Grandma B's Chocolate Chip Cookies

My Grandma B has been making these cookies for us for years. We would go to her house and she'd pull a bag out of the freezer every time. They are just as delicious frozen as fresh out of the oven with a cold glass of milk. Perfection. 

Grandma's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen

1 c. butter or margarine, softened

2 c. brown sugar (or 1 c. white and 1 c. brown)

2 eggs

2 c. quick oats

2 c. flour (I use whole wheat)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 c. chocolate chips

Mix everything together and drop from a tablespoon about 2" apart. Bake at 350* for 7-8 minutes. I find that if I bake them on the very top rack of my oven, they come out perfect. Bake until the edges are golden brown. (Remember they continue to cook a little bit when they are out of the oven.) Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. I dare you to eat just one.

Pizza Pretzels

I was looking for peanut free school lunch ideas when I found this recipe in a cookbook I've had for years. My taste testers gave it two thumbs up!! My daughter asked "can I have TWO of these in my lunch?" Success! I think they'd also be good with chopped up pizza toppings like green pepper, pepperoni, or mushroom. I'll try that next time. I'm going to individually freeze these and use them for lunches.

Pizza Pretzels
Makes 15

1 1/4 c. water
2 tbsp oil or margarine (I used olive oil)
3 c. flour (I did 2 c. white and 1 c. whole wheat)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano (I used ground and didn't measure. I needed to use more.)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp instant yeast

Add all ingredients to a bread machine and put on the dough setting. Or, if you know how to make dough, go ahead and do it "the old fashioned way". 

Cut dough into 15 pieces. Shape each piece into an 8 inch log by rolling. Twist into pretzel shapes (my daughter said mine looked more like bows. I got better by pretzel #15) and place on greased or parchment paper lined baking sheets. Brush with oil, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. I let mine rise in my oven with the light on. 

Brush tops with pizza sauce (don't be afraid to be generous) and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400F for 10 to 12 minutes. 
 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just in time for fall, these cookies are soft and muffin like and oh sooooo good. They remind me of muffin tops - the good kind. I feel zero guilt feeding these to my kids for a school treat with lunch.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 18 (I doubled and forgot to count)

1 c. canned pumpkin

1 c. white sugar

1/2 c. vegetable oil (you could use applesauce as well)

1 egg

2 c. whole wheat flour (or white if you like)

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. milk

1 TBSP vanilla extract

2 c. chocolate chips (or more...go crazy)

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional - I didn't add them because my kids are not nut lovers - unless they are covered with chocolate)

Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil and egg in a large bowl (this will be your main mixing bowl). In a seperate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve baking soda in milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. 

Drop by heaping teaspoonful on greased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper) and bake at 350*F for about 12 minutes, or until lightly browned and firm. The cookies don't spread much but they do fluff up so take care to spread out your drops a little bit. Let cool for a few minutes and transfer to wire racks until completely cool.

Now try to eat just one. 

(I have no idea where I got this recipe. I think a friend passed it on.)
Nutritional Info (approximate): Per cookie - 227 cals, 10g fat, 33g carb, 3.5g fiber, 2.4g protein

Peanut Butter Muffins

These muffins would be delicious with cream cheese frosting. You could also add a handful of chocolate or butterscotch chips. 

Peanut Butter Muffins
Makes 12

1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. crunchy or smooth peanut butter
1/4 c. butter or margarine
1 c. milk
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in peanut butter and butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk and eggs; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy). 

Spoon into greased or paper lined muffin tin. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cranberry Banana Loaf

I figure you can't go wrong with a recipe that calls for bananas. They make for a moist and tasty loaf, muffin, cake or cookie. This recipe was a success and as always, I made my modifications. This is already pretty low calorie (131 calories/slice if you get 18 slices out of a loaf) but substituting applesauce for the butter would lower the fat and calories.

Cranberry Banana Loaf
Makes 1 loaf

1/4 c. butter (or margarine), softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
3/4 c. mashed banana (2 medium)
1 c. dried cranberries (I used Craisins - you could also use fresh or frozen)
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon


Beat first 3 ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth. Add banana and cranberries. Stir. Add remaining ingredients to the banana mixture and stir until just combined. Spread into a greased or parchment paper lined loaf pan (9" x 5" x 3"). Bake at 350*F for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool completely. 


Adapted from "Company's Coming Cooking at Home".

Coconut Filled Sweet Rolls

These yummy, buttery delicious crescents get their start in the bread machine! You could do it the "traditional" way but why would you? Bread machines make life so easy. I made these for my family and they were gone in an instant. I'm not even kidding you. Pair with a fruit and they are perfect for breakfast. About 260 calories per roll. Makes 12 rolls and are delicious with a latte.

Dough

3/4 cup milk (I used 2% but will try unsweetened almond milk next time)

1 egg

3 TBSP butter, cut up

1 TBSP water

3 cups whole wheat flour (or whatever combo of white or whole wheat you like)

1/4 cup sugar (I'd like to try honey)

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast

Add all dough ingredients to your bread machine, set to “dough” and press start. When the cycle completes, roll out the dough into a 12” circle on a lightly floured surface. Spread with the filling.

Filling

1/4 cup sugar

2 TBSP margarine or butter, melted

2/3 cup coconut – I used flaked sweetened

Mix all together in a small bowl.

Cut the circle into 12 wedges. Starting at the wide end of the wedge, loosely roll toward the point. Place rolls points down in a greased 9x13x2 pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place (like in your oven with the light on and the door closed) for about 30 minutes or until nearly double. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in the pan or on a wire rack. Drizzle with Powdered Sugar Glaze. Serve warm.

Powdered Sugar Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 to 4 tsp milk

 

Stir all together and add enough milk to make a drizzling glaze.

Puffed Wheat Cake

I few days ago I was asking Twitter some questions about substituting honey for corn syrup in puffed wheat cake. The responses were astonishing. This one in particular.

"What is puffed wheat cake?" 

Seriously, Twitter? You don't know what puffed wheat cake is? It's a gloriously chocolaty and gooey (if it's made right) hunk of cake you eat with your hands that's made out of, well, puffed wheat! 

Puffed Wheat Cake

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup corn syrup*

1 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. cocoa (Fry's is the only way to go but if you don't have it, that's ok)

1 tsp. vanilla

8 cups puffed wheat (this is in the cereal aisle - usually in a bag)

Melt butter in a medium saucepan.  Add syrup, sugar, cocoa and vanilla and stir. When the syrup begins to bubble, remove from heat and pour over puffed wheat in a large bowl (you need a lot of room for 8 cups of puffed wheat). Mix until it's completely covered in syrup.  

Press into a greased 9x13 pan with a spoon. Once it's cool, cut it into squares and serve!

*Because I'm open to experimenting in the kitchen, I tried a 1/4 cup of natural honey and 1/4 cup of corn syrup. It's fantastic. My next batch I'll try honey 100% and hope it works! Honey is a natural antibiotic and so good for you! Corn syrup is...well...corn syrup.

(Recipe courtesy of my buddy Crystal, mom to 4 and evil baker in the making)