Lemon-Glazed Madeleines

I'm an armchair traveler at heart, and I especially love reading cookbooks that express the heart and soul of other peoples, places and cultures. One of my recent 'seat-side travels' has been to France, where I dropped in on Paris, via this spot-on book by David Lebovitz ~ The Sweet Life in Paris. It's not only full of good recipes, but it's also full of funny stories regarding his trials and tribulations of being an American expat, living abroad in a place that is home to that, je ne sais quoi, way of looking at life.  OK, who's kidding who... it's the (in)famous French attitude that he does battle with on a daily basis. Some times you win, some times you lose...but it's always a treat.

I've so enjoyed picking and choosing some of his recipes to create in my own stateside kitchen, and I've also enjoyed eating them all and sharing some of my creations (some just never made it past me and my mouth). My favorite so far has been his recipe for ~ Lemon-Glazed Madeleines. I was so inspired to make these little French treats toute suite, I just had to order my own madeleine tin online, late on a Friday night, after reading his story/recipe. I must say, they were a HUGE hit, and I highly recommend this recipe for these lovely, little seashell shaped, lemon-kissed gems if you're ever looking for a little bit of the sweet life from Paris...in your own kitchen...without the cost of airfare...or the (in)famous French 'tude. Bon Appétit! 

Club Med's Famous White Chocolate Bread

Last night my friend, GA, shared the recipe for Club Med's famous ~ White Chocolate Bread ~ on Facebook. It's always been a favorite of mine and I've eaten a lot of it during my time working/vacationing at the various villages of Club Med. My friend, Sarah, challenged me to try making the recipe to see how it would turn out. Well, since I had the one cup of white chocolate chips called for in the recipe, and nothing planned for the evening, I took it as a sign that I should give the recipe a try.  So, last night I was a baking fool... and here are the pictures, recipe and  baking comments to prove it. Enjoy!

Club Med's Famous White Chocolate Bread  

I shared my attempt in real-time with my other Club Med EXGO friends on Facebook. Here are my comments on the bread making, just in case anyone is inspired to try their hand at making a loaf, too. The bread is best eaten while still warm, just out of the oven, but toasted the next day is also good.  My friend, Sarah, suggested making French Toast with the leftovers... oh, what a wonderful breakfast that would make!

Well, the experiment was a success! We have already devoured 1/2 of the loaf.  Here are my thoughts on/tweaks to the recipe.... ~~ only add 3/4 cup of the water (115 degrees) to begin with, then add more water if needed to get the 'play doh' consistency the recipe calls for. The whole 1 1/4 cup water is just too much. My loaf came out a bit 'heavy', not surprised about that. With the extra 1 cup+ of flour I had to add to get the dough texture right, it skewed the yeast/flour ratio. ~~ I put a cast iron skillet in the oven when preheating. I put it on the lower rack & added 1 cup hot water to the skillet after I placed the loaf in the oven to bake. Be careful because the 'steam' kicks up quick. Close the oven door quick to keep the steam inside. It really helps with giving the bread a crusty, 'French bread' exterior. ~~ I baked the loaf about 35 minutes (not the 20 in the recipe) to get it 'golden' enough & so it had a 'hollow' sound when thumped. It tastes best when eaten warm from the oven, or toasted, if eating the next day.

Quick & Easy Blueberry-Peach Cake

 

We were all craving something sweet and fruity the day I made/threw together this simple dessert.  It's not quite a cake, not quite a cobbler, not quite a pie ~ but is sure was tasty.  Since I used a boxed 'cake' mix, that is what I'm going to call it. (I'd have called it a fruit cake...but, that sweet always gets a bad rap, so I decided not to go there :)   I used what I had available in the fridge/pantry, and was really happy with the results.  Super quick & easy.  Score one for Mom!

Quick & Easy Blueberry-Peach Cake

Ingredients

• one box of Jiffy yellow cake mix, prepared according to box instructions
• 1 large can peaches (approx 29oz), drained/sliced
• 2 cups of fresh blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare the cake mix according to box instructions & set aside.  Spray a cake pan with Pam, add the fruit to the pan, pour the batter over the top & gently shake to get the batter all around the fruit.  Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.  Enjoy.

 

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

When I made this baked goody, I was feeling the need for a bit of chocolate-ly, sweet baked comfort food.  Having it include some veggie was an added bonus.  This recipe for ~ Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread ~ was a perfect way to go.  I swapped some of the flour for ground oatmeal (oat flour) just to sneak in a little oat goodness.  Chocolate chips just added to the decadent feel of this yummy bread/cake.  We enjoyed it at teatime, as well as for an after dinner dessert.  This is perfect for when you have a bounty of zucchini in late summer, but it's just as good anytime of year.  Give this recipe a try if you've got a craving for chocolate.  I think you'll like, too.  :)

 

Cranberry-Orange Oat Bran Muffins ~ Meatless Monday

I found some frozen cranberries hiding in my freezer the other day, so I decided to use them in a batch of oat  bran muffins.  I tweaked this recipe just a bit. (I've posted about this basic recipe before, click to see that blog post)  For my version I  ~~  omitted the dates and nuts, replacing them with a cup of finely chopped cranberries.  I also replaced 1/2 cup of the milk with 1/2 cup of thawed orange juice concentrate.   The resulting muffin had a nice flavor and was a fine addition to my collection of oat bran muffins.  If you're looking for a way to use some fresh cranberries, why not add them to your muffins?  Ruby red cranberries sure jazzed up my morning muffins.  :)   Happy Meatless Monday!

37 Calorie Brownie

I saw a post on Facebook the other day that really got my attention.  It showed a glorious photo of low calorie,  decadent looking brownies.   Oooooo, both Roy & I were instantly smitten!  I made them today and thought I'd share how they turned out.  Sorry to say, this challenged baker couldn't make it work ~ it was a bust.  Even with doctoring them up after they came out of the oven, neither Roy nor I would eat them.  I read through the comments of the post, and it appears quite a few people had the same problem I did.  The brownies did not rise at all, and they were on the bitter side.  On the flip side, other readers just loved them.  I don't know what went wrong.  It was such a shame, I had such high hopes.   I had all the ingredients called for, so I didn't have to make a special trip to the market to make them, but it's still sad to have to throw them out ~ I just hate wasting food.  If anyone who reads this has made them & had success, please share your secret to getting it to work.  For now, I think I'll just stick to my Trader Joe's low cal brownie mix.  You win some.  You lose some.  Real-time baking in my kitchen today.  :)

Blueberry Corn-Bran Muffins ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook

This morning, I was looking at a copy of ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook.  I came across a recipe that sounded good and that would use some of the fresh blueberries I still had sitting in my fridge.  (they where on sale last week, and I bought A LOT!)   So, into the kitchen I went to start my day off baking.  As the muffins were going into the oven, our neighbors (Bill & Cheryl) stopped by, so we invited them in.  What a great way to start our day ~ warm muffins just out of the oven, a fresh brewed pot of coffee and a little chit-chat with good friends!

For being a food that claims to help reduce your cholesterol, I think these muffins are pretty good.  They have just a hint of sweetness, the blueberries are a nice surprise, and the cornmeal adds to the overall texture.  They have just a little oil, so they are really pretty low in fat, too.  If you are a fan of corn muffins, I think you might like this one.  I tinkered around with the recipe just a bit, I couldn't help myself! :)  I checked out the cookbook from our library, and I like it so much, I'm going to buy a copy of my own.  Real-time baking in my kitchen today ~ Enjoy!

Blueberry Corn-Bran Muffins
makes 12 muffins
Recipe adapted from ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups oat bran (I used Trader Joe's Toasted Oat Bran)
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar (I used brown)
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup fat free milk
• 2 Tbsp oil (I used Smart Balance)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen)
• 3 egg whites

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place first 5 ingredients (oat bran - cinnamon) in a food processor and pulse for a minute or two, until dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed together and are more 'flour-like', then put into a large bowl.  Combine milk, oil and vanilla, in a small bowl, then add to dry mix.  Stir together, then add the blueberries and stir again.  In a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff and then fold them into the batter.  Spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pan (either greased or with muffin liners).  Bake for 20 minutes.  Best served warm.

Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins ~ healthy, low fat gems!

 

I came across this recipe for Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins and had to give them a go.  Why?  Because my neighbor, Cheryl, shared some homegrown rhubarb with me; fresh blueberries were 99 cents a pint at the market; and I found a recipe that used the two together...seemed like a sign to me!   The muffins are full of whole oats and the recipe make 12 VERY generous muffins.  I found them incredibly filling and I didn't get hungry for hours after eating them.  I enjoyed them for breakfast, at lunch and also as a snack ~ last week as I was painting and working around the house.

RoseMarie checking out the muffins as they cool...

The muffins are really low fat, so they are a bit on the dry side for my tastes ~ but perfect if you are looking for a super low fat muffin.  They were good as-is, but I preferred eating them with a schmear of  low-fat margarine or low fat cream cheese.  I also enjoyed them torn into bits and served in a bowl, covered with fat free milk.  Eaten this way, they were the perfect breakfast cereal, sorta like a 'baked soft granola'.  What a simple way to change-up a muffin into a different 'meal'.   So, if you're looking for some new recipes for baking with rhubarb or blueberries, check out the recipe over on the blog ~  Downton Abbey Cooks.  :)   

Pineapple Upside-Down Oat Bran Breakfast Cake

I was looking through my copy of ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure ~ and decided to make the recipe for the Pineapple Upside-Down Oat Bran Muffins.  After reading the recipe, I opted for the 'cake' version instead, which includes pineapple rings and maraschino cherries.  Below is my adapted version, with a few changes/additions to the recipe...I used just one egg instead of two egg whites, 2% milk (it's what I had on hand) instead of skim milk and I added vanilla extract and cinnamon for a little extra flavor.

When it came out of the oven it looked like a traditional pineapple upside-down cake ~ but it tasted more like a super thickened, cake'ish baked oatmeal to me.  Not surprising really, since it is made mostly of oat bran.  I was thinking I had a pretty flop on my hands.  I refuse to let food go to waste around here, so I decided to serve it anyway.  I decided to tinker with it, and when I presented it to my family as a 'pineapple-oat breakfast cake' (served warm, in a bowl with milk and a small drizzle of maple syrup) ~ it was an unexpected hit with both my husband and son!  My hubby liked it so much that he also ate it for dessert ~ this time chilled, with a scoop of light ice cream and a splash of milk.  So, with a bit of creative embellishing, it works as both a breakfast and a dessert.  Cool, score one for Mom!

Pineapple Upside-Down Oat Bran Breakfast Cake
makes 8-12 servings
adapted from the book ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups toasted oat bran  (I used Trader Joe's toasted oat bran)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk (low fat or skim)
• 2 - 8 oz. cans crushed pineapple in its own juice (unsweetened)
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 7 pineapple rings, drained
• 7 maraschino cherries, drained 

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 F.  Spray a round cake pan with Pam, place drained pineapple rings in a single layer on the bottom, add one maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring and set pan aside.  Mix the oat bran, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Mix the milk, 1 can of crushed pineapple with juice, egg, vanilla extract and oil in a blender for 10 seconds.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients in the bowl and mix thoroughly.  Drain the second can of pineapple and stir into the bran mixture.  Pour oat bran mixture into cake pan.  Bake for approx. 30 minutes or until cake is cooked through.  Turn out the cake pan onto a cooling rack or a large, flat plate and allow to cool.  Cut into wedges and serve warm or cold.  Serving suggestions ~ warm ~ eat it plain or with milk and a little maple syrup for breakfast; and ~ chilled ~ with milk and light ice cream or with a little whipped cream for a dessert version.  Store in fridge.

Double Cherry-Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies

Double Cherry-Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies ~ full of fresh & dried cherries, as well as a hint of chocolate.  The perfect Breakfast Cookie for right now, especially since we are smack-dab in the middle of cherry season!

Recipe Repost from July 29, 2012 ~ Since there are lots of fresh cherries in the market right now, I decided to repost one of my favorite ways to bake with cherries. ~ Enjoy!

This new spin on Breakfast Cookies came about because of all the fresh cherries that I keep seeing everywhere, as well as getting the inspiration / idea from one of the visitors to the blog who mentioned making Breakfast Cookies using fresh cherries. (you didn't leave your name, so I can't properly thank you ~ but you know who you are! :)   I just had to try making a cookie using fresh cherries, too.  Now is definitely the right time to try this recipe, since cherries are so cheap.   Cooking with the seasons does have its advantages!

I came up with a ~ Double Cherry-Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookie.  It has a double hit of cherry flavor, calling for both fresh & dried cherries, as well as a hint of chocolate.  You could easily use frozen cherries instead of fresh.  If you're like me & you're looking for new ways to use/cook with all the fresh cherries that are everywhere right now, this just might be the Breakfast Cookie for you ~ Enjoy!

Double Cherry-Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies

makes 16 regular cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal ~ uncooked
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed with fork until creamy 
  
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 12 fresh cherries, pitted & sliced into smaller pieces (or 12 frozen cherries, thawed & sliced/chopped)
• 1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
• 3 Tbsp chocolate chips or carob chips (or more, to taste)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon (or more, to taste) 
   

Directions
 

Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix vanilla extract & cinnamon into the applesauce.

Combine the applesauce mixture with all other ingredients & let sit for 10 minutes

Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into rounds.

Bake approx. 30 minutes, or until golden & done.

Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.  Cookies will firm/sweeten up as they cool.
 
When completely cool store in a covered container.

Homemade Strawberry Shortcake ~ from our homegrown strawberries...

Our spring has been lackluster and the garden has suffered for it.   The last time I had checked the strawberry bed, the little berries were small and green.  I had (quite frankly) forgotten about them, so imagine my surprise when my son & his friend came into the house with two big, red strawberries.  The kids said there were lots more out there.  When did this happen??  So, I gave them some bowls to pick whatever ripe strawberries they could find.  I was very pleased when they brought back enough to make a dessert ~ Nice!

I looked around and found this recipe for (a healthier) strawberry shortcake.  It called for basic ingredients which I always have on hand and the recipe was easy to make/follow ~ even for this challenged baker.  :)   I did try using the pastry blender to  combine the butter and flour, but got frustrated pretty quick and ended up just using my fingers.  (soooo much simpler!)  I made a few changes to the original recipe ~ I added an extra teaspoon of sugar to the shortcake batter, as well as a teaspoon of vanilla extract; I used fat free Greek yogurt and sweetened it with honey instead of sugar and used a splash of vanilla extract instead of the lemon zest (my guys like vanilla flavor more than lemon flavor).  I made the shortcakes bigger, so came up with three instead of four.  What a marvelous, light, rich and tasty shortcake.  More real-time baking in my kitchen tonight.  :)

School is now out for the summer ~ Let the games begin!

Mocha-Chocolate Chip Brownie Cupcakes ~ quick, easy and egg-free

The other day I was in the mood for some cupcakes, and since my favorite cupcake shop was already closed for the day, I decided to make a quick batch at home.  They aren't fancy like SugarBean's, but we enjoyed them all the same.  I tried to 'healthy' them up a bit, so I replaced 1/2 the flour with whole wheat pastry flour; replaced 1/2 the oil with applesauce; and cut back on the salt.   J thought they tasted like a brownie, so I'm calling them ~ Mocha-Chocolate Chip Brownie Cupcakes.  I modified this chocolate cake recipe that I posted about last year, giving it more of a mocha spin in the batter as well as the icing. I decided to add some chocolate chips to the batter, for an extra little hit of chocolate.  (look at me, getting all fancy!)

Quick and easy, as well as egg-free ~ Booyah!  If you use a vegan 'butter' in place of the regular butter, than it will be dairy-free as well.  I think they are best enjoyed cold and (to me) they taste better after the first day, that way the flavors and texture really set-up nicely.  Enjoy!

Mocha-Chocolate Chip Brownie Cupcakes ~ egg free 
makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour* *(or skip the whole wheat pastry flour & use all regular flour, if you like)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup cold water
• 3 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
• 3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp instant coffee, dissolved in 1 Tbsp warm water 
• 1 Tbsp white or cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips or carob chips  

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin tin with paper cupcake/muffin liners.  In a large bowl sift the first 7 dry ingredients (flours - salt) together.  Add all the liquid ingredients and stir until blended.  Fold in the chocolate/carob chips. Divide the batter between the 12 cupcakes liners and bake for approx. 15-20 minutes, or until they're done. (timing really depends on how full they are, mine were quite full & closer to 20 minutes)  Remove cupcakes to cooling rack.  Let cool completely, then frost.

Mocha Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• pinch of salt
• 1 Tbsp instant coffee, dissolved in 2 Tbsp water

Directions

In a medium bowl sift the dry ingredients together.  Add butter and mix until well blended. (it will be very dry)  Add the coffee and mix well. (now it looks right!)  Spread over the the cooled cupcakes.  These taste best when completely cooled or chilled.  Store in fridge.  I think they get even better the next day(s).

Judy's Ultimate ~ Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies ~

I received a comment/recipe from Judy (a reader of the blog) a few weeks ago, it was regarding her spin on my Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies. I just made her version this afternoon and they blew me away!!  So, I just had to formally share her wonderful recipe with everyone.   I think her version bridges the gap between my breakfast cookies and more traditional cookies.  Since her cookie recipe uses quick oats, a touch of milk and different proportions of the same ingredients as most of my breakfast cookies, it comes out similar, yet with a different texture ~ both for the cookie 'dough' and for the finished breakfast cookie.  There are still no added eggs or wheat, it's still sweetened with fruit and the only bit of refined sugar comes from the dried cranberries. (you could replace the dried cranberries with raisins, if you really want to avoid any white sugar ~ but, it doesn't bother me :)   Judy's cookie has a more classic, soft peanut butter cookie texture and I'm soooooooo enjoying it!!!! 

It really makes my day to know that people are trying some of my recipes, and/or are inspired to take them in a new direction, and then come back to share the recipes with me. It gives me the warm fuzzies!  :)  I bet you're gonna love her cookies as much as I do! I've decided to call her cookies ~ Judy's Ultimate ~ Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.

Here is Judy's comment that she left on my original recipe post for ~ Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies...

4/12/13 ~ I made these today at my senior complex and everybody loved them!!!--My recipe called for 3 ripe bananas, 1/2 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup milk, 2 cups quick oats, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Cook for 18 minutes at 350.
Thanks for sharing and we love your recipes!!
Judy from Vancouver, Washington

 

Judy's Ultimate Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies

makes 16-32 cookies depending on how big you like your cookies
(This recipe can easily be cut in half, that's what I did. When I made half a recipe, I came up with 16 regular size cookies.  Just divide all measurements by half)

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed until creamy
• 2 cups quick oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Combine all wet ingredients together in a large bowl, then add all dry ingredients.  Stir until well combined.  Allow mixture to rest for 10 minutes.  Place spoonfuls of the cookie 'dough' on the prepared cookie sheet and flatten them into 'thin-ish' circles. (or to the thickness of your choice, the cookies will not spread by themselves)

Bake for 18 minutes, or until done to your liking.  Allow to sit on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.  Enjoy warm, room temperature or chilled ~ as you wish.  Keep in a covered container, in the fridge, so they will last longer.  Enjoy!

Judy, I'd like to thank you so much for sharing your version of the Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies with me!  I'm so happy that everybody at your senior complex loved them.  Thanks so much for letting me know and for making my day!! You are all awesome!  Wishing you all the very best ~ Cheers!  :)

 

Meyer Lemon Honey Almond Cake

A few weeks ago, I was tinkering around with a lemon cake recipe that I made/posted about last year, trying to see if a bit simpler method would yield a more lemony cake.  Happy to report, the new lemon cake was even more full of the sweet/tart goodness of my favorite citrus ~ the Meyer lemon.  More changes that I made to the original recipe were ~ using all egg whites this time around, replacing some of the sugar with honey and pureeing the Meyer lemons fresh (not cooked), peel-and-all.   It made for a bright, robust flavor that I really enjoyed.  This Meyer Lemon Honey Almond Cake is wheat-free and dairy-free.  It's a really enjoyable dessert, tasty teatime treat or snack for us.  If you wanted to add a little something extra, maybe drizzle on a quick glaze or a sprinkling of powdered sugar to dress it up, or eat it plain/naked.  teehee  :)  Enjoy!

Meyer Lemon Honey Almond Cake
adapted from this recipe
Ingredients

• 3 Meyer lemons ~ cut into wedges & seeds removed
• 2 1/4 cups almond meal
• 1 cup egg whites (I used eggs whites from a carton)
• 7 Tbsps sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Grease a cake pan and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit into the bottom. (so it will be easier to remove)

In a small food processor, puree Meyer lemons (skin & all) with honey until smooth.  Combine the pureed honey/lemon with the sugar, egg whites, vanilla extract and salt and stir until smooth.  Pour into a mixing bowl and add the almond meal and baking powder, stir until well combined.

Let batter sit 10 minutes, then pour into prepared cake pan and tap/smooth batter.  Bake for approx 40-60 minutes or until toothpick tester comes out clean.  Let cool in pan, run a knife around edges to loosen, then remove to cooling rack.  Or, just keep in the cake pan and serve from there.  Cake will get moister the longer it sits.  Store in a covered container, it will last longer if kept in the fridge. 

Chocolate Carob Chip Cookies

I was playing around in the kitchen, trying to make a healthier version of chocolate chip cookies for my son's lunchbox.   Both my hubby and I really liked them...my son, not so much.  I think he was hoping for a crunchy, Chips Ahoy!, type of cookie.  My cookies are softer, denser and more of a 'natural style' cookie including ~ whole wheat pastry flour, almond meal,  flax and honey.  Yeah, not even in the same cookie ballpark...  :)

Ya win some, and ya lose some, when you're playing around in the kitchen.  Two out of three of us really like them, so I still consider this a win.  :)   No worries, it's just more for the adults!  Here is the experimental cookie recipe I came up with...

Chocolate Carob Chip Cookies
makes approx. 20 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup almond meal (or almond flour)
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 Tbsp water
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup carob chips (or chocolate chips)

Directions 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix first 5 ingredients (flour-salt) in a bowl until thoroughly combined.  In another bowl, combine next 4 ingredients (honey-vanilla) until thoroughly blended.

Combine almond mixture with wet mixture, when thoroughly combined then fold in carob chips. (or chocolate chips if you're using those instead)

Drop heaping teaspoons of dough, 1 inch apart, on parchment paper covered cookie sheet.  Flatten cookies into circles about 1/3" to 1/2" inch thick. (the cookies don't spread)

Bake 11-13 minutes, or until set.  Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then move to cooling rack.  They will firm up as they cool.  Store in covered container.

Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies ~ feeling the 'Boulder Crunchy Vibe'!

Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies ~ Dairy-free, flour-free, refined white sugar-free, egg-free and they're sweetened naturally with fruit & carob chips!  ((if wheat is not an issue for you, then you could toss in some wheat germ/wheat bran ~ if you choose to include the optional add-in's.  W/G & W/B always make me think of old-fashioned, health food hippie-goodies :))  I'm loving the 'feel good' 'Granola Hippie/Crunchy Vibe' of these breakfast cookies!  How about you?  :)

I've been wishing for spring to get here,  I'm so tired of the cold and all the gray skies!  I'm ready for wildflowers and warm sunny days.  I want to get outside more, I want to ride my bike and wander around some of the nature trails that are in our area.  Since the weather just doesn't seem to want to cooperate, I've decided to hit the trail anyway...but, in my kitchen...and in the form of a new breakfast cookie.  I'm calling it my ~ Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie.

Chautauqua Park ~ Boulder, Colorado ~ The Flatirons (in the distance)

To get in the outdoorsy mood, I started throwing all my favorite trail mix goodies into my basic Banana Oat Breakfast Cookie dough.  I was going for a little Crunchy/Granola Hippe vibe. (click on the link to learn what being 'crunchy' is all about.  (Can you tell that I'm missing Colorado?  Especially one of my all-time favorite towns, Boulder?  What I wouldn't give to be hiking in Chautauqua Park right now!)  This is a happy, tasty cookie that could be different every time you make it, depending on your mood or what's available in your pantry.  Sweet!  Happy Trails!

Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
makes 20-24 cookies or 10-12 bars or a varied amount of mixed shapes :)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed with fork until creamy 
  
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup mixture of your favorite dried fruit, like ~  raisins, dried cranberries, shredded coconut, chopped apricots or dates
• 1/4 cup mixture of your favorite nuts, like ~ sunflower seeds, toasted slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, peanuts or pecans
• 1/4 cup carob chips (or chocolate chips, if you aren't Crunchy :)
• 1 Tbsp+ mixture of optional add-ins, like ~ ground flax, hulled hemp seeds, chia seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds or oat bran
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or maybe coconut or almond, for a change)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon  

Directions
Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees. Get out a medium bowl and...
Mash bananas until creamy, and then...  
Combine all remaining ingredients together & let sit for 10 minutes.
Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, shape & flatten cookies into circles or into bars.
Bake approx. 20-25 minutes, or until golden & done to your liking.
Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack. 
Store in a covered container when completely cool.  They will last longer if kept in the fridge.  Serve room temp or chilled, as you wish.
Enjoy as is...  Or maybe get a little creative ~ how about swapping the carob or chocolate chips for some M&M's; or maybe just use a 1/2 cup of real trail mix instead of the 1/4 cups of fruits/nuts I've listed above; or maybe even try the breakfast cookies like this...

** I recently tried a new Coconut Spread that is really good, it's by Olivio.  I don't really use coconut oil due to its high saturated fat content...but, I just love its light coconut flavor, so I splurged and bought a tub.  I spread it on as a special treat for a few of these Trail Mix Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.  It added a nice, 'buttery' feel with just a hint of coconut flavor.  It's still less s/f than butter, so I might just keep a tub of it around for special occasions.  :)

Red Pepper Cornbread & Soup ~ a comforting meal for a winter's day

Winter just won't go quietly.  Just when we think spring might be around the corner, here comes another blast from Old Man Winter.  On a cold snowy day, I often turn to a big pot of soup to make everything better.  Sometimes I'll make a skillet of cornbread to go along with it.  As much as I like eating a ~ made from scratch homemade cornbread ~ I will usually just crack open a box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix.  It's cheap, easy, quick, good and has been part of our family's pantry since I was a child.

This time I added a 1/2 cup of diced red peppers and a 1/2 cup of drained canned corn to the prepared box mix.  I like making my cornbread in my trusty cast iron skillet, just like Grandma Bunni used to do.  It's always enjoyed, especially after coming in from the cold...

Baked French Toast with Stouffer's Harvest Apples

Baked French Toast with Stouffer's Harvest Apples ~ What a wonderful way to start your Sunday.  We had an assortment of breakfast goodies to choose from, and going back for seconds was a given!

Our dear family friend, Dick, had us over for a lovely Sunday brunch recently.  He laid out an impressive spread of breakfast delights that we all enjoyed!  One of the specialities of the day was ~ Baked French Toast with Stouffer's Harvest Apples.  He follows this recipe from the Stouffer's website, using his favorite sourdough bread.  He likes to prep the French Toast the night before he wants to serve it and then bake it in the morning.  That way the bread is fully soaked with the egg mixture and there is one less thing to do the morning of the brunch.

I can't think of a finer way to spend a Sunday ~ enjoying the day with good friends, good food and good conversation.  How about you?  :)