something about making homemade jam that always puts me in a great mood. It is comforting and reminds me of my childhood. One of the main reasons I love to cook and bake is that it makes me feel connected to my mother. Even though she has been gone for over 7 years, I am instantly reminded of her when I am in the kitchen. She loved cooking and was one of the best cooks that I have known. Never needing to measure, she made delicious meals and was always happy while doing it. So as I made jam this evening, I thought of her and smiled. She would have loved to be standing next to me, talking up a storm and enjoying every minute of it. One of the first things that my mother taught me to make growing up was cookies. To this day I haven't met very many cookies that I don't like. Last week I tried a new recipe for Eggless Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

This recipe has 11 ingredients. It takes 46 minutes of total time, 10 minutes of which is active and makes 36 cookies. I did make a few changes to the original recipe. First I used brown rice flour instead of all-purpose. I was out of chocolate chips so I omitted them and increased the amount of raisins. Be sure to watch the cookies in the oven. They will go from under done to done in a short amount of time. Make sure to not move the cookies until they are cool or they will fall apart.

Once these cookies cool they come out slightly crunchy, with a nice taste. My two boys didn't notice that they were missing egg and the butter did a nice job of masking any taste differences. I am always running out of eggs halfway through the week thanks to my kids eating everything in sight and this recipe is a nice way to still be able to bake even if I have no eggs in the fridge. Plus the recipe could be modified to include white chocolate chips, dried cranberries, pecans or the add-in of your choosing.

For the recipe go to Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

My treadmill has sat lonely for the last month. Between strep throat and a stomach bug I was sick for almost 4 weeks. Not fun and it has thrown off my normal eating and exercising schedule. I am a creature of habit, when I don't eat well and get in my hour of treadmill everyday I get tired. Not just a little tired, but exhausted by the middle of the afternoon. When I eat a balanced diet and do my walking I feel energized and great. That's not to say I don't love an occasional treat. I have a definite sweet tooth and believe in using moderation. Since I eat gluten free I am always looking for ways I can have a treat and use gluten free flours. Last week I tried a new recipe for Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from Allrecipes.com.

This recipe has 10 ingredients. It takes 1 hour of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 4 dozen cookies. I did make a few changes to the original recipe. First since I eat gluten free I substituted rice flour for the all-purpose flour. I have started buying a superfine brown rice flour that I love. It isn't gritty at all and I was able to fine a great deal on it making it affordable. Chocolate peanut butter was on sale at my local grocery store so I had a number of jars in my cupboard. I substituted the chocolate peanut butter for the regular peanut butter used in the recipe. Finally, I used an extra cup of oats since my family likes lots of oatmeal in their oatmeal cookies and I made my cookies larger than the recipe suggested. My baking time increased by a couple of minutes per batch and I ended up with a total of 2 dozen cookies.

My husband and two boys aren't big fans of gluten free baking. However, they really liked these cookies even though they were gluten free. The combination of the chocolate peanut butter and oatmeal was delicious and I liked that they were baked unlike one of my husband's favorite recipes which is similar, but made as no-bakes. Overall, a great recipe that converted well to being made gluten free.

For the recipe go to Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.

Recipe for Cocoa Brownies

Gluten Free Cocoa Brownies

I have a slight chocolate addiction. While other people grab for salty snacks I am the one eating a dark chocolate bar. I seem to have passed on the tradition to my two boys who make a bee line to the chocolate bars at whatever store we go to. Since chocolate is my vice I try to limit my chocolate intake to dark chocolate bars and the occasional homemade treat. I love baking at home since I can control the ingredients and I know exactly what goes into every recipe. My kids have been so spoiled that my oldest runs in the door most days asking what I made for his after school snack. One of my favorite chocolate desserts is brownies. Last week I tried a new recipe for Gluten Free Cocoa Brownies from the Food Network.

This recipe has 10 ingredients. It takes one hour of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 16 servings. I did make a number of changes to the original recipe. First I used a combination of regular and dark cocoa. I love using dark cocoa in baking it gives recipes a nice slightly less sweet flavor. Since I eat gluten free I used brown rice flour in place of the all-purpose flour. Any type of gluten free flour would probably work, so if you prefer sorghum, white rice flour etc. it should come out similarly. Instead of baking the brownies in a 8 inch pan I used a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish. There was way too much batter for a smaller pan and using the larger size was perfect. Since my pan was larger my baking time was increased by approximately 5-10 minutes.

My family doesn't love most gluten free treats. Oftentimes they turn out dry or too moist. These brownies turned out great and my whole family loved them. I like that the recipe would work well with or without gluten which is nice. The actual texture of the brownies is a nice cross between a fudgy and cake brownie, not overly moist, but not too flaky. I would definitely make this recipe again.

For the recipe go to Cocoa Brownies.

Peanut Butter, Dried Cranberry and Chocolate Chip Cookies

When dark chocolate first started becoming popular I hated it. There was something about the taste that I thought was bitter and I just could never eat more than one bite. I did love milk chocolate and I had a sweet spot for 5th Avenue candy bars. To this day there is something about that candy bar that makes me happy. After getting married and having kids I decided that I should give dark chocolate another try. I fell in love. Now I prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate and the darker the chocolate the better. I have even been known to eat parts of the bittersweet baking bars that I buy to make cakes and cookies. I think a large part of it has to do with getting older. The older I get the more I notice that my tastes for certain foods has changed as well. Foods that I used to cringe at in my 20's I now love in my 30's and the foods that I thought I would never stop loving I barely touch. What hasn't changed is my sweet tooth. I still love to bake and do so at least once a week. This weekend I tried a new recipe for Peanutty Fruit and Chocolate Chip Cookies from the February 2013 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

This recipe has 12 ingredients. It takes a total of 1 hour 41 minutes, 35 minutes of which is active and makes 45 cookies. I did make a number of changes to the original recipe. First instead of all-purpose flour I used brown rice flour. Second I substituted honey for the granulated sugar and sorghum syrup for the light brown sugar. Finally, I had just bought powdered peanut butter at the store so I used it instead of the 1/2 cup of regular peanut butter. The first time I made these cookies they came out of the oven and would not set. This can happen with gluten free baking, it is a lot of trail and error. So I crumbled the cookies, added an egg and rolled them into cookies again. I put them back into the oven for approximately 10 minutes per batch.

Even after all the changes these cookies turned out very well. The combination of the chopped chocolate and the dried cranberries was delicious and the cookies only lasted a matter of hours. These cookies could also be modified to use other dried fruit such as cherries or a darker chocolate such as bittersweet. I think an even darker chocolate and dried cherries would make this recipe even better.

For the recipe go to Peanutty Fruit and Chocolate Chip Cookies. (registration required)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I have a major sweet tooth. Over the years I have tried numerous times to give up sugar without much success. Now in my mid thirties I have resigned myself to the fact that while I hate salt I love sugar. Potato chips and salted treats do nothing for me. I literally could sit with salty snacks in my cupboard for months. Sweet treats on the other hand call my name. I love them. Since I know that sweet treats are a serious temptation for me I have learned over the years that denying myself only makes matters worse. To stay thin I allow myself treats ever week in moderation. Denying myself completely just makes me want to eat the entire cake instead of a small piece. As I age closer to 40 I have also discovered that it takes a lot more work to stay thin so I have modified my diet to try to include as many natural foods as possible. In the last month I have tried to start swapping out granulated sugar for honey and molasses. The flavor is still there, but I can reduce the overall amount of sugar needed and it doesn't cause me the same amount of sugar highs. Yesterday I tried  a new recipe for Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies from the January 2013 issue of Family Circle magazine.

This recipe has 12 ingredients. It takes 28 minutes of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 28 cookies. I did make a number of modifications to this recipe. First instead of using 1/2 cup of butter I substituted 1/2 cup of canola oil. I am trying to reduce the amount of butter that I am baking with and this was an easy substitution. Secondly, instead of the 1/2 cups of granulated sugar I used 1/2 cup of honey. For the 3/4 cup of brown sugar I used slightly less than a 1/2 cup of molasses, so between the honey and molasses I had approximately a cup of liquid. Since I increased the amount of liquid by using honey and molasses I added an additional 1/4 cups of brown rice flour. I eat gluten free so I omitted the all-purpose flour and used equal amounts brown rice flour instead. My baking time was slightly longer than the recipe since I made substitutions, approximately 5 minutes per batch.

For gluten free cookies these rose very well. Oftentimes gluten free desserts end up flat, but these did a great job of baking up. My husband actually thought they were a little too cakey, but my two boys and I liked the texture. I liked the peanut butter, but I wasn't a big fan of the chopped peanuts. I think if I made the recipe again I would leave them out as an ingredient.

For the recipe go to PB Chocolate Chunk Cookies.  (registration required)

Delicious Vegan Oatmeal Dried Cherry Cookies

I love cookies. There have been very few cookies that I have ever eaten that I haven't had more than one. Cookies just cry out to be eaten by me. However, as I have gotten older I have began to understand that my metabolism isn't what it used to be. I also have made efforts to eat as healthy as I can to prevent the health problems that my mother and grandmother had. In order to still be able to eat cookies, while thinking of my health I have learned ways to modify recipes. One great way to reduce the bad fats is to replace butter with olive or canola oil. I also replace granulated sugar with honey, molasses, sorghum or agave. It is a great way to increase the healthy qualities in baked goods. Today I tried a new recipe for Vegan Oatmeal Dried Cherry Cookies that I received in a pamphlet in the mail.

This recipe has 10 ingredients. It takes 15 minutes of total time, 5 minutes of which is active and makes 25 cookies. I made significant changes to this recipe. First instead of using granulated sugar I used sorghum. Additionally since I eat gluten free I replaced the whole wheat flour with brown rice flour. I didn't have chocolate chips in my pantry so I used dried cherries instead. Finally, I found my baking time to be much longer than the ten minutes suggested by the recipe. I would suggest adding an additional 5 minutes to fully brown. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I wasn't sure what my kids would think of gluten free vegan cookies. They loved them though and ate almost the entire batch by themselves. My husband was an even bigger surprise since he loved the cookies almost as much as my kids. These cookies were definitely popular in my house and I love that they are made without granulated sugar and use canola oil instead of butter. This is a recipe that I will make again and try new options, dried cranberries, white chocolate chips etc.

For the recipe go to Chewy Oatmeal Cookies.

Lemon Thins

As most of you know I have a major snacking habit. The thought of eating only three meals a day puts me into a panic. I need my snacks and bake almost everyday. However, I am also realistic about my snacking and try to make sure that I have a balance between healthy and indulgent. If I make a batch of brownies one day the rest of the snacks that I prepare for the week are nuts and healthy granola bars. I believe food and health in general is all about balance. I have a tread mill that I use for an hour each day. This hour of exercise makes it possible for me to sit and watch my favorite TV shows in the evening and enjoy the time just sitting and relaxing. Cookies are one of my favorite snacks. I could literally eat cookies for every meal, they are delicious. Since I love cookies so much I try to make cookies occasionally that are lower in fat and calories. Yesterday I tried a new recipe for Lemon Thins from the February 2013 issue of Eating Well magazine.

This recipe has 11 ingredients. It takes 45 minutes of total time, 30 minutes of which is active and makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies. I made a few changes to the recipe. First since I eat gluten free I used gluten free all-purpose flour instead of wheat flour. I also found that you need to make sure that the cookies are completely flat. If you don't roll out the cookies very thin they will not taste good. I actually used the side of the cup to roll the cookies after rolling the cup in granulated sugar. This method worked very well and I would recommend it. Additionally I allowed my cookies to bake for the full ten minutes to fully brown. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

With only 60 calories and 2 grams of fat this cookie is a snack that is healthier than many other cookie recipes. Plus they were a nice snack with a cup of coffee as a morning pick-me-up. The taste was not overly lemony, which was nice. I would say that they were a little dry. To me they tasted like they needed more fat. This could be partly due to the fact that I made them gluten free. Either way I would suggest increasing the amount of butter or using all butter instead of canola oil, which would be higher in saturated fat, but would vastly improve the texture and taste. The batter definitely needs more liquid, either with lemon juice or an increase in butter.

For the recipe go to Lemon Thins.

Soft Oatmeal Cookies

Today was my grocery shopping day. Once a week I spend a couple of hours at the store without my husband and children grocery shopping. While it might sound boring to some, I cherish the small amount of me time. Since I stay at home with my youngest all day I have very little time to myself. So on Saturdays I walk down every aisle of the grocery store and slowly look at everything in the whole store. It is also a great way to save money. Since I'm not in a hurry I don't buy unnecessary items and I have the time to spot great deal like today when my grocery store paid me 5 dollars thanks to clearance finds and coupons. I try to remember my peace of mind during this time when my four-year-old has temper tantrums or draws all over the walls the rest of the week. Baking from scratch is another great way to save money. I try to bake as many things from scratch as I can, especially since I have to eat gluten free now. Last week I tried a new recipe for Oatmeal Cookies from Allrecipes.com.

This recipe has 10 ingredients. It takes 2 hours of total time (including chilling), 15 minutes of which is active and makes 2 dozen cookies. I did make a few modifications to the recipe. First since I eat gluten free I used gluten free all-purpose flour. There are a number of brands of gluten free flour, my favorite uses coconut flour as a base or I make my own using a blend of sorghum and brown rice flours. Make sure to let the dough chill. I have made this recipe a number of times and experimented with how long to let the dough chill. Without the chilling time the cookies are a mess to roll into balls and place on the cookie sheet. I have also tried making them flat with a fork like the recipe states or skipping this step. If you want soft cookies don't flatten them with a fork. If you want crunchy oatmeal cookies than you have to flatten them. Plus the sugar gives them a nice added sweet crunchiness. Finally make sure to let the cookies cool before moving them from the baking sheet. They have a tendency to fall apart if they are moved while still warm. My baking time was also slightly longer than the recipe, approximately 3-5 minutes. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

These cookies were very popular in my house. My boys will eat just about any type of cookie and this recipe as no exception. The cookies came out thin and crunchy, which is the type of oatmeal cookie that I prefer. My husband thought that they were very good, especially since they were gluten free. This recipe would also be delicious with chocolate chips, I would go with bittersweet since the cookies are already so sweet and reduce the amount of total sugar by 1/2 cup.

For the recipe go to Soft Oatmeal Cookies.

Salty Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Growing-up baking was something I loved doing. My mother was a great cook, but her baking skills were hit or miss. Case in point the first time I brought my husband back to Seattle to visit my mother was hosting a Christmas Eve party. She insisted that I should add an entire bag of raspberry flavored chocolate chips to the delicious brownies I was preparing. I was skeptical and said so, but my mother won out. They were terrible. The whole night I spend hovering over the desserts explaining that I had made everything, except the decision to put raspberry chips in the brownies. I look back at this story now that my mother has passed and laugh. She was a great mom in many ways, but not a great baker. Luckily I taught myself to bake when I was very young by trying every recipe in my mom's old cookbooks until they came out right. There were many cookie misses that had to be thrown out, but eventually I learned to cook everything in all the cookbooks. In college I made cookie platters until the early morning hours for co-workers, friends and families on their birthdays. How I found time for it still amazes me. My sweet tooth has stayed with me through the years, even though many other things have changed. This weekend I was in a baking mood so I decided to make gluten free cookies. I tried a new recipe for Salty Chocolate Chunk Cookies from the January 2013 issue of Bon Appetit magazine.

This recipe has 13 ingredients. It takes 30 minutes of total time, 18 minutes of which is active and makes 24 cookies. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store. Since I eat gluten free I substituted gluten free flour for the all-purpose flour used in the recipe. Additionally for the chocolate I used an 8 oz bittersweet baking bar. I found that since I made these cookies gluten free they took slightly longer to cook than the recipe suggested. They also spread out thinner, which is normal for gluten free baking. Make sure to bake the cookies on parchment paper. It really does make a difference on how evenly the cookies bake and makes it much easier to release the cookies from the pan. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I really liked the combination of salty and sweet in this recipe. My husband and I were both skeptical of how the salt would taste with the chocolate, but were pleasantly surprised by how delicious the cookies turned out. Since I made my cookies gluten free they were thinner and flatter than they would be with wheat flour. Either way they would be delicious.

For the recipe go to Salty Chocolate Chunk Cookies.

Flourless Chocolate-Coconut Drops

I love chocolate. Not just a little bit, but I literally eat a dark chocolate candy bar every weekend when I go grocery shopping. Since I have such a large sweet tooth I also workout on the treadmill for an hour a day and rarely sit down until the evening rolls around. I don't believe in denying myself the foods that I love, but instead I eat everything in moderation and make reasonable substitutions when available. It helps that I also am now gluten free so I snack a great deal less. The pre-packaged gluten free options are very expensive and honestly most of them are not delicious. I would love to say that I am always motivated to cook and bake from scratch, but I am human and oftentimes lack the desire to go in the kitchen and make myself something to eat. I try to stick with recipes that are easy to make and take little prep and cooking time. Last week I tried a new recipe for Flourless Chocolate-Coconut Drops from Everyday Food magazine, which looked like an incredibly easy gluten free snack recipe.

This recipe has 7 ingredients. It takes 30 minutes of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 2 dozen cookies. For whatever reason every store in my area is currently out or no longer stocks dutch process cocoa powder. Due to this fact I used regular cocoa powder. I had no problems finding any of the other ingredients and made no substitutions. It took a bit of mixing to combine the ingredients and my cookies came out perfect so don't worry if you have to stir numerous times to ensure that all the cookies are fully mixed. Finally, watch the cookies in the oven. Mine took exactly 15 minutes to bake and would have burned left in any longer. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

These cookies turned out delicious. I like that they don't use flour so they are gluten free without having any aftertaste from using gluten free flour. The texture is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside which is both adult and kid friendly. These cookies would be great for a holiday cookie plate for a friend or family member eating gluten free while still yummy enough to serve at a party for all types of guests.

For the recipe go to Flourless Chocolate-Coconut Drops.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Cookies

 If you've been reading my blog recently you may have noticed that I have given up eating gluten. I was having horrible stomach problems and with a family history of gluten intolerance it was the most likely culprit. So I stopped eating gluten and within a week felt much, much better. The only problem is that I love baked goods. The thought of giving up baked goods troubled me more than just a slight amount. So I decided to try my hand at making gluten-free baked goods. I tried a few recipes that turned out less than great. They either did not rise or the taste felt like it was missing something. So I kept looking and trying. Finally, I found some recipes that worked great and tasted just as good as their gluten counterparts. Last week I tried a new recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Cookies from Food and Wine magazine, which with four ingredients looked very easy and great for gluten-free snacks.

This recipe has 4 ingredients. It takes 1 hour of total time, 15 minutes of which is active and makes 12 cookies. I had no problems finding any of the ingredients at my local grocery store and made no ingredient modifications. If you are gluten-free like I am make sure to check your labels on both the granola and peanut butter to ensure that they are in fact gluten-free. These cookies were done in exactly 15 minutes, so be careful to not let them burn. I rotated the baking sheet halfway through the time to ensure even cooking. These cookies are very crumbly when they are first taken out of the oven. Do not move them off the baking sheet until they have cooled slightly or they will fall apart. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

I love how easy these cookies are to make. With only 4 ingredients they go together very easily and only take minutes to prepare. My kids absolutely loved these and I ended up having to make another batch since they were gone so quickly. Using peanut butter makes the cookies easy to make and have a delicious flavor. Great for an after school snack!

For the recipe go to Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Cookies.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a soft spot for cookies. When I was little my mom didn't buy junk food. She baked and cooked all the time, but when we went to the grocery store the packages of cookies stayed on the shelf. So when I went to friends houses for slumber parties, I would eat whole packages of cookies. Then I would stay up all night from all the sugar, but it was well worth it. In college they sold cookies almost the size of my head in the student center and I bought them almost everyday. What I wouldn't do to still have that metabolism. My two kids are also little cookie monsters. They have been known to eat 2 dozen cookies in one afternoon. Since cookies aren't the best food for you, I love finding recipes that make cookies a little healthier. A couple of months back I made a new recipe for Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies from Betty Crocker, which looked delicious and a healthier version of a family favorite.

This recipe has 9 ingredients. It takes 40 minutes of total time, 30 minutes of which is prep and makes 36 servings. All the ingredients are basic and I made no modifications. I did chose to use King Arthur's Flour instead of the brand recommended in the recipe. I love King Arthur's Flour for baking, especially bread and cookies and it is the only brand of wheat flour that I use. As I always do I used organic eggs and butter. I baked my cookies on parchment paper, it makes cookies perfectly cooked and they never stick. Halfway through the baking time I rotated the pan. This prevents burning and ensures even cooking. Watch the cooking times carefully, my cookies were done in exactly 8 minutes. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

These cookies were good enough that my two boys didn't notice they were made with whole-wheat flour. They were nice and crisp and had an almost nutty flavor from the whole wheat flour. I like that they use whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose. It's a great way to include more fiber and whole-grains in a way that my kids didn't notice. Overall, a kid friendly recipe that tastes just as delicious as cookies made with white flour.

For the recipe go to Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Almond-Cranberry Quinoa Cookies

My week of eating healthy breakfasts continues. So far I have been doing really well. I have consistently been eating breakfast every morning for the last two weeks and I have noticed that I have more energy and less crabbiness than when I was skipping eating. This week I am visiting family for the week and I am hoping to not eat too much restaurant or fair food. However, I love fair food, so you might notice a few posts on hotdogs and caramel apples on my facebook page, I love them! My two boys have been doing much better than I expected them to with the new breakfast routine and have fallen in love with healthy waffles and whole-wheat couscous. With fair food tempting them this week my main goal is to not have them eat funnel cake and pop tarts for breakfast and at least include eggs or another protein with every meal. I'm pretty sure fried bread does not count as a protein (I wish it would I love those things!). Last week my two boys and I tried a recipe for Almond-Cranberry Quinoa Breakfast Cookies from the January issue of Bon Appetit magazine, which looked like a great compromise between sweet and healthy.

This recipe has 15 ingredients. It takes 30 minutes of total time, 10 minutes of which is active and makes 2 dozen cookies. I did make a few modifications. I have been trying to limit the amount of sugar that my two boys consume so instead of granulated or brown sugar I substituted Splenda for baking. Instead of using an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter, I did it by hand. This sounds bad, but my mixer was dirty and I had no time (or desire) to clean it, so I did the mixing by hand. I did not flatten my cookies out before baking and they turned out less flat and crunchy looking than the photo in the magazine. I would suggest flattening out the cookies in order for them to have the best consistency when baked.

I love that these breakfast cookies are full of whole grains. I especially like that they use quinoa, which is a great grain and my two boys love it. Using Splenda for baking worked well and my two boys didn't notice that I didn't use real sugar. This recipe makes a large number of cookies and they lasted for several days. They would also work well frozen, which I often do with cookie recipes. Overall, a nice alternative for breakfast or a snack that is full of whole grains.

For the recipe go to Almond-Cranberry Quinoa Cookies.