Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (sugar, oil, eggs, and flour-free!)

The Skinny:
Servings: 18 • Size: 1 Cookie • Calories: 99.3 • Fat: 5.1 g • Carb: 12.3 g • Fiber: 1.6 g • Protein: 2.9 g • Sugar: 4.4 g • Sodium: 91.1 mg

Ingredients:
2 Ripe Bananas, Mashed
1/3 C. Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
2/3 C. Unsweetened Applesauce
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
Dash of Ground Cloves
Dash of Ground Nutmeg
1 1/2 C. Quick or Old Fashioned Oats
1/4 C. Nuts (I used dry unsalted peanuts.)
1/4 C. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/4 C. Reduced Fat Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (Optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Mix together the bananas, peanut butter, applesauce, vanilla, and spices.  Add in the oats, nuts, chocolate chips, and coconut; stir until well combined.

Spoon a rounded 2 tbsp. of the cookie mixture onto the lined baking sheet, leaving an inch or two between each and flatten slightly. I placed a few more chocolate chips on top of each cookie. Bake for 20-30 minutes and allow to cool slightly.

For a healthy cookie, these were actually pretty tasty! And they actually turned out just like the picture, which is always an added bonus! :)

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup of creamy or crunchy peanut butter
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
optional add ins: 1 cup chocolate chips, mini-mini pb cups, pb chips (choose one or combo)

Simple Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix four simple ingredients thoroughly by hand or with electric mixer.
Stir in optional add in(s).
Drop by tablespoonful onto cookie sheet, press down a bit with the back of a fork or spoon.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, depending on your desired chewy/crispy-ness.

Note:  I usually double this recipe because it makes ~18 cookies...which only lasts 24 hours in my house.  (Ahem - Greg ;)

Toasted Coconut Bread

Source

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups (295 ml) milk
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups (315 grams) all-purpose or whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (your choice)
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
5 ounces (140 grams) sweetened flaked coconut (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
Nonstick cooking spray for baking pan

Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla.
3.  In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add sugar and coconut, and stir to mix.
4.  Make a well in the center, and pour in egg mixture, then stir wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Add yogurt, and stir until just smooth — be careful not to overmix.
5.  Coat with cooking spray and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
6.  Spread batter in pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, anywhere from 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
7.  Cool in pan five minutes, before turning out onto a cooling rack.

This recipe is adapted from smittenkitchen.com

Chocolate Chip Chickpea Blondies with Sea Salt - No flour, no sugar, vegan

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 2 cans (15 oz ea.) chickpeas/garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup all natural peanut butter
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup 
• 4 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips plus 1/4 c 
• sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray 9x13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a food processor or good blender (my Ninja rocked this without a problem), add all ingredients except chocolate chips and process until batter is smooth. Add in 2/3 cup of chocolate chips. Have you seen the darker semi-sweet chocolate chips from Costco? Yum!
3. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan then sprinkle and lightly press 1/4 c chocolate chips on top. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and edges are starting to brown. 
4. Cool for AT LEAST 20 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt then cut into squares. Makes 32 blondies which ring in at roughly 120 calories each.

You could actually modify this recipe a bunch of different ways using different nut butters or different sweeteners like agave or honey.  I just wrote the recipe exactly how I made it.  I took some to my hubby at work to share with his team as well as to my mother in law.  I had 3 emails/texts by the end of the day asking if I was going to post the recipe to the blog.  So, I guess that means it's blog-worthy! Ha!  I will admit, I was *pleasantly* surprised by the sweet flavor and texture.  Definitely a good substitute for a fully-loaded treat.  Repeater recipe for sure! Photo credit (first photo) and recipe inspiration from ambitiouskitchen.com

Reece's Pieces Pastel Egg Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 c peanut butter
• 1 c sugar, plus some left aside
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 Tbsp baking soda
• 2 c flour
• 1/2 c chocolate chips
• 1 bag Reece's Pieces Pastel Eggs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Cream together butter, peanut butter, both sugars, vanilla, eggs and baking soda with a mixer.
• Add 1 c flour and continue to mix with mixer. 
• Add the rest of the flour and mix with wooden spoon. Check texture. If dough is not sticky, you're ready to roll. If it is still sticky, slowly add more flour until it's not. 
• Stir in chocolate chips.
• Roll dough into small balls (about an inch in diameter), then roll them in extra sugar.
• Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes. 
• As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place 2 Reece's Pieces Pastel Eggs on top and let cool.

Recipe from Cupcake Diaries

These were absolutely delicious and a cute Easter treat! 

Healthy Baked Apples

Ingredients: 

• 2 large apples, cut in half and cored 
• 2 T brown sugar 
• 1/4 c quick oats 
• pinch of cinnamon 
• olive oil 
• optional: whip cream or vanilla ice cream 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350º. 
2. Cut apples in half and remove core and seeds with a small pairing knife or spoon. 
3. In a small bowl combine brown sugar and oats. 
4. Spray/rub apple halves with olive oil, then spoon on top of the apple halves and sprinkle with cinnamon. 
5. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. 
6. Serve warm with fat free whipped cream or low fat ice cream. 

I have a serious love of apple pie, but NOT the calories associated with it! It can be 400-600 calories a SLICE! Ugh. That doesn't count the ice cream or whip cream that must accompany it! With a 1/4c whip cream on each, these weigh in at 96 calories each! Without the whip cream, you could slice these up and eat them for breakfast! Deeeeelicious!

Banana "Ice Cream"

This picture is looking straight into my blender!  Thick and creamy!

Ingredients:

• 4 bananas (the more ripe the better)
• 1 cup vanilla almond milk (you could use any milk, maybe add a teaspoon of vanilla to regular milk or vanilla soy milk)
• 4 T Chocolate syrup (optional) - you could also use other toppings like chocolate chips, nuts, etc.

Directions:

1. Slice bananas in advance and lay out on cookie sheet or cutting board and freeze solid.  Slices can be touching, but not in stacks.
2. Blend bananas and milk in blender (or food processor) until smooth and creamy.
3. Top with toppings and serve immediately.  Melts fast!

Ummm... this has to be one of my favorite recipes to date.  My whole family freaked out over it.  It can serve 4 smaller bowls (125 calories + topping) or split between 2 for larger servings (250 calories + topping).  It's seriously just bananas and milk.  The only downside is that you have to think ahead and freeze the banana... or wait for your bananas to ripen.  After you taste this, you will see why waiting at all is definitely a downside!  I can see why the bananas need to be sliced before being frozen as this is a bit of an initial load on the blender as it gets started mixing.  Probably need a beefier blender or use a food processor on this one. This is a recipe I found and modified off of Pinterest.  DELICIOUS!!!!

Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
3 cups quick-cooking oats
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup peanut butter

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, mix sugar, margarine, and milk; bring to a full, rolling boil over med heat. (full, rolling boil = large bubbles rising to surface that can't be stirred down).
2. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla, stirring until peanut butter is melted; stir in oats.
4. Working quickly, drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and let cool and set-up completely.  You can expedite this process by refrigerating the cookies.

Fruit and Oat Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups low-fat oat bran muffin mix (1 box, I used FiberOne)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup walnuts (or other favorite nuts) chopped
3 cups fresh berries of your choice
1/2-3/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Microwave berries and sugar for two minutes, set aside to let cool.  Place butter, muffin mix, oats and nuts into a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Press half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan firmly.  Spread the berries mixture over the top evenly.  Top with remaining crumb mixture and press until firm.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until top is lightly brown, making sure not to over bake.  Cool completely and cut into bars.  Delish!

Note:  This is a super quick and easy way to make fruit and oat bars, but I am sure there is a healthier, more complicated recipe if you're interested.

Cinnabon-ish Cinnamon Roll Cake

I found the recipe for this cake on www.sixsistersstuff.com/.  I adapted the recipe because I had already purchased a boxed cake mix from Trader Joe's and wanted to use it...and it was less time consuming for sure!

Ingredients for cake:

1 box vanilla cake mix (I highly recommend TJ's Madagascar Vanilla Cake)
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon  flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1/3 cup nuts, walnuts or pecans (optional, I didn't use)

for icing:

1 cup powdered sugar
2.5 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla


Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Follow the cake mix's instructions for making the vanilla cake and pour into an 8 x 8 or 9 x9 cake pan that has been sprayed with Pam.  Then, mix together the remaining ingredients: softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and optional nuts.  Drop cinnamon/sugar filling by spoonfuls into the cake pan, and use a knife to swirl around the cinnamon/sugar filling to join it nicely with the vanilla cake.  Bake cake for 25-30 minutes.

Let cake cool for no more than 10 minutes.  While cake is cooling, mix together ingredients for the icing.  Drizzle icing over the top of the still-warm cake and serve immediately.  It is best eaten while it is still warm and gooey!

Coconut Cream Cake

Recipe from food network

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 1 1/3 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• Fine sea salt
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can sweetened cream of coconut, well stirred (recommended: Coco Lopez)
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
• 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut mixed with 1 1/2 cups toasted sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) diameter cake pans with 2-inch high sides.

Pour the flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Use a whisk to stir together. This will get rid of any lumps and pseudo-sift the ingredients. In a separate large bowl, beat the sugar, butter and sweetened cream of coconut until fluffy and it resembles whipped cream, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir to incorporate all the ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, beat in 1/2 the dry ingredients, followed by the buttermilk, and the remaining dry ingredients, scraping down the sides in between each addition, just until blended.
Using clean, dry beaters, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt in another clean large bowl until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Cook's Note: You want to get the most volume from your egg whites, that's why it is essential that the beaters and bowl are clean. Just to be safe, I like to wipe the bowl out with a dash of vinegar, white or apple cider is best. The vinegar cuts through any fat in the bowl leaving only a sparkling bowl behind. And don't worry, you won't be able to taste the vinegar-I promise!
In batches, fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, being careful not to deflate the whites. Divide the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Spread the batter with an offset spatula to level the batter in the pan. Bake the cakes until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans on a wire rack, about 10 minutes. Gently run a small sharp knife around the pan sides to loosen the cakes. Cook's Note: As the cakes cool they will shrink slightly, pulling away from the sides of the pan. By running the knife around the sides of the pan you are helping in the process by taking away any resistance. Turn the cakes out onto the racks and cool completely.
With a pastry brush, gently brush any crumbs from the cooled cake layers. If the cake baked up with a slight dome in the center, you can trim it to even it out or just remember to place that cake layer dome-side down on the cake plate. Place 1 cake layer, flat-side up, on a cake plate. Spread 1 heaping cup Cream Cheese Frosting over the cake layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border of cake around the edge. This will give the filling a place to go or spread when the second cake layer is placed on top-you don't want it to bulge out the sides!
Sprinkle 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut mix over the frosting. Top with the second cake layer, flat-side up. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. For a retro look, I like swoopy swirls. The best way to achieve it is to spread the frosting using the back of a spoon. It's that easy!
Sprinkle the remaining coconut mix over the cake, gently pressing into the sides to adhere. Coconut Layer Cake can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut, well stirred (recommended: Coco Lopez)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Fine sea salt

Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and beat until smooth. Add the sugar, sweetened cream of coconut, vanilla extract and pinch of sea salt and beat until well blended, scraping down the sides as needed, for about 3 more minutes.

No Bake Pumpkin CheeseCAKE

 

Ingredients: 

3 8 ounce packages lowfat cream cheese
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
13.5 full-sized graham crackers

Directions:

Beat cream cheese and sugar together in a large bowl until completely combined and cream cheese has softened up.  Add pumpkin puree, whipping cream and vanilla, beating until the mixture is completely combined and fluffy.

Line a 9"x9" ungreased baking pan with 4.5 graham crackers, followed by 4-5 big scoops of the filling. Repeat the layers two more times, ending with the filling as the top layer:

  
  
  

Cover cake with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.  Do not cheat, do not eat early!  Because I promise you, if you let it set up overnight, the filling will become thick and rich and the layers will be like thin thin cake.  And you will see, it. is. heavenly.



You may be tempted to add spices, but I highly recommend leaving it simple.  Unbaked pumpkin has a very subtle flavor and will be overpowered by any spices.  If you allow the pumpkin to shine, you'll be so happy you did.

Recipe and pictures from Farm Chicks Blog

Mama Marsh's Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Ingredients:

• 4 c unsifted all-purpose flour (I use whole wheat flour)
• 2 c quick or old fashioned oats, uncooked
• 2 t baking soda
• 2 t ground cinnamon
• 1 t salt
• 1 1/2 c butter, softened
• 2 c firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 c granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 15oz can Libby's solid pack pumpkin
• 1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine, flour, oats, soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy.
4. Add egg and vanilla; mix well.
5. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition.  
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Bake for 15 minutes until cookies are firm and lightly browned.
8. Remove from cookie sheets and cool on wire racks.

Tiffany's mom, Lynda, shared this recipe with us years ago and it has been a favorite ever since.  She is a master cook and can bake like none other.  Love going to Tiffany's Halloween party every year where her mom always brings these treats to share!  These cookies are almost as sweet as she is... almost!

"Hello, Yummy!" Bars

These bars have been called anything from Hello Dolly Bars, Magic Cookie Bars, to Seven Layer Bars.  I made them from a childhood memory, so I titled as I wanted :)

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, cut into large pieces
3 cups graham crackers crumbs (about 16 graham crackers, pulsed in a food processor)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (most of a small can)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the butter into tablespoon sized pieces, lay in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan and place in the oven until just melted when stirred (this takes about 7 minutes, be careful not to brown the butter). Add graham cracker crumbs. Mix and then press evenly into the bottom of the baking pan.
Add all of the remaining ingredients, except the sweetened condensed milk to a large bowl.  Gently stir the chips through pecans together and then mound on top of graham cracker base, spreading out the ingredients evenly. Pour sweetened condensed milk over whole mixture.
Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is light brown. "Hello, Yummy!"

Revel Bars

Ingredients:

3 cups quick cooking oats
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 2 1/4 c whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, beat together 1 cup butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt; stir into butter mixture. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Pat 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over the top, and dot with remaining oat mixture.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in preheated oven. Let cool on a wire rack, then cut into bars.

I ended up making these to share at a get together we went to and didn't want to post the recipe until I had the reviews of the folks who tried it.  I was a little nervous bringing something I've never made before, but it had great reviews (5 stars!).  I think Carla put it best... something like this dessert is "God's gift to mankind"...lol! So yes, they were a hit!  And as promised, the recipe is now posted for sharing.  Definitely thought serving still slightly warm with a bit of vanilla ice cream was pretty heavenly and will be a repeater for sure!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Recipe from Smittenkitchen.com

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth is what I used)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
In your mixing bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern (I used the back of a small offset spatula to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.
Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1-2 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Butterscotch Cashew Bars

Ingredients:

Crust:
2 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, cold
1 1/8 cups light brown sugar, packed

Topping:
1 2/3 cups butterscotch chips
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups cashew pieces, roasted and salted

Directions:

Position one rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350˚. Grease a 12 x 17-inch sheet pan lightly with softened butter and line it with aluminum foil, pressing the foil up the sides of the pan and into the corners. Grease the foil with softened butter.

To make the crust, In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the flour and salt. Dice the butter into 1-inch pieces and place half in the food processor with the flour. Pulse for a few seconds. Add half of the brown sugar and pulse again, and then add the remaining butter and brown sugar and process for 20 to 30 seconds until a coarse meal is formed and the dough is just beginning to gather into a ball. If you don’t have a food processor, follow the same procedure but cut the butter into the flour, alternating with the brown sugar, using a pastry blender to form a coarse meal. The dough will be a little crumbly but will almost form a ball.

Spread the crust evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Pat it gently and evenly into the pan all the way into the corners. Be careful not to pack it down too much or the crust will become tough. Bake it for 5 minutes then prick the dough lightly with a fork all over, and return the pan to the oven and bake for about 10 more minutes. The crust should be slightly browned and soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool for several minutes. Do not turn off the oven.

To make the topping, In a medium saucepan, add the butterscotch chips, corn syrup, butter, water, and salt and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the chips have melted completely and the topping has just begun to simmer, about 5 minutes.

Stir the cashew pieces into the hot topping and spread it evenly over the baked crust. Try to spread it out to the corners if possible, but the topping will spread into any bare spots during baking.

Bake again for 11 to 15 minutes, or until the surface is brown and very bubbly.

Allow the bars to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting them into bars. (I used a pizza cutter to slice)


I originally tasted these for the first time when my friend, Amy Wilcox, made them for me.  I died ten times when I tasted them and begged her for the recipe which comes from a cookbook called The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread.  Since my step-mom loves nuts, I thought this would be a great treat to make for her birthday... and dinner club... and my mom... and my hubby.  Yeah, they're famazing!

Banana Cookies w/Chocolate Chips

 Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup mashed banana (2 to 3 medium)
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375F degrees. For best results line cookies with silicone liners, or parchment paper. Alternatively, lightly spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium size bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, spices, baking soda, and salt until well blended and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
Beat in the egg and mashed bananas, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary to make sure everything is well blended.
Stir in the flour mixture with the mixer on low speed or with a wooden spoon just until combined.
Stir in the the nuts, if using.
Drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until no indentation remains when touched, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately transfer cookies to a wire rack with a spatula and allow to cool completely before storing.

Katharine Hepburn's Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
• 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Melt together 1 stick butter and 2 squares unsweetened chocolate and take the saucepan off the heat.

2. Stir in 1 cup sugar, add 2 eggs and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and beat the mixture well.

3. Stir in 1/3 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. (In the original recipe, 1 cup chopped walnuts is added here as well.)

4. Bake the brownies in a buttered and floured 8-inch-square pan at 325°F for about 30-35 minutes. 

This recipe is only slightly modified from epicurious.com based on a reader suggestion.  My step mom, Kris, made these for us and they are so ridiculously good I had to make them myself to share with dinner club!  We definitely added the walnuts... amazing!  These are a more "fudgy" brownie as opposed to a "cakey" brownie, so make sure that suits you.  Phenomenal and very easy to make!

Brown Sugar Brownies

 Ingredients:

1 cup packed golden brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 eggs
2 ounces of unsweetened or German chocolate, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 8x8x2-inch baking pan.  In mixer bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Beat in chocolate, then flour.  Stir in walnuts.  Pour batter into pan.  Bake 25-30 minutes.  Cool in pan and cut into bars.

These brownies are lighter in color and chocolate flavor, but very sweet and delicious, with no need for frosting!