Chewy Granola Cookies

I am not the easiest person to live with.

For one, I’m becoming my mother at the wee age of 30.  I realized this when I started to wash out the kitchen trash can last weekend.  Really, who does that?  My mom.  Oh, and me.

Also like my mother, I ask, without fail, the second after Roo takes a bite of food how it is.  (FYI “it’s good,” is not a proper response.)

Second, there were a few times where it was pointed out that I have a hard time throwing things away.

“Babe, we have so many empty glass jars.  I feel like we’re one away from being cast on Hoarders.”

“What are you talking about?  I use them, like all the time.”

“For what?  Besides leaving them in a paper bag on the floor.”

“That’s where they live!  I don’t have any cupboard space.”

“Because there’s no room in the cupboard from all your glass jars.”

Lastly, I may or may not have had two meltdowns so far this week.  But in my defense, the first was from burning my hand….by grabbing a pan that had been in the oven.  The second was after realizing there was shattered glass in every single cup we owned….because I dropped a bowl on top of those cups and it um, shattered.

So when Roo asks if there’s a way he can have cookies at ‘snack,’ (which to me is essentially second breakfast), I try to make it happen.  After all, I need to keep someone around to identify my body when it’s found underneath a mountain of fallen glass jars.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Before you get mad at me for posting a cookie recipe less than two weeks after New Year’s…

Did you really picture 2012 without cookies?

I didn’t.

With the cold weather, sunset by 4, and lack of insulated windows in our apartment, I’m baking cookies.

These chewy, chocolate chip cookies.

Any excuse to turn the oven on really.

But! They have half the oil and aren’t tooth-achingly sweet.

Chewy Peanut Butter (Banana) and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes you just need to bake yourself a batch of cookies.

Come back from grocery shopping to discover that what you thought were “full” boxes in the pantry are actually empty because your boyfriend thought it was a good idea to leave you a tablespoon of whatever in each box?  So time for baking cookies.

Last K-cup was used yesterday but you had no idea till 5:30 this morning?  Drag out your mixing bowls.

Cats claw open the ziploc bag of rosemary syrup on the counter? Handful of chocolate chips for you, and then your batter.

Eat half a jar of Speculoos Cookie Butter last night?  Throw the cookie batter into the fridge to chill and get back to that jar.  There’s still half left!

I love that these cookies are absolutely peanut buttery and loaded with chocolate chips.  But what puts my mind at ease is that they actually have less fat and sugar than your average peanut butter chocolate chip cookie; all without compromising on taste.

Half of the butter is swapped out with banana, maintaining that chewy cookie texture but with a subtle boost in flavor.  The banana is very mild, but when great men like Elvis loved the peanut butter and banana combination, how could one go wrong with it in a cookie?

These cookies are both delicious raw (you may make more than 40 cookies if you have more self control than I did when scooping out the dough) and baked.  And for someone thinking about embracing a plant based diet for their New Year, this is probably the easiest way to start!

Make these cookies for your co-workers, your loved ones, or for the most important person of all, yourself.

Makes About 40 Cookies

Note: The batter needs to be chilled for at least a half an hour so please plan ahead when making them!

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Ingredients

Three quarters of a cup of creamy peanut butter (I used natural, well stirred, and it turned out fine)

Quarter cup of mashed banana (one small banana was enough for me)

Quarter cup of butter (like Earth Balance)

One cup of sugar (this yields a not too sweet cookie)

Half teaspoon of vanilla extract

Three quarters of a cup of white whole wheat flour (if you only have all purpose, that will work)

Three quarters of a cup of all purpose flour

Half teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of baking powder

Three quarters of a teaspoon of fine sea salt

Half a cup of bittersweet chocolate chips (you can use semi-sweet chips, just note that it’ll be a sweeter cookie because of this)

2 – 4 tablespoons of soy milk (or your choice of non-dairy milk, sweetened is fine) as needed if the batter is too dry

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Equipment

A stand mixer (or at least electric beaters, I don’t think this will work if mixed by hand.  Peanut butter is a fickle thing.)

A medium sized mixing bowl

A whisk

A spatula

A clean tablespoon (your fingers will suffice in making dough balls as well)

A cookie sheet (two to make baking go faster)

Parchment paper (optional), just makes clean up faster

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Add the peanut butter, banana, butter, sugar and vanilla extract to your stand mixer bowl.  Beat the ingredients together till well combined.  Scrape down the bowl to ensure it’s fully incorporated before adding your dry ingredients (down the sides, to the bottom then back up top).

In your medium sized mixing bowl add the flour(s), baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Mix the ingredients with a whisk till well combined and there are no visible lumps.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet in increments.  Be sure to scrape down the side of the bowl, down to the bottom and back up with your spatula, to ensure that all the ingredients are combined.

The dough may be a bit dry (it was in my case).  Add a tablespoon of non-dairy milk at a time, as much as needed.

Add the chocolate chips and mix till just combined.

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes (if you live in New England, you can take full advantage of your porch/garage during this cold weather and store it there without losing crucial fridge space).

Place your oven racks to the upper middle and lower middle positions in your oven.  Preheat your oven to 350F.

With a clean tablespoon (or your fingers, whatever), scoop out the dough and place onto your (lined) cookie sheet, about one cookie’s width apart.  (On my cookie sheet, I was able to place 20 cookie dough balls on it.)

Bake your cookies for about 12 – 15 minutes.  They will look soft when they come out, but if you check their bottoms, you’ll notice that they will be browned.  Don’t over bake them.  They will not spread out like crispy cookies and look a lot like the dough balls that you placed in the oven.

Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet for at least a minute before moving (so you can rinse the sheet off with cold water for reuse)/devouring them.

Double Ginger Lemon Cookies

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably going over to someone else’s house to eat today’s dinner.  Although I am helping my mother cook this year, I still feel pressured to bring a hostess gift.  It’s something that’s been ingrained since childhood.

These cookies are quite honestly, perfect.  They are packed with flavor; loads of lemon zest and freshly grated ginger, only to be finished off with a slight crunch from the sugar that they’re rolled in.  I also love the scalloped imprint that they have from the back of a fork.  I am a sucker for pretty cookies, and to me these are exactly that.

I hardly think anyone after a Thanksgiving feast wants to eat something super heavy around 8 at night.  My mother always made a pot of tea and had a cookie or two before getting ready for bed; a tradition that goes back to my first memorable Thanksgiving dinner.

There’s something comforting about seeing my mother go through the same motions, every year: tea towel wrapped around the kettle to keep it warm, a flowery piece of good china from the back of the cupboard, only to place a handful of cookies on, and always the same cup, because it was her favorite; tiny ivy leaves winding up the back of the handle.

While the dough needs to rest for an hour in the fridge, I’ll use that time to shower and get dressed.  Overall these cookies are quite easy and quick to make, with a baking time of about 15 minutes.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Adapted from Organic and Chic

Makes 60 – 70 cookies (For me, it made 67)

*Please note that before baking these, the dough requires at least an hour of chilling (up to 1 day).  So plan ahead!

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Ingredients

Dry

Three cups of white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon of baking powder

Half teaspoon of baking soda

Quarter teaspoon of salt

Wet

Half cup of unsweetened applesauce (I used homemade)

Quarter cup of mild flavored olive oil (or any other mild flavored oil like canola)

2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed

1 cup of sugar

Quarter cup of freshly grated ginger (I know it seems like a lot, but it’s so worth it, especially with the amount of lemon you’re putting in. It’s a one-two punch of flavors.)

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

Grated lemon zest from 1 lemon, about a tablespoon (this is for an equal amount of lemon with ginger in flavoring, if you want the ginger to be more of a star, use half)

Juice from 1 lemon

Half teaspoon of vanilla extract

Half cup of sugar set aside, for rolling the dough balls in (optional, but really pretty!)

A handful of flour for your hands, to prevent the dough balls from sticking to your skin (I don’t mind, but some care)

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Equipment

One medium sized mixing bowl

One large sized mixing bowl

A whisk

A spatula

A cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper or greased) or two

Some plastic wrap or a tupperware container to let the dough rest and be chilled

A plate (to pour some sugar onto and roll the dough balls in)

A fork (to press into your cookies for a pretty scallop imprint, optional)

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In a medium mixing bowl add your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk the ingredients together till well combined and no lumps are visible.

In a large mixing bowl add your wet ingredients: unsweetened applesauce, oil, ground flaxseed, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract.  Stir till well combined.

Add your dry ingredients into your wet, in increments.  Stir the two mixtures together until they are well incorporated.  At first, it’s going to look like a dry, chalky mess.  Keep going, it’ll come together.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap (or put it in a sealable/coverable container) and chill for at least an hour, up to 1 day.

When the dough is ready to go…

Place your oven racks in the upper middle and lower middle position in the oven.  If you’re using just one cookie sheet, then place one oven rack in the middle position in the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a plate, pour the sugar set aside onto it, if using.  Dust your hands with flour, if you are keen on not getting the dough stuck to your hands (I don’t care, more snack for me!).

Form the dough into about 1 inch balls (I basically rolled the dough ball to match the length from the tip of my thumb to my first knuckle…I think that’s about an inch).  Roll the dough balls in the sugar, if using.

Place the dough balls onto a lined or greased cookie sheet, about a 2 inches apart. With a back of a fork, if using, press into the cookie so that it’s imprinted.

Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes (this is how long it took in my oven) to 18 minutes, until they’re very slightly browned and firm the to touch.  These cookies will not brown much so be careful not to leave them in the oven for too long.

Let the cookies cool before eating, but honestly, I’ve eaten them warm and they were delicious.

Pumpkin Cranberry “Bites”

Lately I’ve noticed my desire for something sweet after dinner has become worse and worse. Usually, I would eat piece of fruit after.  Somehow it progressed to a piece of dark chocolate, to now cookies or cake.  All of which wouldn’t bother me, except the feeling I get prior to satisfying my growing sweet tooth.

It’s a need.  Like, a feeling of unrest until I get something laden with sugar, kind of need.  I don’t feel this way after breakfast or lunch, so I’m at a loss as to why having something after dinner has become such an issue.  And unfortunately, this nighttime habit of having one cookie usually doesn’t stop at that.  It’s as if once I start feeding my sweet tooth, the bigger and more demanding it becomes.

I’ve also noticed that Roo gets a bit irritated after dinner when he goes rummaging in the kitchen and comes up empty handed.  There has even been a few times when he’s asked if I was planning on making a cake or cookies that evening.  Inquiries like that made me realize we’re probably not doing something right.

In an effort to curb our nightly vice, I poured myself into my one-too-many-cookbooks to find a treat that wouldn’t leave me jittery after, or my sweet tooth demanding more until it made me sick (it happens).  I wanted something light, made with few, but mostly natural sugars, and a hybrid between cookie and cake (because I couldn’t make up my mind about which one I wanted more).

What came about was a pumpkin cranberry “bite.”  It’s a cakey cookie packed with the quintessential flavors of fall, perfect for “eating in the now.”  Pumpkin and cinnamon wrapped around a few cranberries make a lovely after dinner treat, especially with just a dab of peanut butter.  I love making a cup of earl grey with lemon and having one or two of these while Roo and I sit on the couch watching Parks and Rec reruns.  While you don’t need a good cup of tea or Parks and Rec to enjoy these “bites,” if there’s any take-home-message, it would be to try them with just a bit of peanut butter.  Please.

Adapted from Happy Herbivore

Makes about 20 “bites”

Ingredients

Half cup of pumpkin puree

Half of a large super ripe banana (like black), mashed

2 tablespoons of non-dairy milk (I used “original” almond milk)

Half cup of sugar (this yields a not too sweet bite, which is what I was after.)

Half teaspoon of ground cinnamon

One and a half cups of old fashioned oats

Half cup of white whole wheat flour

Quarter teaspoon of baking powder

Quarter teaspoon of baking soda

One eighth teaspoon of fine sea salt

A Quarter to Half cup of dried cranberries (or raisins, whatever your fancy)

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Equipment

1 medium sized mixing bowl

1 small sized mixing bowl

A whisk

A spatua

A clean tablespoon

A cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper, optional)

Cooking/Baking spray *this is a must as there is basically no fat in the cookies

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Place the oven rack in the middle position in the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, mashed banana, non-dairy milk and sugar.  Mix till combined.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the old fashioned oats, white whole wheat flour, ground cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Whisk the ingredients together until well combined and there are no lumps.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry.  Stir together till combined.   (*It may look dry at first, but keep going, it’ll all come together.)  Add the raisins/cranberries if using.  Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that all the ingredients are incorporated.

With a clean tablespoon, spoon out the batter onto a lined or greased cookie sheet.  The bites don’t run together when baking, so they can be put fairly close to one another.

Bake the bites for about 15 to 20 minutes, until they are firm and springy.

Allow the bites to cool on the cookie sheet before eating.

*Seriously, try a little dab of peanut butter on these. So yummy!

Carrot (Cake) Cookies

I recently read a blog post by The Pioneer Woman, about how she hates, correction, “abhors,” bananas.  There is only one recipe on her website for the fruit that she “loathes,” and that’s for her mother’s banana bread.  It honestly struck a cord with me, because as soon as I started reading, I immediately thought about the one thing that I cannot stand: carrot cake.

I’ve been called “un-American,” for my dislike for the mal-spiced (yes, I’m making it a word), what people call a “cake.”  I’ve been asked how could I not like something that’s smothered with cream cheese frosting, because, “everyone loves cream cheese frosting.”  And my father has even questioned whether or not I was his daughter, the man who really should just legally change his name to, Mr. I Love Carrot Cake.

But in reality, I love carrots. I love them raw.  I love them roasted.  Roasted with a bit of chile oil, side by side with thinly sliced parsnips, even better.  They’re even lovely pickled.  I. Love. Carrots.

But in a cake….there’s just something about either the spices, the texture, the cream cheese frosting that I’m convinced that has a bucket of powdered sugar in it; I just hate it.  And what’s worse, is that I’ve had to choke it down three times in the past year.  Who knew that it was a favorite cake of Roo’s family members (not me).

Yes, I love Roo that much that I’ll accept a slice of carrot cake with a smile, and eat it.  I even ate it when I was 99% sure it came from a box.  And the frosting came out of a can.

I’m still scarred.

But like they say, love makes you stupid, ie makes you eat carrot cake.

So when I read that Ree (The Pioneer Woman) decided to “step out of her comfort zone,” and literally go-bananas, I figured why not.  How could I be experimenting with vegan and vegetarian cooking, but not try to adapt carrot cake into something that I might like.

Now I may not be as open minded, and actually make a carrot cake, but I figured why not try a cookie.  If I hated carrots in a cake, it may not be so bad in something that’s only as large as a tablespoon.

I’ve also been experimenting with ground flax seed in various baked goods, and since it’s an ingredient that is not only nutrient rich, but also complements the flavor of whole wheat flour, I added it to my cakey-cookie mix. I really liked the nutty flavor and was pleasantly surprised as to how well it paired with such a bold flavor like ginger, that I also was weary about adding.

I love that these cookies are cakey, full of wonderful textures like the grated carrot and chopped dried cherries, and not timid to let you know that it’s full of heat from the freshly ground ginger.  I’m happy to say that I think I’ve found a carrot (cake) cookie that even a hater like me, can love.

Adapted from Joy the Baker

Makes about 20 cookies

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Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

Quarter cup whole wheat flour

Quarter cup ground flax seed

*You can use just one and a half cups of all purpose flour if that’s all you have*

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

Quarter teaspoon fine sea salt (I use Diamond)

Half cup olive oil (or a neutral flavored oil if that’s what you have)

Three quarters cup maple syrup

1 heaping cup grated carrots (I put one large carrot in my food processor, and used the ‘shred’ blade)

Half cup dried cherries, chopped (I cut each dried cherry in half, but a rough chop will also do)

two teaspoons fresh grated ginger

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Equipment

Two medium sized bowls (can hold about five cups of ingredients each)

A spatula

A whisk

Hand grater

Parchment paper

A cookie sheet

A clean tablespoon for scooping cookie dough

And if you have it, a food processor (shreds the carrot in less than five seconds)

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Place your oven rack in the middle of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a medium mixing bowl, add the flours, ground flax seed, oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.  Whisk till combined.  Set aside.

In the second mixing bowl, add the olive oil, maple syrup and ginger.  Whisk till combined.  Add the carrots and dried cherries.  Because it’s easier at this point to use a spatula, use a spatula and stir till combined (I hate it when things like pieces of carrots get stuck in the whisk).

Add the dry ingredients to the wet in increments.  I added the first half, folded everything together with a spatula till combined, then added the second half of the dry ingredients and folded till combined.

Let the mix stand for about 5 minutes (I got distracted and let it stand 10) before putting it onto the cookie sheets.

In the meantime, line your cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper.

Check Facebook because someone posted on your wall.  Pet your cat.  Check your Amazon order status.  Ask Roo about plans for next weekend.  Wash your hands because you realized you pet the cat and you’re about to handle food….

And by now it’s probably been 5 – 10 minutes.

Using a tablespoon, scoop out the cookie batter and place onto the parchment paper lined cookie sheets.  The cookies don’t really spread out in the oven, but it’s still good to not have them touching.  I separated the cookies by one cookie’s width.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes.  I like these cookies to come out of the oven a bit underdone.  They won’t be mooshy, but at 10 minutes, it really captures what I wanted in a “cakey” cookie.

Remove the cookies from the oven and cool them, on the sheet, for 5 minutes.  After 5 minutes, move the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely.

Cookie Dough Balls

I’ve been holding out on you.

I’ve been hoarding this recipe all to myself because it’s just too good.

Every Friday for a couple weeks now, it’s been a bit of a ritual.  I click on the Pandora app on my iPod (lately it’s been the City and Color playlist), and just start throwing ingredients into the food processor.  Coupled with banana soft serve (no really, it’s fantastic), it’s truly a great way to start the weekend.

I love that I can eat it without the worry of possible salmonella contamination, without the guilt of it being full of processed sugar, and that it actually tastes wholesome.  Yes, a cookie dough ball can taste wholesome.

How is this possible?

They’re…vegan.

Yes, I probably felt the same thing you are right now when I learned that they were vegan.  But you know what?  They’re good.  They’re really good.  And dare I quote Roo saying, “If these are vegan, I’ll gladly eat more vegan things.”

Really.

And they’re super easy to make!  It’s a one dish recipe, and you can make your own soft serve in the same food processor after.

A hint of salt, a creamy texture from the cashews, and plenty of dark chocolate, these cookie dough balls make me eager for Friday.  Or now.  I think I might dig into the back of my freezer and have them now.

Recipe adapted from, just a little bit, Oh She Glows

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Ingredients

Half a cup of unsalted cashews (I’ve used both raw and roasted seeing no difference)

Quarter cup of old fashioned oats

Quarter cup of whole wheat flour

Quarter teaspoon of sea salt (I use Diamond)

1 tablespoon of cane sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

3 tablespoons of maple syrup

Three squares of good dark chocolate broken up with your fingers (or a quarter cup of chips)

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Equipment

A food processor

A spatula

Something to store the cookie dough balls in like a piece of aluminum foil, or a ziploc bag

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Add the cashews and oats to the food process and pulse until it forms almost a crumbly consistency (almost flour like).  Then add the salt, sugar and flour.  Pulse a few times until combined.  Add the vanilla extract and maple syrup and pulse until combined.  The “dough” is going to be very sticky, but this is completely normal.

Add the chocolate.

Pulse until they break up a bit and combine into the rest of the “dough.”

Remove the “dough” from the food processor with a spatula, and roll into balls.

Store them in the freezer until it’s time to eat with your soft serve.  Or, eat one, then store one, as I do.