Magic Cookie Bars

Kinsey has a pen pal who lives in Canada. Her mother and I have belonged to the same online mommy group since the girls were born (Hi Kim!). Recently they posted pictures on their blog where Scarlett made Magic Cookie bars. Kinsey and I were looking at the pictures and Kinsey said she would like to make them too. We finally made them tonight.

The ingredients.

Adding the chocolate chips....some how a few made it into her mouth...hmmmm.

Ready to go in the oven.

Done! They are cooling on the counter now waiting to be sliced and put in a container. Kinsey had to go to bed so she will miss that part. I may have to sample them to make sure they turned out ok ;-)

Baking cookies for Santa

Here is a cute picture of Grandma and Kinsey baking cookies for Santa. Grandma gave Kinsey the cute apron, rolling pin, and cookie supplies. They had a lot of fun making cookies.

Honey Sugar Cookies

These cookies are a recipe I remember making with my Nana (grandmother). She got the recipe from her mother (my great-grandmother). I have a copy of the recipe in my great-grandmothers handwriting that I will keep forever. I decided to add this recipe today since so many bloggers at Club Mom are posting cookie recipes for Jenn's Virtual Cookie Exchange. Make sure and check out Sarah's Mint Cookies while you are at it!

HONEY SUGAR COOKIES

1 c honey
1 c sugar
1 heaping cup shortening
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
5 c flour

Mix all ingredients until dough forms a ball. Roll dough out and cut into circles. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with a little sugar and bake at 350 degrees until done. Can also add 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 cup of nuts if desired. This recipe is an old one and doesn't have the time to cook the cookies. You just have to keep and eye on them and judge for yourself when they are done. I would say anywhere from 8-13 minutes.

A baking marathon

I got into a baking mood today and ended up making 3 things! I made a Pumpkin Sheetcake with cream cheese frosting to take to the teachers at Kinsey's school tomorrow. I also made Cranberry Nut Bars. I made one pan for the teachers and one pan for myself. In mine I used turbinado sugar, whole wheat flour, and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter sticks. I used pecans in both and they taste great! For Neal and Kinsey I made my cousin Karen's No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. This is one of Neal's favorite treats and he's been craving them. I wish I could figure out how to make them more low-calorie but we haven't done that yet. They need the sugar to make the base so Splenda is not an option.

KAREN'S NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL COOKIES

2 c. sugar
1/2 c milk
1/4 c bakers cocoa
1/2 c margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chunky peanut butter***
pinch salt
3 c quick cook oatmeal

Mix first 4 ingredients together and cook over medium heat until melted. Bring to boil and boil for 3 minutes stirring often. Remove from heat and let cool 1 minute. Add last 4 ingredients and stir well. Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper and let cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes 35-40
***I used regular peanut butter b/c I didn't have chunky and it comes out fine.

Cranberry Nut Bars

Last week I was signing up for freebies and came across one for an Ocean Spray cranberry recipe book. I signed up thinking I wouldn't get it until after Thanksgiving. Guess what showed up in my mail today? I've had a bag of fresh cranberries in my fridge for over a week just waiting for me to make something. I had planned on muffins or cookies but once I saw this recipe, I had to try it. They are very good...a little sweet with a tangy tart taste from the cranberries. I didn't have any nuts so I left them out but I bet it would be even better with them (I would choose to do pecans though).

CRANBERRY NUT BARS

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour ***
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 1/4 cups Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch baking pan.

Beat eggs in a medium mixing bowl until thick. Gradually add sugar, beating until thoroughly blended. Stir in flour and melted butter; blend well. Add cranberries and walnuts, mixing gently just until combined. Spread evenly in pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool and cut into bars.

Makes 16 servings.

Per Serving: Cal. 146.7 (7% DV), Fat Cal. 62.9, Pro. 2.2g (4% DV), Carb. 19.6g (7% DV), Fat 7.0g (11% DV), Chol. 36.6mg (12% DV), Sod. 36.3mg (2% DV), Vit. A 36.1RE (3% DV), Vit C 1.2mg (2% DV), Vit. E 0.3mg (1% DV), Calcium 10.0mg (1% DV), Iron 0.6 mg (3% DV), Folate 21.2 Ug (5% DV), Zinc 0.3mg (2% DV), Pot. 40.1 mg (1% DV), Dietary Exchange: Fruit 0.5, starch 1, Meat 0, Fat 1

***I used whole wheat flour for mine and they came out fine.

Want to get your own recipe booklet? Go to Ocean Spray and click on the Twelve Months of Cranberry link to have one sent to you (you can also print it out but you won't get the coupons).

Basic Oatmeal cookies

About a month ago I found a great basic oatmeal cookie. I have been reworking it to make it a little healthier and have changed a few things. I used whole wheat flour for half the all-purpose flour, I use dried cranberries instead of raisins, and raw cane sugar for brown sugar. They end up tasting so good.

This past week in daycare/preschool we were learning about the letter "A". We had a story about an alligator name Alec who baked apple pies, apple muffins, and apple cookies. I decided to make apple cookies so I just added 1 cup of diced fresh apple instead of raisins. They were so good and stayed very moist. Next week we are studding Bonny Bunny and she likes carrots so I may have to see if I can add carrots to this recipe...lol!

OATMEAL COOKIES

¾ c unsalted butter, softened (real butter makes it so much better)
¾ c white sugar
¾ c packed light brown sugar (or turbinado raw cane sugar)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ c all-purpose flour (½ c all purpose flour, ¾ whole wheat flour)
1 tsp baking soda
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
2 ¾ c rolled oats (quick cooking)
1 c raisins (dried cranberries, dried cherries, diced apple, etc)

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°.
2. In large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in oats and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Cool slightly, remove from sheet to wire rack. Cool and store in air tight container.

***I use a small cookie scoop to make my cookies all the same size. I also use air bake cookie sheets so the bottoms don't burn. Since we live in a higher altitude I add about ¼ c extra flour and bake my cookies for about 12-13 minutes.

Pumpkin anyone??

If you know me, you know I love anything baked with pumpkin. My favorite recipe is Pumpkin Sheetcake with cream cheese frosting. I have been tweeking the recipe to make it healthier and have come up with a really good one.
Tonight a friend on the parenting board I post on gave me a great pumpkin-oatmeal muffin recipe and I found a Low Fat Pumpkin oatmeal cookie recipe. I was baking apple-oatmeal cookies for daycare and starting thinking I wish I could find a way to make pumpkin oatmeal cookies. When I checked my board, there was a post from Danyele with the muffin recipes...I think she was reading my mind...lol!
Here are some great pumpkin recipes for fall!

PUMPKIN SHEETCAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil***
4 eggs, lightly beaten***
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

FROSTING
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 teaspoons milk
chopped nuts

Instructions:
In a mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar and oil. Add eggs; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; add to pumpkin mixture and beat until well blended. Pour into a greased 15-inch x 10-inch x 1-inch baking pan (I use a extra large cake pan). Bake at 350F for 35 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool.

For frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually add sugar; mix well. Add enough milk until frosting reaches desired spreading consistency. Frost cake. Sprinkle with nuts.

***to make a healthier version, you can use 1 cup of natural applesauce instead of the oil and replace the eggs with 8 egg whites. There is a Splenda out for baking but I haven't found it any any stores around here. I think it would cut down on the calories in this recipe.

OATMEAL-PUMPKIN MUFFINS

2 Cups plus 2 tablespoons Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
3/4 Cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 Cup sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon each, baking soda and salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 Cup canned pumpkin
3/4 Cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil

1. Lightly coat twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. [Paper muffin
cups can also be used. Cool thoroughly before serving.]

2. Place 2 cups of oats in a food processor; cover and process until fine. Transfer ground oats to a
large bowl; stir in flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cloves. Make
a well in center of oat mixture; set aside.

3. Whisk together pumpkin, buttermilk, eggs and oil in a medium bowl. Add pumpkin mixture all at
once to oat mixture. Stir just until moistened [batter should be lumpy and thick].

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons oats. Bake
in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out
clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups.

Makes 12 muffins. Serving size: One muffin

Prep: 30 min Bake: 20 min Cool: 5 min

Nutrition Facts per serving: 210 calories, 5 g total fat [1 g saturated fat], 36 mg cholesterol,
199 mg sodium, 34 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 7 g protein.

LOW-FAT PUMPKIN OATMEAL COOKIES

These low-fat pumpkin cookies are great for the fall holidays and make a healthy after-school snack for the kids too. Try them. You won't believe how good they are until you do!

Ingredients:

1 c. pumpkin
2 egg whites, whipped
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
3 c. rolled oats
1 c. raisins

Directions:

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine pumpkin and egg whites. In a separate bowl combine sugar, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, oats, and raisins. (Batter will be very dry at first.) Mix ingredients together just until moistened.

Drop cookies by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet, 2" apart. You can leave the cookies in the shape of a ball (the baked cookie will still be a ball) or flatten them out with the bottom of a glass before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.