No-Bake Energy Bites

I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis about a year and a half ago.  I have done a small amount of research as to what dietary changes I could make to help reduce joint inflammation.  Flax seed is said to have this property, so I have tried to incorporate it into my diet more.  I found this recipe online and really like it--it's like eating raw cookie dough/granola bar/protein/health food all in one!

No-Bake Energy Bites

1 c. dry oatmeal
1 c. toasted coconut flakes
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips (butterscotch, dark, milk, etc.)
1/2 c. peanut butter (almost butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.)
1/2 c. ground flaxseed (or mix it with wheat germ)
1/3 c. honey (don't substitute w/ agave nectar--it won't hold the balls together)
1 tsp. vanilla

Stir all ingredients together until thoroughly mixed.
Let chill in the refrigerator for 30 min.
Once chilled, roll into balls about 1" diameter.
Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Makes about 20-25 balls.

**Feel free to substitute in your favorite ingredients (suggestions seen in paratheses)
**Could also add chopped dried fruit (apricots, raisins, cranberries, etc.), chopped almonds or pecans, etc.  Options are endless!

Apricot Bars

These have to be my new favorite (non-chocolate) dessert.  I love all things apricot (reminds me of childhood summers in California) and these are to-die-for!

Apricot Bars
(my neighbor, Suzanne Bartholomew)

4 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. Crisco (butter flavored)
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
16 oz. jar apricot jam

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix flour and baking powder together and set aside.
Mix remaining ingredients until creamy, then add the flour mixture a little at a time.
Divide the dough in half.
Pat 1/2 the dough into a 9x13 pan (go up the edges a little so it holds in the jam).
Spread the apricot jam on top.
Shred the rest of the dough on top (form ball out of dough and use cheese grater to shred dough over the top of jam--makes it light, fluffy, and even coverage).
Bake for 30 min.
Cool & cut.

(you could probably use you favorite jam flavor...raspberry, blackberry, etc.)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Ellery requested "raw cookie dough dipped in chocolate" for the treat she shared with her class on her birthday.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Chocolate-Chip-Cookie-Dough-Truffles/Detail.aspx

My only suggestion is to make the cookie dough balls small--because these are rich!

Sugar Cookie Bars

Sugar Cookie Bars

I made these for February's "Cookie Friday"--just frosted them pink with red sprinkles.  The only change I would make is to spread the dough a bit thinner--the cookies were too thick for my liking--but they were moist and yummy!

1 c. butter, at room temperature
2 c. granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
5 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg.
Mix in vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda.
Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined.
Spread on a greased, rimmed baking sheet (jellyroll pan).
(The dough will be just like cookie dough--heavy and sticky--so it's best to spray your hands with non-stick spray and use them to help mold the dough into the pan)
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING:
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar
food coloring???

Combine all ingredients until well blended.
Spread on top of bars.
Top with sprinkles if you want!

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting

'Tis the season for all things pumpkin. I have slowly acquired a taste for baked pumpkin goods and this one may top them all. I made them for a small shin-dig we had here and out of the 5 cookies I made, this was everyone's favorite!

(You can find the original recipe HERE)

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting

INGREDIENTS:
Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting:
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars for the cookies. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the pumpkin. In a medium bowl, sift together the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, salt and flour. Add the dry mixture to the pumpkin batter and mix until combined. Drop the dough by large tablespoonfuls onto a lightly greased (or lined with parchment or silpat) cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

For the frosting, in a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream, brown sugar and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla. Let the frosting cool to room temperature and stir in the remaining 1 cup powdered sugar. Spread the frosting over the cooled cookies.

Chocolate M & M cookies

We are back into "Cookie Friday" mode, where I bake about 12 dozen cookies for the neighborhood kids on the first Friday of each month. This gives me the opportunity to try new recipes each month and let the kids be my guinea pigs! I randomly found M&M's on clearance at Randall's--huge bags for $2/each--so I decided to use those instead of chocolate chips in this recipe. They were really good!

You can find the original recipe HERE

Chocolate M & M cookies!

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 M & M's

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the M & M's. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these last month for "Cookie Friday." I love anything chocolate and anything mint, so these were a hit for my family!

Find the recipe HERE.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

I am not a huge fan of pumpkin anything, although I am getting there. Maybe I am maturing in my old age :) Every year Marc asks for some sort of pumpkin thing with chocolate chips. I figured I would try this recipe for our November "Cookie Friday"--it was a hit!

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-glazed-pumpkin-cookies

The only thing I changed was to add chocolate chips into the dough, instead of glazing them.

Congo Bars

LOVE this new recipe I found! I have made these a ton already--because it is nice to throw in one batch of cookies and not have to stand in front of hot oven for hours making dozen after dozen of traditional cookies. Summers here in TX are HOT! So this recipe allows me to feed my addiction to baked goods while not heating up my kitchen too much :) Not to mention these are thick and moist!

Congo Bars

(somewhere on the web, but can't remember where!)

2 3/4 c. flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 c. softened butter

1 lb. (2 c. packed) light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

12 oz. milk chocolate chips

1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl & set aside.

Combine butter and sugar, using a mixer, until blended.

Add eggs one at a time to sugar mixture, mixing on low in between each addition.

Add vanilla and mix.

Add flour and mix until combined.

Stir in chips and then pecans.

Coat a 9 X 13 pan with nonstick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Make sure you don't over bake.

(Last night I made these AGAIN and used M & M's instead of chocolate chips and nuts!)

Snickerdoodles

I have already posted a great Snickerdoodle recipe, but this one may just top the last one. This recipe was generously shared by my old roommate on her design/entertaining blog, Blonde Designs.

I love that the recipe does not call for shortening and the cookies are so, so moist! I made them for "Cookie Friday" last month. I, of course, tripled the batch and froze a few dozen--they were just as moist after thawing as they were fresh out of the oven. I love that!

Here is the recipe!

Oreo Cookie Bars

A family in our ward brought these to us a while back and I immediately fell in love. They are basically just crushed up Oreos with homemade fudge. Who can argue with that combination?!

Oreo Cookie Bars

(thanks Rachelle!)

24-30 Oreo cookies (depending on desired crust thickness)

6 Tbs. butter, melted

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Set aside 6 cookies and grind the rest in a food processor or blender. In a small bowl, stir together the cookie crumbs and butter until well blended. Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Over a double boiler or in the microwave, melt 1 cup chocolate chips together with the condensed milk and vanilla. Stir frequently until smooth. Spread evenly over the crumb crust. Sprinkle the remaining cup of chocolate chips over the top. Break remaining cookies into pieces by hand and sprinkle over the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Chill completely (up to 1-2 hours) before cutting into bars or it will make a big mess.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

Marc has been bugging me for 12 years (seriously) to make him pumpkin cookies. I never have, because I am not a huge fan. But my college roommate promised me these were good.

She was right! BOTH Marc and I were huge fans! Thanks, Angie.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

(MS EveryDay Food)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pie spice, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree (mixture may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
4. Lift cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.

S'mores Cookies

Smores are such a traditional camping food. And summer is such a traditional time to go camping. But we live in TX and it is just too darn HOT and humid to camp in the summer. So this cookie recipe came in quite handy--it mimmicks the traditional smore without having to feel like you are in a tent sauna surrounded by singing cicadas!
I pulled this recipe out of this month's MS EveryDay Food. I can usually link to the actual recipe on her site, but for some reason can't find this one. Too bad, because I was hoping you could see her picture--I forgot to take one and they look neat. Oh well, just imagine a stacked cookie, then chocolate, then marshmallow toasted. YUM!

S'mores Cookies
(MS EveryDay Food, July 2009)

1/2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1 c. all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 c. whole wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c. light brown sugar
1 large egg
8 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, but into 30 squares
(I used the snack-size Hershey bars and broke them in half)
15 large marshmallows, halved horizontally

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, pulse oats until finely ground.
Add flours, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; pulse to combine.
In a large bowl, using and electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg, scraping down side of bowl.
With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture just until combined.
Drop by tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two baking sheets.
Top each with a chocolate square.
Bake until just lightly golden, 11-13 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
Remove sheets from oven; heat broiler.
Top each cookie with a marshmallow.
One sheet at a time, broil until marshmallows are lightly browned, 1-1 1/2 minutes.
Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

Double Chocolate Brownies

A co-worker of mine brought these into work one night. I just about died. I LOVE brownies and these are some of the best I've tried. Maybe it's because I have gotten used to box brownie mix, I don't know, but these from-scratch brownies are amazing! They have a kind of crispy/flaky/sugary top and are super moist inside. DE-lish!

Double Chocolate Brownies

(thanks to Neal for sharing his mom's recipe!)

3/4 c. butter or margarine (1 1/2 sticks)

4 oz. (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate

(can substitute 12 Tblspn. cocoa powder + 1 tsp. margarine)

2 c. sugar

4 eggs

1 1/4 c. flour

2 tsp. vanilla

1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips (2 cups)

1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 9 X 13 pan with nonstick foil, leaving overhang.

In a large glass bowl, heat butter and unsweetened chocolate in microwave for 2 minutes.

Stir until smooth, and let stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Whisk in sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla.

Stir in nuts and 1c. of the chocolate chips.

Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, until top is dry to the touch.

Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Lift brownies from pan with foil, cut and serve.

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

I found a scrap of a magazine page with this recipe on it--don't know where it came from. These cookies reminded of the Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies that are so good--but these are even better because they are homemade!

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies
(ripped out of a cookie brochure that came in the mail)

1 1/2 c. shortening
2 2/3 c. packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
4 c. old-fashioned oats

Filling:
3/4 c. shortening
3 c. powdered sugar
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme
1-3 Tblspn. milk

1. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; add to creamed mixture. Stir in oats.

2. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. (make sure you really keep them small because they really spread out) Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

3. For filling, in a mixing bowl, cream the first three ingredients. Add enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread filling on the bottom half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza Crust

I am posting this more for my own sake--I need to keep it somewhere so I can find it again. Every year I make fruit pizzas for the teachers at Addison's elementary school. I'm not so good at sugar cookies--which is the crust--so every year I panic over what to do and how they'll turn out. My neighbor gave me this recipe and it worked PERFECT this year! So I need to remember it...

Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza Crust
(thanks Cheri!)

2 1/2 c. butter
3 c. sugar
6 eggs
3 T. water
1 T. vanilla
8-10 c. flour
2 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs, water and vanilla.
Add the flour (using all 10 cups if mixing with a KitchenAid), baking powder and salt.
Roll dough between aluminum foil and plastic wrap.
At this point, you can cut out sugar cookies or use the rolled out dough to fit in 4 jellyroll pans (there is just enough).
Bake at 350 degrees.
14 min for thick sugar cookies
17 minutes for jellyroll pans

My new favorite holiday cookie!

My friend Joy has made these cookies every year for my cookie exchange party. Every year, I hoard them to myself and try not to share them. This year, when Marc and I were in the kitchen arguing over who got the last one, I decided it was time to just get the recipe. Funny thing, it is already a recipe I have, and have posted on here, too! Joy uses Janet's Chunky Chocolate Chip cookie recipe and just adds 2 cups of crushed candy canes (or other peppermint candy). SO good!

Peppermint Chocolate Chunk Cookies

(thanks to Joy & Janet!)

3 sticks butter

1 1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 1/4 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tblspn vanilla

Cream together the above ingredients.

Then add:
3 1/4 c. flour
1 c. cake flour OR 1c. + 2 Tblspn regular flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
When well mixed, add 2 c. chocolate chunks (one small bag)
2 c. crushed peppermint (candy canes or starlight mints)



Drop by LARGE spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-14 minutes.


(I cooked them about 10-11min.--then they are still chewy)

Peppermint Snowballs

I was trying to figure out what cookie to make for my annual cookie exchange party, so I perused one of those emails I am sure you have all gotten with the hundreds and hundreds of cookie recipes. This one caught my eye. I didn't make them for the party, but I've still had rave reviews! So here's the recipe:

Peppermint Snowballs (although they look nothing like a snowball)
(thanks to Northpole.com)

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 1/4 c. butter, softened

1 tsp. peppermint extract

1 tsp. vanillla

1 egg

3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. finely crushed peppermint candy (divided)

granulated sugar, as needed

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the powdered sugar, butter, peppermint extract, vanilla and egg.

Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (2-3 minutes).

Reduce speed to low and add flour, baking powder and salt.

Beat, scraping bowl often, until well blended (1-2 minutes).

By hand, stir in 1/2 c. candy.

Shape dough into 3/4" balls; roll in granulated sugar; place 1" apart on cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set.

Cool completely.

GLAZE

Combine 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar and enough milk (2-3 T.) for desired consistency. Drizzle cooled cookies with glaze. Immediately sprinkle with the remaining peppermint candy.

Pecan Tassies

A friend from Rochester, NY made these for a farewell luncheon she put on for me when we moved to Boston. I am not a pecan pie fan, but I fell in love with these. They are so easy, I don't know why I wait until Thanksgiving to make them. I think I ate 90% of them myself--I was just so easy to pop one in my mouth while on the go with the kids! :) (FYI: they taste even better with a dollop of whipping cream on top, but do that just before serving!)

Pecan Tassies
(thanks to Emily Owsley!)

3 oz. cream cheese
½ c. butter
1 c. flour

1 egg
¾ c. brown sugar
1 Tblspn. softened butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
dash of salt
2/3 c. finely chopped pecans

Combine cream cheese, butter, and flour.
Form into ball, wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Mix together egg, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, salt and finely chopped pecans.
Roll out dough 1/8” thick and use 3-inch circle cutter.
Place circle of dough in mini-muffin cups.
Fill with brown sugar-pecan filling.
Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Garnish with whipping cream.

Pumpkin Carrot Swirl Bars

I don't like pumpkin anything--but I like these! But I was asked to make these last year for the teachers at the elementary school. They were really good, so I saved the recipe. I am glad I did because I am in charge of the Teacher Appreciation Committee this year and so we made them again. Good, easy, makes a lot and cut/present well. I think they are "relatively" low fat, too!

Pumpkin Carrot Swirl Bars
(this recipe came from Nestle)
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=28459

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup finely shredded carrot
Cream Cheese Topping (recipe follows)

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.
COMBINE flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and baking soda in small bowl. Beat granulated sugar, butter and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until crumbly. Add eggs, egg whites, pumpkin and carrot; beat until well blended. Add flour mixture; mix well.
Spread into prepared pan. Drop teaspoonfuls of Cream Cheese Topping over batter; swirl mixture with spoon.
BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
FOR CREAM CHEESE TOPPING:
COMBINE 4 ounces softened light cream cheese (Neufchâtel), 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon milk in small mixer bowl until thoroughly blended.