Sugar Cookies with Lemon and Nutmeg (Vegan)

Sugar Cookies with Lemon and Nutmeg (Vegan)

Now that my husband has joined me in a plant based/vegan diet, we are seeking out lots of new recipes.  My husband has quite a sweet tooth so I make a treat to have in the house now and again and he’s trying to be good about limiting his portions.  Of course I enjoying having any excuse to bake and try new recipes.

I asked him what sweet treat he wanted after we finished off some yummy and healthy blueberry muffins the other day.  He said, “Sugar Cookies!”  Most vegan sugar cookies I found call for vegan butter or vegan buttery spread.  I’ve never purchased these items so I looked for a recipe which used oil instead of “butter”.  I found a great looking recipe on a blog called “The Mostly Vegan” and the recipe turned out great.  Here is the recipe link:

https://www.themostlyvegan.com/soft-baked-vegan-sugar-cookies/

As if often the case with me, I decided to modify the recipe.  The sugar cookies I typically make are my husband’s Grandma’s recipe.  Unlike many sugar cookie recipes, Grandma’s recipe does not contain vanilla or vanilla extract; instead the cookies are flavored with finely grated fresh lemon zest and ground nutmeg.  The new recipe I was using called for vanilla so I just left that out. The new recipe I was using also called for adding colorful sprinkles to the cookie dough so the sprinkles were dispersed all through the dough.  I think that idea is brilliant but I had a feeling my husband would not like that.  So in my version of the cookies, I did not add any sprinkles to the dough but I added some colored sugar to the tops of my cookies as you can see in the photos.  

I am looking forward to making the new recipe again and will try it out with the sprinkles IN the dough. I think my friends at my fabulous local yarn store (Yarned & Dangerous, Canon City, Colorado) will like the colorful cookies!

Sugar Cookies with Lemon and Nutmeg

Based on a recipe found on “The Mostly Vegan” blog; Original recipe can be found here:

https://www.themostlyvegan.com/soft-baked-vegan-sugar-cookies/

• 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (if using a finer grain salt, use just 1/2 teaspoon salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated if you have it)
• 1 cup organic cane sugar
• ½ cup neutral vegetable oil 
• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• finely grated lemon zest/peel from one small to medium sized lemon (I used a Microplane grater to finely remove/grate the yellow part only) 

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. 
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar with oil, water, apple cider vinegar, and fresh lemon zest until smooth and incorporated.
3. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until well combined.  At this point you can refrigerate the dough or bake it right away. The original recipe suggests refrigerating the dough first so that the cookies do not spread too much while baking. I baked my cookies right away without first chilling the dough and I am happy with how the cookies turned out.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Use an ice cream scoop or 2 tablespoon measuring spoon to portion dough into small mounds. Press down gently on the mounds with your palm to flatten slightly. Decorate the top of each cookie as desired (sprinkles, colored sugar, whatever you prefer on your sugar cookies).
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The cookies should be puffed up and very lightly browned on the bottom (but not on the edges or tops). Remove from oven and allow to cool on the pan for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining cookies.  
6. Cookies will deflate slightly while cooling. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

It like that my husband is trying out a plant based diet with me.  He’s open to trying out lots of new recipes which is fun for me since I love to cook so much.  Some recipes have been hits and there have been some clunkers.  My husband has quite a sweet tooth so yesterday he asked for some cookies.  I did a Google search for “vegan cookies with oil” and tried out this recipe.  I have to admit that my cookies were not 100 percent plant based.  The mini-chocolate chips I used contained contained some dairy.  Dairy free chocolate chips are available; I just have not yet purchased any.  We still have some items at home that we will eventually up that are not 100 percent plant based.  My husband really likes these cookies.  I did not try them myself. I have a yucky head cold and I really can’t taste much.  In this recipe, you can use coconut oil, extra virgin olive, or a neutral oil such as avocado oil.  I went with avocado oil.  The recipe also specifies you can use coconut sugar or brown sugar.  I got some coconut sugar on clearance recently so this was a good opportunity to try it out.  I have to say I was worried about these cookies being weird with the avocado oil and coconut sugar, but my husband gives these cookies two thumbs up.

Recipe source:

https://cookieandkate.com/amazing-chocolate-chip-cookies/

ingredients

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (I used a lesser amount of mini-chocolate chips)
• 2/3 cup lightly packed coconut sugar or 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used coconut sugar)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil (I used avocado oil)
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
• Maldon flaky sea salt for sprinkling (optional - I omitted this)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine, then add the chocolate chips and toss to coat.
2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut sugar, regular sugar, oil and water. Whisk until the sugar has incorporated into the oil and the mixture is smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, then stir just until combined and no more flour is visible (don’t overdo it).
4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Fill an ice cream scoop two-thirds with dough (or spoon the mixture into even 2-inch mounds), and place the dough onto one of the prepared sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, leaving several inches of space around each cookie.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake until the edges are just starting to turn golden, about 14 to 17 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a cooling rack and sprinkle the cookies with flaky salt, if using. Repeat with the remaining cookies.

Simple Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan)

Simple Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan)

In mid-November 2019, I decided to transition to a whole foods, plant based (WFPB) diet. I was compelled to do so after being told my cholesterol levels are still high after maintaining a 30 pound weight loss in the past few years.  When my blood work was taken for the most recent test, I had been following a Whole30 Meal Template and admittedly I was eating a lot of higher cholesterol foods such as eggs and chicken thighs.  A lot!

Since transitioning to a WFPB diet, I have felt amazing.  I really thought I would be hungry all the time or perhaps tired from not having enough protein, but that has not been the case at all. I feel great and I have a ton of energy. I'll have my cholesterol levels checked again in a few weeks and I am anxious to see if changing my diet has improved my cholesterol levels.

I think my husband has been inspired by seeing how great I've felt after eliminating all animal products from my diet. The other day, he was asking if I could make some oatmeal cookies and I was surprised when he asked me to make him some vegan oatmeal cookies.  I found this recipe and he loves these cookies. I think they are great too!  I am sure we'll make these cookies frequently; they are so wholesome I think they would be great even for breakfast.  My husband thinks they would be good if I added in some chopped pecans.  I think I'd like to really go crazy with "add ins" in my cookies... raisins, chia seeds, and sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds sound good to me.

HERE IS THE RECIPE LINK:

https://cleangreensimple.com/recipe/oatmeal-cookies/

Here is the recipe for SIMPLE OATMEAL COOKIES

Author: Jessica Verma

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked rolled oats make sure to use GF oats if you can't have any gluten
• 3/4 cups All-Purpose GF Flour
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup safflower canola, or other neutral oil
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
• About 3/4 of a medium banana
• 1/2 cup raisins optional - you could also add nuts, or chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl - make sure to blend it well enough that there's no chunks of banana.
• Place rounded spoonfuls of dough onto a cookie sheet and bake for about 7-10 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from oven and let the cookies finish baking on the cookie sheet for about 5 more minutes. Enjoy!

Oat, Peanut Butter, and Banana Dog Treats

Oat, Peanut Butter, and Banana Dog Treats

I am posting about my efforts to make dog treats at home.  Our boy dog, Brutus, seems to have some food sensitivities and we are trying to make treats which contain no chicken or chicken by products (including eggs) and no wheat.  The dogs liked these treats but the recipe needs some work. I found the recipe on line on a blog called "Damn Delicious" and, and right away, I questioned how the "dough" would hold together.  I think it might be a good idea to pulverize the oats (or just some of the oats) in the food processor before making this cookie dough.  I just made a half of a batch.  I will try this recipe again since the dogs seemed to like them.  I tried the cookies myself.  I was of the opinion that the cookies were good but would be better if they were drenched in semi-sweet chocolate!  :) 

Oat, Peanut Butter, and Banana Dog Treats

Ingredients:

• 3 cups old fashioned oats, or more, as needed
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, bananas, peanut butter and coconut oil. Add an additional 2 tablespoons oats at a time just until the dough is no longer sticky.
3. Working on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 3-4 times until it comes together. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes and place onto the prepared baking sheet.  Alternatively, use a cookie scoop to portion out the dough and flatten the cookies with your fingers before baking.
4. Place into oven and bake until the edges are golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.

RECIPE SOURCE:

http://damndelicious.net/2016/01/25/peanut-butter-banana-dog-treats/

Mace Lemon Sugar Cookies

Mace Lemon Sugar Cookies 

I received a nice big assortment of spices as a gift not too long ago.  How fun is that!? The box contained many spices I've never used or purchased before.  Celery Salt, California Sweet Basil, French Thyme, White Pepper, Marjoram, Turkish Seasoning, Vietnamese Cinnamon, and Double Strength Pure Vanilla Extract.  I started to search around on the internet for some inspiration as to how to use some of these spices and, when I was looking up mace, I found that mace and nutmeg are related. Specifically, I learned this:

The nutmeg tree, Myristica fragrans, is the only tree that produces two separate spices. The fruit contains a hard pit, which is a nutmeg, while the lacy red membrane which surrounds it is mace. The delicate membrane is carefully peeled away from the shell of the nutmeg and spread to dry in the sun, fading from bright red to orangy-brown as it dries.

Mace is a common ingredient in Northern European cooking, showing up in hearty vegetable dishes, cream sauces, and sausages. In baking, mace can be used as a substitute for nutmeg; its mellower flavor is especially nice with fruits or delicate pastries. It’s delicious in pumpkin pie or baked winter squash dishes.

SOURCE:  https://www.thespicehouse.com/mace-blade

Since I love cookies, the first thought I had was to use the mace in some sugar cookies.  I did not have to look far to find a great sounding recipe and, as luck would have it, I had all the ingredients on hand.  And they way my brain works, if I have all the ingredients on hand, the Universe is telling me that I MUST bake these cookies.  I made the cookies and they were fantastic. 

I think these sugar cookies are unusual because the recipe calls for brown sugar and vegetable oil.  The recipe specifies the flour should be sifted but I was too lazy for that.  Also, the recipe specifies that the dough balls should be flattened using a buttered drinking glass.  My dough was very moist and loose and I did not feel the cookies needed to be flattened.  Instead, I portioned out the dough using my cookie scoop and then just sprinkled a very small amount of the sugar topping on each cookie.  As you can see from the photos, the cookies spread out nicely.  Since I did not flatten the cookies with a buttered drinking glass coated in the sugar topping, I probably only used a few teaspoons of the sugar topping and threw the rest away.  When I make this recipe again, I'll just measure out a few teaspoons of sugar for the topping and add in just a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of mace.  The recipe source is here:

http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/cooking/you-asked-for-it-lemon-mace-cookies/984402

LEMON MACE SUGAR COOKIES

COOKIE DOUGH:

2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. mace
2 eggs
2/3 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 tsp. lemon juice

TOPPING (see notes above)

1/4 c. white sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. mace

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and mace. combine remaining ingredients and beat until thick. Stir in dry ingredients and beat until thick. Drop by teaspoons on greased cookie sheet. Combine sugar, nutmeg and mace. Lightly butter bottom of a glass; dip in sugar mixture and press cookies flat (see notes above). Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Clementine Cookies with Craisins and Chia

CLEMENTINE COOKIES WITH CRAISINS & CHIA

The other day, I made some cookies with Bob's Red Mill Muesli.  I loved adding the wholesome Muesli to the cookies but that recipe needed a bit of work.  My observation was that the cookie dough was very wet.  I looked at the recipe on the Bob's Red Mill website and see others also found the dough to be too wet.  I decided to give this recipe another try but I put my own twist on the cookies.  I wanted to try an orange-cranberry version and they turned out great.  I used what I had on hand which included some chia seed, the zest of some little clementines (mandarin orange or a naval orange would also work), and some reduced sugar Craisins.  I also increased the amount of flour from 3/4 cup to 1 cup and that solved the problem of the dough being too wet.

Clementine Cookies with Craisins and Chia

1 cup white whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional/can be omitted)
2/3 cups applesauce, unsweetened
3/4 cup brown sugar, not packed, measured loosely
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup Bob's Red Mill Muesli
1/2 cup Craisins, I used the reduced sugar variety
finely grated zest from two clementines or two mandarin oranges (Halos or Cuties) or the finely grated zest from naval orange; I recommend a Microplane grater to zest the citrus peel

Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients including flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and chia seed (if using).

In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients including applesauce, brown sugar, vanilla, egg, orange zest. 

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients all at once and stir until nearly combined; add in the Craisins and the Muesli and stir just until combined.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto the parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes.  Makes 28 to 30 cookies. 

Muesli Cookies

Bob's Red Mill Muesli Cookies

I bought this Muesli a few months back after I had been to Seattle.  At the Pike Place Market in Seattle I had the most amazing yogurt topped with Muesli.  It was delicious.  I intended to have this with yogurt at home but still have not tried that. I did, however, notice that there was a recipe for cookies on the back of the bag.  And, since I had all the ingredients on hand, I decided to give the recipe a try. 

This cookie batter was very wet.  The cookies still had a great texture and great flavor when they were warm out of the oven, but I was worried some of the cookies were going to stick to the parchment paper.  I put the cooled cookies in a plastic storage container with a tight fitting lid and the cookies had a very moist and sticky texture the next day. I decided to freeze the cookies.

You know how ice cream sandwiches have a sticky texture when you eat them and you have to lick or scrape the chocolate cookie part of the ice cream sandwich off your fingers after you eat an ice cream sandwich?  Well, these cookies are like that.  So it got me to thinking these cookies would make great ice cream sandwiches.  I will be on the look out for a small tub of vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream and I am going to try it out. 

I guess what I learned from these cookies is that I think the recipe needs more flour.  I did look on the Bob's Red Mill website and see that others also mention their dough was very wet.  I think I'll try this recipe again and increase the flour from 3/4 cup to 1 cup.  Here's another thought. I've read some other cookie recipes which call for applesauce and the recipe author specifies that you should measure out the applesauce and then dump the applesauce onto some paper towels to wick away some of the excess moisture. That might work for the Bob's Red Mill recipe, too. 

When I was looking around on the Bob's Red Mill website, I found two versions of this recipe.  One recipe calls for applesauce, which is the recipe I tried from the product label, and the other recipe calls for butter.  Here are the two versions: 

Applesauce Version:  http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes/how-to-make/chocolate-chip-applesauce-muesli-cookies/

Butter Version:  http://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes/how-to-make/chocolate-chip-muesli-cookies/

NOTE:  I RECOMMEND INCREASING THE FLOUR FROM 3/4 CUP TO 1 CUP OTHERWISE THE DOUGH WILL BE TOO WET.

I have another cup or so of this Muesli; I will give this recipe a try again someday with some modifications.  I like the idea of such wholesome additions to a cookie.  In case you can't read it in the photos, this Muesli contains whole grain oats, wheat, rye, triticale, and barley, along with dates, raisins, sunflower seeds, almonds and raisins.  Good stuff!

Healthy Cookies: Bananas, Oats, Almonds, and Raisins

Back from our hike; treats for me and treats for the dogs...

I honestly believe having a baked good every day makes the world a better place. Well, it makes MY WORLD a better place.  

I just love having a cup of tea or a cup of coffee and a baked treat every single day.  But a baked treat each and every day probably is not good for my waistline... so I love the idea of healthy cookies. It seems like a good compromise.

These cookies are based on cookies I've seen on the blog called "Skinnytaste" (www.skinnytaste.com).  The basic recipe is 2 ripe bananas and 1 cup of quick or instant oats and you can add in other tasty bits. I've made this recipe before and added chopped walnuts and chocolate chips.  This time, I added in peanut butter, raisins, and chopped raw almonds.  Next time, I plan to add in peanut butter, chopped almonds, and mini-chocolate chips.  But this time, it was all about using up my ripe bananas and using what was already in my cupboards.

These cookies do taste very healthy but I enjoy them!  Another great thing about these cookies is that they freeze well. I portioned them out (two cookies in a snack sized Ziploc plastic bag) and placed all the cookies in the freezer.  Before I went for a hike with the dogs this morning, I pulled out a baggie of cookies and they were perfectly thawed by the time we got home.

Healthy Cookies:  Bananas, Oats, Almonds, and Raisins

2 medium ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup uncooked quick/instant oats

2 tablespoons peanut butter (I used extra chunky)

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup raw almonds, finely chopped (I used my Pampered Chef food chopper)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a non-stick cookie sheet with cooking spray or line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the mashed banana, oats, and peanut butter in a bowl.  Add in the raisins and almonds.  Stir well until combined.

Portion out the dough using a cookie scoop.  Cookies should measure approximately 1 tablespoon in size.  Place the cookies a few inches apart on the cookie sheet.  Flatten the cookies with your fingertips before baking.

Bake 15 minutes.

Makes 16 cookies (8 servings)

Notice how the cookies are flattened out before baking...

These cookies have a moist, soft texture and freeze well.  I love the addition of crunchy nuts for some contrast in texture.

Do you like the looks of the dog treats above?  Here is the RECIPE LINK.

Oatmeal Raisin Maple Pecan Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cinnamon Pecan Maple Cookies?
Maple Cinnamon Pecan Raisin Oatmeal Cookies?
Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Maple Pecan Cookies?

I don't know what to call these cookies?  They are a bit healthier than your average cookie and not too sweet.  Whatever you call them, my friends down at the knit shop enjoyed them so I decided I should type up the recipe.

Last week, I made up some "Almond Joy Cookies" (here is the LINK to that recipe). As you might expect, those cookies tasted a bit like the candy called "Almond Joy" and contained coconut, coconut oil, almond extract, and chocolate.  I loved these cookies and my friends down at the knit shop enjoyed them as well.  Even one gal who doesn't really like coconut liked the Almond Joy cookies.

For the Oatmeal Raisin Cinnamon Pecan Maple Cookies, I just switched up the ingredients to make a new cookie.  This is one of those recipes where it's easy to change up just a few ingredients and you have a new cookie recipe.  One of the gals at the knit shop said she enjoyed the raisin version more than the Almond Joy version.  Look at all my scientific survey taking.  Should I just share the recipe now?  Okay, here goes:

Oatmeal Raisin Cinnamon Pecan Maple Cookies
(Feel free to call them whatever you like)

1 cup (100 grams) quick or instant oats **
3/4 cup (90 grams) white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour **
1/8 teaspoon salt (I used iodized salt)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons coconut, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup maple syrup, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Whisk together the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring just until incorporated. Fold in the raisins and pecans. Chill for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 325°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
3. Drop the cookie dough into 24 rounded scoops onto the prepared sheet. Flatten the cookies slightly with your fingers. Bake at 325°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the pan for about 10 minutes.
4. Store in an air tight container or a zip close plastic bag.

** It's important to measure these two ingredients carefully so that the cookies do not fall apart.  To measure both the flour and the oats, lightly spoon them into the measuring cup until the measuring cup is overflowing, then drag the flat backside of a knife across the top to level it off.  Do NOT scoop the flour or the oats directly out of the container with the measuring cup or pack them in. This can result in adding too much flour and oats to the dough and the cookies will not turn out.  If you have a digital kitchen scale, weight measurements are also provided which makes for a super accurate measurement. 

DON'T WORRY!  The cookie dough will have a rather wet looking texture when you first combine the wet and dry ingredients.  That is why the dough gets chilled for 30 minutes before baking; it gives the oats and flour a chance to soak up some of that moisture.

These cookies DO NOT flatten out or spread when they bake, so flatten them out with your fingers prior to baking.  They will puff up slightly from the baking powder.

I made a deal with myself this morning. I said that if I walked 10,000 steps on my hike with the dogs this morning, then I could bake cookies today.  We had a great hike and the sunrise was spectacular.  It was even better in person.

It just kept getting better and better...

By 8:20 am, we had hiked 57 floors, over 4 miles, and just over 10,000 steps.  Yay!  Cookie time!

Almond Joy Cookies

Almond Joy Cookies

from www.amyshealthybaking.com

The other day, I made up a batch of brownies for my husband.  Well, that was my intent, but I helped him eat them. The recipe is fantastic and a little on the healthier side.  The recipe is HERE if you'd like to see that post.  The recipe is rather low fat, the brownies contain both yogurt and applesauce, and the end result is a dense, delicious, and great brownie.  As I was making these brownies, I decided to turn the pan in the oven when the brownies were almost done... you know, because the back of the oven generally tends to be a little hotter than the front of the oven.  As I was turning the brownies, I hit the side of my wrist on the roof of the oven, burning my wrist.  I jerked my hand away from the oven roof and proceeded to whack my middle finger on the oven rack, burning my finger. At that moment, I decided the Universe was telling me to STOP baking!

Of course, fast forward a few days and I found a blog called "Amy's Healthy Baking (www.amyshealthybaking.com).  A recipe called "Almond Joy Cookies" caught my eye and, sure enough, I had all the ingredients on hand to make the cookies.  I had just enough agave nectar and just a enough semi-sweet chocolate chips to make these cookies. Somehow I find using up the last little bits of ingredients very satisfying.  See, the Universe wanted me to make these cookies.

And I am glad I did. These cookies are really delicious. I brought them down to the knit shop and the gals all really liked them.  I left the cookies at the shop; I don't think I can be trusted with them. 

Amy at Amy's Healthy Baking is a really smart cookie.  Her Bio reflects she was a Chemistry major in college. I could tell she takes a scientific approach to baking (I LOVE that!); her list of ingredients are listed in cups and also ounces/grams.  This results in really great baking results.  In the recipe, she discusses how it's really important to carefully and properly measure ingredients or the cookies might be dry and crumbly. 

It seems that Amy has a bit of an "oatmeal cookie formula".  She has many varieties of these cookies and she just switches up a few of the ingredients.  She mentions that agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup can be used in place of one another, but points out they do have different flavor profiles which may change the flavor of the cookies.  The agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup are the primary "wet" ingredients in these cookies, along with just a little melted coconut oil, and one egg.  She switches up the "add in" ingredients too of course. She has a Raspberry Oatmeal Cookie, a Blueberry Oatmeal Cookie, a Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookie, and even a Pineapple Coconut Oatmeal Cookie.  One could easily make up their own varieties using her recipe as a starting point.  Based upon ingredients I have on hand, I am imagining an Oatmeal Raisin Pecan Cookie with Maple Syrup; I wish I had some maple extract to add in.  The possibilities are endless if you use your imagination.  I am sure I'll come back to this recipe again and try more varieties. 

Here is the recipe link for the Almond Joy Cookies.

These cookies are on the healthier side.  There are only 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in the entire batch of cookies.  I did make my cookies significantly smaller than recommended and adjusted the baking time accordingly (only 10 minutes).  I ended up with slightly more than 2 dozen cookies.  I found that the cookies do need to be flattened (with your fingertips or palm) before baking.  My cookies did not flatten out while baking. In the photo at the top of the page, you can see the cookies I made where I flattened the cookies before baking. Below, you can see the cookies I baked where I did NOT flatten the cookies before baking. They are rather domed shaped.  I preferred the flattened cookies more.  I do live at high altitude which could have impacted how the cookies do or don't flatten out while baking. 

Cookies for Breakfast

Breakfast Cookies

We went for a hike on Skyline Drive first thing Monday morning. When we got home, I brought a hot cup of coffee and the last of my Breakfast Cookies out on the back patio. I made these cookies on Saturday and brought them to the knit shop to share. These cookies taste healthy but they really grew on me. They are a snap to throw together. 

The recipe source is one of my favorite blogs called "Skinnytaste".

Here is the recipe link:  http://www.skinnytaste.com/chewy-chocolate-chip-oatmeal-breakfast/

The recipe calls for just three ingredients (quick notes, ripe bananas, and chocolate chips) and I added in some walnuts.  Easy, healthy, and tasty!  My ripe bananas were in my freezer so I thawed them a bit in the microwave.  My cookies did not spread out when they baked. I think my bananas were still really cold and that may have had something to do with it.  I added in extra chocolate chips to finish off the bag of chocolate chips in my pantry.  I would recommend against adding extra chocolate chips like I did. There were too many for the amount of dough.  The walnuts were a great addition; the crunch of the nuts was a nice contrast to the soft dough.

Breakfast Cookies: Oatmeal, Banana, Chocolate Chip, and Walnuts

2 medium ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup of uncooked quick oats

1/4 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Spray a non-stick cookie sheet with cooking spray or use parchment paper. 

Combine the mashed bananas and oats in a bowl. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.  Portion out the dough using a cookie scoop.  Cookies should measure one tablespoon in size.

Bake 15 minutes.  Makes 16 cookies. 

On the Skinnytaste blog, I found a similar recipe for a Peanut Butter & Jelly version of these cookies.  I look forward to trying this variety some day in the future; I'll keep you posted.  Here is that recipe.  http://www.skinnytaste.com/pb-j-healthy-oatmeal-cookies/

Enlarged to show texture. :)

More Energy Bites: Peanut Butter, Coconut, Oats, and Chocolate Chips

Energy Bites: Peanut Butter, Coconut, Oats, and Chocolate Chips

No Bake... No Gluten... No Eggs

A few weeks back, I made some no-bake energy bites with pumpkin, oats, coconut, chocolate chips, and a bunch of other ingredients.  They were fantastic.  If you missed them, you can read more HERE.

I decided to try a new recipe and it also really good.  The one mistake I made was that I used extra crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy.  My energy bites did not hold together very well, but the recipe still turned out great. The flavor and texture are amazing.  I re-read the original recipe and it specifies I could have added more maple syrup or peanut butter if the dough seemed too dry.  Perhaps that would have helped a bit.  I used my cookie scoop to portion out the dough and I tried to roll the dough into more compact balls, but the dough was too sticky.  I considered wetting my hands with water or spraying a little non-stick cooking spray on my hands. Instead, I just portioned out the energy bites as best as I could and popped them into the freezer. They firmed up nicely and are holding together well now.  I will keep them in the freezer and just take out two at a time, now and again.  These treats are rich; two energy bites is a great serving size.  I had two this morning with a cup of coffee and powered through over an hour of yoga. 

This recipe comes from a blog called Beaming Baker.  Here is the recipe link (click HERE).

I cannot tell you how many times I had to RESIST the URGE to lick the spoon when making this recipe!

That gloopy mess in the center of the bowl is slightly warmed chunky peanut butter and maple syrup.  I am drooling as I type that.

For this recipe, I used the natural kind of peanut butter which is made from only roasted peanuts and a little salt. It's the kind of peanut butter that separates and requires refrigeration.  I warmed up my peanut butter in the microwave oven for about 10 seconds and stirred it well to make it sort of room temperature-ish.

ENERGY BITES:  Peanut Butter, Coconut, Oats, and Chocolate Chips Recipe source: www.beamingbaker.com

Dry Ingredients

• ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ¾ cup gluten-free rolled oats (old fashioned)
• ¼ cup ground flaxseed
• ¼ cup gluten-free, vegan add-ins (chopped peanuts, raisins, mini-chocolate chips, etc.)

Wet Ingredients

• ¾ cup natural peanut butter (very liquidy at room temperature)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients: coconut, oats, flax and add-ins (I used mini chocolate chips). Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and maple syrup (allow peanut butter to come to room temperature if it has been refrigerated or warm the peanut butter in the microwave oven for about ten seconds and stir well).
3. Pour wet mixture over dry mixture. Using a sturdy spatula, fold together until well incorporated.
4. Scoop mixture into your hands and roll into bites. I like my bites to be about 1 ½ tablespoons. If the mixture is too dry, add in a bit more maple syrup and peanut butter.