Pretty Healthy Oat Bars (no white flour)

WARNING - These are a work in progress.  They didn't stick together well.  I am going to try using spelt instead of the ground oats and see if that works better.

2 cubes butter, softened

1 cup canola oil

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup honey

2 T milled flax seed

1 T chia seeds

9 T water

1 T dehydrated peanut butter

Orange essential oil

3 cups ground oats (or other flour)

3 1/2 cups oats

2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup shredded coconut

1-1½ cups chocolate chips

½ cup chopped pecans

Mix the butter, canola, honey and sugars.  In a little bowl, mix the flax and chia seeds with the water and mix well.  Add to the big bowl.  Add peanut butter, essential oil, ground oats, oats and baking soda and mix well.  Add coconut, chocolate chips and pecans.  Bake at 375 degrees in greased pan until done if you want thicker bars.  I had a hard time making sure they were completely done without getting too crusty so the next time I tried putting a thin layer of batter on a cookie sheet and made really, really thin cookie type bars.  If you make these as cookies, they are pretty dang flat and run together but you can sort of re-form them with the spatula and they still taste good.  But they are delicious though!

Could be used for a on-the-go breakfast if you take out the chocolate chips and use dried fruit or more nuts instead.  You can't really taste the peanut butter much but I wanted to add more protein.  Also, if you didn't have the milled flax seed and chia seeds, you could use 3 eggs instead and eliminate the flax and chia seeds and the water.

Healthy Oat Banana Cookies

There is no added sugar in these cookies.  Also no eggs, fat or flour.  For missing all those key ingredients, they are still yummy cookies.  Jonah's quote:  "They're not bad.  They're good."

3 ripe bananas
1/3 cup applesauce
2 cups oats
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Bake at 350 degrees until done.  It took 9 minutes in my convection oven.

I may try adding the following items in the future:  nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, cocoa, etc.  I also may try subbing out greek yogurt for some of the banana to add protein and lessen natural sugars.

Pumpkin Gingersnap Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

 

Ingredients:

½ cup of butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling the cookies
½ cup of pure pumpkin (like Libby's canned pumpkin)
¼ cup of molasses
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and smooth. Add the pumpkin, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, mix until well combined.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour. The dough can be chilled for 2-3 days.
3. When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Place sugar in a small bowl. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in sugar until well coated and place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until cookies look cracked and set at the edges. The cookies will still be soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a 2-3 minutes after removing them from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Smore Cookies

www.jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com
Time: about 90 minutes
Yield: 48 cookies

1 package graham crackers (9 full sized graham crackers)
6 T butter, melted
1 T sugar dash salt
1 C butter, softened
2 C brown sugar
2 eggs
2 T milk
2 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3 1/2 C flour
2 1/2 C milk chocolate chips
24 large marshmallows
4 small 1.55 oz Hershey bars

1. Break the graham cracker crumbs up into pieces. Place them in a small food processor and grind them into crumbs. No food processor? Do not dismay. You can crush your crackers into crumbs by placing them in a gallon sized zip loc bag, sealing the bag securely and then smashing the crumbs with a rolling pin.
2. To your crumbs add 6 T melted butter,1 T sugar and a dash of salt. Let the food processor grind all of the ingredients together nicely. Set the crumbly mixture aside.
3. Place your softened butter and brown sugar into a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until the ingredients are nicely creamed together, about 2 minutes.
4. Add your eggs, milk and vanilla and mix for another 2 minutes.
5. In a separate bowl combine your baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Add it to your creamed mixture and mix until combined. Toss in your chocolate chips and mix yet again, just until the chips are evenly distributed.
 6. Grab your graham cracker crumbs and pour them into the cookie dough. Using a wooden spoon, or your hands :) smash them into the cookie dough. You don't want the graham cracker crumb mixture to be totally lost in the dough, just....well....just smashed into it a bit. Boy, you have really come to an eloquently written blog now haven't you. Fancy lingo just dripping from every corner. :)
7. Roll the dough into 2 inch balls, place them on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 6 minutes, or just until the cookies begin to crack.
 8. While your cookies are in the oven, cut the large marshmallows in half.
9. Press a marshmallow piece into the center of each hot cookie. Return the sheet to the oven and bake for about 1 1/2 more minutes allowing the marshmallows to puff up and get all wonderful and delicious.
10. Remove the sheet from the oven. Let the cookies sit for about 2 minutes, then press one Hershey bar piece into the center of the marshmallow.
11. Remove the cookies from the sheet and allow them to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Almond Joyfuls

From Lorretta Derr

1 3/4 c. powdered sugar

1 3/4 c. flaked coconut

1 c. chopped almonds

1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

Combine and shape into 1 in. balls. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 min.

In microwave bowl melt 12 oz. semi-sweet chips and 2 Tbl. butter on high for about a minute.  Stir.  Microwave @ 10 - 20 second intervals, stirring until smooth.  Dip balls in chocolate.  Delish!!

Sugar Cookies (from Melissa Lee)

My friend, Melissa Lee, gave me this recipe and said this is the recipe she uses when she doesn't want the cookies to change their shapes and rise.

Cream
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Add
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract

Sift & add
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tartar

Cover the dough and chill for a couple of hours.  Roll the dough out on a floured counter 1/4 inch thick.  Cut cookies and bake 8-10 minutes at 375.  Everyone's oven is different so watch them.

Tips:
-Cream the butter and sugar REALLY well.  And then a little more!
-I took out the baking soda so that the cookies will keep their shape.
-It seems to work fine, but you have to remember not to roll the dough out too thin because it won't puff up when it cooks.  You don't want them super thick though either.

Oreo Brownies

Click HERE for the recipe that I found on-line.

All you need is…
a box of Brownie mix (and ing. to make)and Oreos.

Mix up the box of brownies just like the back tells you to. Then dip the Oreos in the brownie batter, being sure to completely coat the cookie.

Place your fudgy morsels into muffin tins that have been sprayed very well with non stick cooking spray.

Bake them in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 – 12 minutes until just barely set. Don’t overcook them! They’ll still look soft, that’s the Oreo, it’s turned into a gooey fudgy sinful thing … yum.

Remove from tins immediately and let cool slightly before you, your kids, your hubby, and your parents inhale them.

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

2 cubes butter, softened
1 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 T. milled flax seed
3 T. water
2 tsp. vanilla
4-4 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I ground the white wheat into flour and then measure)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
white chocolate chips (add however much you'd like, I used about 1 1/2 to 2 cups)
pomegranite infused dried cranberries (add however much you'd like, I used about 1 cup)

Cream together butter, oil and sugars. Add eggs, egg whites, milled flax seed, water and vanilla and mix. Add dry ingredients and mix. Add chips and cranberries and mix by hand. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes.

Next time I will try eliminating some more of the white flour and using more wheat flour instead.

No Bake Cookies

No Bake Cookies (Makes 3 dozen) By Michelle Walton


Ingredients
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
3 cups quick cooking oats

Directions
1.In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oats.
2.Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow cookies to cool for at least 1 hour. Store in an airtight container.

Pumpkin Cookies

Single Recipe:
½ cup butter
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup pumpkin
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Tripled Recipe:
1 ½ cups butter
4 ½ cups sugar
3 cups pumpkin
7 ½ cups flour
3 tsp. Baking powder
3 tsp. Baking soda
3 tsp. Vanilla
3 tsp. Nutmeg
3 tsp. Cinnamon

Directions:
Mix softened butter and sugar together. Add canned pumpkin and mix. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla and spices and mix well. Batter tastes yummy and you can eat it without worrying about food poisoning because there are no eggs in this recipe. Spoon onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for at least 13-14 minutes. Make sure the cookies are done, not doughy. Cookies freeze very well.

Frosting:
¼ cup margarine (melted)
¼ cup milk
½ cup sugar
Powdered Sugar

Mix ingredients together and then add enough powdered sugar to make it the right consistency. You can drizzle over the cookies or for a real sugar rush, I dip the top of the cookie in the icing and then let the cookies sit on waxed paper while the icing hardens slightly.

Jonah's Sprinkle Cookies

3 ¾ cups flour
½ tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Cream of tartar
1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. Vanilla

Topping: Sprinkles

Mix margarine, sugar and eggs. Add milk and vanilla and mix. Add dry ingredients. Mix 3 Tbsp. Sugar and 1 tsp. Cinnamon in bowl for topping. With your hands, roll dough into walnut sized balls and then dip top in sprinkles. Put on cookies sheet, sprinkle side up. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

(Named after Jonah because he LOVES sprinkles!)

Pammy's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cubes butter, softened
1 cup oil
1 ½ cup white sugar
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. almond extract (optional)
5 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 lb. chocolate chips

Cream together butter, oil and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Add dry ingredients and mix. Then add in chocolate chips and mix by hand. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes for a chewy cookie. Take cookies out of the oven when they don’t look quite done and leave them on the cookie sheet (out of the oven) for 10 more minutes. Best when under done and cooled a little while.

Sammy's Pink Cookies

1 1/2 c. shortening
1 1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 (14 oz) bottle maraschino cherries chopped (save juice)

Cream sugar and shortening; add eggs and vanilla. Sift flour, salt, and soda together. Add sugar and shortening and egg mixture. Add chopped cherries. Bake at 350 for 8 - 10 minutes.

Frosting: Mix cherry juice, 2 tsp. vanilla and 1 cube butter add powdered sugar one cup at a time, until desired consistency.

Butter Cookies

I use this to make my sugar cookies at Christmas.

2 cups butter (softened)
2 cups sugar
MIX
3 eggs
1 TBS vanilla
6 cups sifted flour
2 tsp Baking Powder

Do not over mix. Cannot use margarine, has to be butter.
Both of these recipes have to be refrigerated, if in a hurry put half in freezer for about 30 min.

BAKE AT 350 for about 10 or 15 min.

From Nee Nee (Anita Collins)

Sugar Cookies

1 1/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
BEAT WELL WITH MIXER
2 eggs
8 tsp milk
BEAT WELL
4 cups flour
3 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt

Be sure to sift dry ingredients. Do not overmix. I usually add the dry ingredients and mix by hand.

From Michelle's mom (Anita Collins)

Honey Cookies

From: Daniel Peck’s Great-Grandma Miller (we joke that it is “an old family recipe”… just not our family!)

1 ½ cup canola oil (or similar)
2 cups sugar
½ cup honey
2 large eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
4 ½ cup flour
4 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Salt (I leave this out)
2 tsp. Cinnamon

Combine oil, sugar, honey, eggs and vanilla and beat well. I use the same 1/2 cup measuring cup for the oil and honey, using it for the oil first and then the honey.  That way the honey doesn't stick to the cup.  Gradually beat in dry ingredients. Form into walnut sized balls and roll in sugar. Bake for 7-9 minutes at 350 degrees.  Do not overbake unless you want them to be a little crunchy.  Take the cookie sheets out of the oven when they look like the cookies are not quite done and let them "rest" on the cookie sheet for a while longer.  These can be frozen.  Makes around 90 cookies.

Cocoa Brownies

From: Becky Huggins (Pam’s friend from BYU dorms)

1 cup butter, softened
5 Tbsp. Cocoa
2 cups sugar
4 beaten eggs
2 cups flour

Mix butter and cocoa. Add sugar and eggs and beat. Add flour and mix well. Spread into 9x12 greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for around 20-30 minutes. If you double the recipe, which is what I always do, you can bake it on a jelly-roll pan (bake that one for around 25-30 minutes). Just stick a fork or knife in the middle to check for doneness. Don't over bake. These freeze really well too.

Poo Cookies

1 cube butter
½ cup milk (I used non-fat)
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
3 Tbsp. Cocoa powder
2/3 cup peanut butter
3 cups oats

Melt butter. Add milk, sugar and vanilla and continue to boil. Add cocoa and simmer. Add peanut butter. Add oats and remove from heat. Spoon mixture onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Put in fridge until chilled. 

If you are in a hurry or in a lazy mood, just melt the butter and dump everything else in except the oats.  Mix together and bring it to a boil and let it boil for 1-2 minutes then add the oats and mix well.  Then continue as outlined above.

From Nicole McBeth (mom’s childhood friend and then roommate at BYU)

These cookies are almost the same as Michelle's "No Bake Cookies."

Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
4 cups flour
5 cups oatmeal “powder”
2 tsp. Baking powder
2 tsp. Baking soda
2 bags of Chocolate Chips (or white chocolate chips or toffee pieces or whatever)

Cream together butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs. Make oatmeal powder by placing small amounts of oatmeal into a blender until it turns to powder (measure the oats before blending). Add oatmeal, flour and other dry ingredients. Mix well. Add chips. For golf ball sized cookies and bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Or better yet, roll into balls and freeze.

Snickerdoodles

3 ¾ cups flour
½ tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Cream of tartar
1 cup butter (tastes better than margarine)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. real vanilla (tastes better than imitation vanilla)

Topping:
3 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Soften the butter and leave the eggs on the counter for a little while to warm to room temperature if possible. Mix butter, sugar and eggs. Add milk and vanilla and mix. Add dry ingredients. Mix 3 Tbsp. Sugar and 1 tsp. Cinnamon in bowl for topping. With your hands, roll dough into balls and then roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Be sure to take the cookies out BEFORE they look completely done if you want that soft texture.