oatmeal cookies

the best & easiest oatmeal cookies ever. mommy approved for our little avery to indulge anytime she wants. its healthy & less sugary. and if i'm craving for something sweet, this is my to-go-to cookie.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 c old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 c whole wheat flour
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 stick butter, softened
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• raisins (optional)

Instructions

1. stir together oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, & salt.

2. in a separate bowl, beat together butter & sugar with an electric mixer until light & fluffy. then mix in the egg and vanilla.
3. add oat mixture and beat until just combined.

4. using a cookie scoop, drop dough by heaping tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets and slightly flatten with a fork. [i added the raisins before flattening the dough.]

5. bake in a preheated oven at 375F for about 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.

adapted from epicurious.com

vanilla cupcakes

birthday cakes are fun but birthday cupcakes are more fun. to celebrate my mom's birthday, i baked this vanilla cupcakes for her.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 c whole wheat flour
• 3/4 c all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp vanilla
• 6 tbsp milk, room temperature

1. in a bowl, add all the ingredients (except the milk) & beat with a hand mixer.

2. pour milk & continue beating until smooth.

3. place batter in cupcake liners & bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes.

as always, this recipe was inspired from one of my favorite blogs - baked bree. the original recipe should be topped with royal icing but i opted for vanilla buttercream frosting instead.

blowing the candles before midnight

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MoM!

baked oatmeal

baked oatmeal? i was intrigued the first time i read it in the money saving mom blog. as long as it's healthy food & i have the ingredients on hand, i'm giving it a go.

ingredients:

~ 2 eggs

~ 2 cups applesauce

~ 5 cups, old fashioned oats

~ 1/4 cup brown sugar

~ 1 mashed banana

~ 2 3/4 cups skim milk

~ 1/4 cup ground flaxseed

~ 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

~ 3 tsp baking powder

~ 1 tsp vanilla

~ 1 tsp salt

~ 1/2 tsp nutmeg

~ fruits or nuts (optional)

directions:

1) mix oats, salt, baking powder, flaxseed, cinnamon & nutmeg in a bowl.

2) in a separate bowl, mix eggs, applesauce, banana, vanilla & sugar.

3.) add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. then pour milk & mix well. fold in fruits or nuts [i added fresh mangoes].

4.) [i used an ice cream scooper]. place batter in cupcake liners. bake for 25-30 minutes [or until set] in a preheated oven at 350F.

the oatmeal was tasty. i sometimes eat this topped with bumbleberry spread. i'm adding this to my arsenal of healthy treats.

chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting

i finally did it! my first ever cake & frosting made from scratch. i have to admit that the whole baking process was nerve wracking. [i think any novice at baking will share my sentiment]. but practice makes perfect, so here goes my first attempt.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cups cocoa powder
• 2 tsps baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup half & half
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee (1 tsp coffee w/ 1 cup water)

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks of butter, room temperature  

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar 

1/2 cup cocoa powder 

1 tsp vanilla

5 tbsp half & half 

Instructions:

1. in a bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. in a separate bowl, mix half & half, oil, eggs & vanilla.

3. add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. then pour the hot coffee. mix well.

4. pour the batter equally in 2 round pans. bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

5. cream the butter & sugar for about 3 minutes until it is light & fluffy. slowly add the cocoa. add vanilla & half & half.

6. completely cool the cake before frosting. 

i got the original recipe from baked bree. i cut down the amount of sugar & made substitutions on some ingredients. i need more practice with frosting for sure. this is certainly a recipe keeper for me.

overall, its a very moist cake. my hubby's family enjoyed it as well. i'm giving myself a good pat on the shoulder. i can't help but smile while eating the cake [because honestly, it was delicious].

chocolate fudge cookies

i was going thru my printed recipe binder yesterday & found this. luckily, i have the exact cake mix on hand so i went ahead & baked.

Ingredients:

• 1 (18.25 oz) package devil's food cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a bowl, stir cake mix, eggs & oil until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls & place 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
2. Bake for 8-10 minutes in a preheated oven @ 350F. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

after i took the cookies out of the oven, i added more chocolate chips on top.

hmmmm! chocolate rush! chocolate overload! one bite & i'm done. don't get me wrong. it's good [but just too sweet for me]. maybe next time i'll try a different chocolate cake mix [like dark chocolate].

chocolate chip cookies

wowee! i finally bought a kitchenaid mixer! all that baking i did last christmas "triggered" my need for a better mixer. i'm so excited to use it. and per hubby's request, i made him his favorite - chocolate chip cookies (kitchenaid recipe).

ingredients:

1 c granulated sugar

1 c brown sugar

1 c (2 sticks) butter - softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsps vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 c all-purpose flour

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

directions:

1. place sugars, butter, eggs & vanilla in mixer bowl. mix for about one minute & scrape the sides of the bowl.

2. gradually add baking soda, salt & flour to the mixture & stir for 2 minutes. scrape bowl & add chocolate chips. stir for another 15 seconds.

3. drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. in a preheated oven, bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes. remove from baking sheet immediately & cool on wire racks.

note to self: next time, make the cookies smaller. other than this minor glitch, the cookies were perfect & approved by hubby.

******update march 26, 2012******

i made another batch today & my cookies were impeccable! see for yourself....

and the taste & texture? hubby can't hide his excitement & kept saying: "this is it! this is it!" he likes it thin & a little chewy in the middle.

my additional tips:

-> butter should be in room temperature (between 60-70F) for about 12 hours or more

-> scoop a teaspoon of dough, anything more will make the cookies puffy

-> don't overcrowd the dough since there won't be enough room for each cookie to spread

-> watch your oven closely as temperatures vary [this batch was done in 6 minutes only]

chocolate banana muffins

pinterest has become my new google. i've found a lot of amazing ideas that i wouldn't have found with a plain search engine.

for instance, this recipe.

i'm all about healthy & tasty food. so i knew i had to try this out.

directions:

1. in a bowl, combine applesauce, egg & sugar. then stir in mashed bananas.

2. add flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda, wheat germ, vanilla, nutmeg & cinnamon to the mixture. lightly mix the batter with a spatula. [don't over mix]

3. place batter in muffin containers & add chocolate chips on top.

4. bake for about 15-20 minutes in a preheated oven at 375F.

first attempt = perfect! i should say, uber delish. the sweetness was just right for me. they were done in only 15 minutes. [our oven is pretty old so i've learned to watch what i bake very closely.] this is a definite recipe keeper for sure.

super healthy cho-cho cookies

yesterday, i was baking the last batch of butternut squash from our garden. while waiting, i checked pinterest for a possible squash recipe. i found one but i made a lot of changes. so this is my first trial....

chon's chocolate cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butternut squash, pureed
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp sorghum syrup
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 3 tbsp wheat germ (optional)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp milk

Directions:

1. stir together flour, cocoa, wheat germ, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg & ginger.

2. in another bowl, combine squash, sugar, olive oil, sorghum syrup, vanilla extract & egg. dissolve the baking soda with milk and stir in.

 

3. add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

4. make flat circles, lay in a cookie sheet & bake at 350F for about 10 minutes.

hubby said it's good for milk dunking. it has a cake-like consistency & reminded me of a whoopie pie.

butternut squash muffins

this first few weeks of winter has been kinda crazy. a warmer than usual temps & no snow at all. i'm not complaining [even though this is my least favorite season]. and since i'm talking about winter, i'm sharing my new recipe for muffins made with butternut squash [which is a winter squash].

ingredients:

1 cup pureed butternut squash

1 cup unbleached flour & 1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tbsp wheat bran

3/4 cup skim milk
1 egg

1 tbsp melted butter

1 medium sized apple, peeled & diced (optional)

directions:

1) whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, pumpkin spice & wheat bran.

2) in a separate bowl, mix milk, butter, egg & squash.

3) gradually, blend the squash mixture into the flour mixture & add the apples.

4) fill the greased muffin pans with a spoonful of batter & bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes at 400F.

i originally found this at allrecipes.com. and good old me always, always likes to experiment. it turned out perfect the first time. this is an all around healthy muffin that avery & i can eat [hubby only eats if chocolate is involved].

sopapilla cheesecake

i love cheesecake! who doesn't? and then i found this over at pinterest. hmmm? very intriguing but easy to make. so i decided to bake it. but good old me loves a good tweakin. and this is what i came up with....

Ingredients:
* 2 cans crescent rolls
* 2 (8oz) boxes neufchatel cheese (softened)
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1/4 cup butter (melted)
* cinnamon, nutmeg & brown sugar (topping)

bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

smells goody! tastes heavenly! [especially when the cheese melts in your mouth].

the nice thing about this dessert is it can be prepared overnight & left to cool in the fridge. this is definitely a keeper. a fancy dessert on a budget!

choco fudge

here is another quick sweet treat that i adapted from the blog baked bree.  i made it for my hubby's co-workers.  sounds like it was a hit - no leftovers! 

1. add the cream, sugar, salt, butter & marshmallows in a large saucepan. cook over medium heat until the marshmallows & butter begin to melt, about 5 minutes.

2. bring the mixture to a boil & boil for 5 minutes.  it will be bubbling all over the place & turn brown.

3. take the pan off of the heat. add chocolate chips & vanilla.

4. mix it all together until the chocolate has melted & all is nice & smooth. 

5. pour mixture in an 8 × 12 pan, lined with parchment paper & sprayed with cooking spray. add sprinkles & place in the fridge until firm.  cut into squares. 

so, so easy!  i am making another batch for christmas.  [hubby requested chocolate chips on top. i want walnuts...will do half of each.]

***update***

i made another batch for christmas.  i only did half of the original recipe & topped it off with walnuts & peppermint.

toffee crack

i just love finding a recipe that i can whip up easily. it is also a big plus if it serves multiple occasions & uses ingredients that i already have at home.

i read this recipe from the styleberry blog yesterday. the simplicity of it all got me cooking right away.

1) line the saltines in a cookie sheet. [i used whole wheat saltines]

2) in a pan, melt butter then add sugar & stir until combined. [don't stir too long]

3) pour the mixture over saltines & spread evenly.

4) bake at 350F in a preheated oven for about 5 minutes or until bubbly. [watch closely]

5) remove from oven & pour chocolate chips on top. gradually spread the chips when it starts to melt.

6) cool completely until set. break into pieces.

i had fun breaking it up. i will make another batch tomorrow & use graham crackers.

choco cookies

 

and i finally did it! i baked my first cookies! yep, made from scratch [except the icing-which is my next mission]. i have said before that baking intimidates me. it still does. so i'm always on the lookout for easy & simple baking recipes. for this one, i credit the blog baked bree. she has a lot of amazing ideas for cooking & baking. [i did her apple pie too].

ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 sticks butter - room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• a pinch salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon & a dash of nutmeg [my own tweak]
• betty crocker cookie icing & sprinkles for decorating

1. in a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. [i used a hand mixer & it was about 10 minutes]. then, add vanilla & egg. mix until combined.

2. in a separate bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon & nutmeg.

3. add the butter mixture slowly. mix until incorporated.

4. wrap dough in saran wrap & chill for 30 minutes or until firm.

5. roll out the dough in a flat surface.

6. cut with a cookie cutter. [i used a 2.5 inch cutter].

7. line each one in a cookie tray. bake for 8-10 minutes in a preheated 350F oven.

8. remove from tray & cool completely.

honestly, i am not an icing fan [nor is my hubby]. we already love eating the cookies like this. but since i am giving this to family & friends, i have to finish it off with some icing & sprinkles.

i am so proud of myself! i really thought this would be a baking disaster. it turned out perfect. one thing i learned, baking cookies is very therapeutic for me.

i hope everybody enjoys my special treat!