Aunt LoLo's Grain Free Molasses Cookies

This morning, I wanted a cookie. BADLY. However, I know that eating a normal white flour/white sugar cookie will not lead to good things for me. (Not that I haven't tested the theory multiple times!
I had seen a recipe recently for The Perfect Molasses cookie, and even better, the recipe was grain free! Don't ask me why this makes it better....it just does.

Anyhow, the original recipe called for an entire stick of butter. Seeing as how I was trying to give these cookies at least a few redeeming qualities, I opted to replace half of the butter with applesauce. The resulting dough was so sweet, I was also able to forgo the honey entirely (the original recipe called for honey and molasses).

My second sheet cooked a bit longer than my first, and I preferred the dryer cookies. The first sheet has slowly turned back into dough over the course of the day. They didn't quite dry out enough.

Enjoy!

Aunt LoLo's Grain-Free Molasses Cookies
(Adapted from Deliciously Organic)
Makes 2 dozen+ cookies
(ie - my batch made 29 cookies)

Ingredients:
2 cups almond meal
1/4 cup corn starch
6 Tbsp. coconut flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp baking soda (I would decrease this to maybe 1 tsp)
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
4 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir to combine.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop cookie dough out onto parchment lined baking sheets.

Bake for 10-15 minutes. The outside of the cookie should be dry and start to crack.

Guilt free Double Chocolate Cookies

Guilt Free Double Chocolate Cookies
Makes 16 cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned oats

2 medium bananas

2 tbsp cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chocolate chips 

1. Blend the oats in a blender or food processor until ground to a course flour. 

2. Mash the bananas with the cocoa and vanilla until only a few small lumps remain. 

3. Combine oat flour with banana mixture and stir until just moistened. Add chocolate chips and fold to combine. 

4. Portion out onto a greased cookie sheet.  Cook at 350 for 9-12 minutes, or until just set. Enjoy warm or cold. 

Chocolate Revel Bars

A thick oaty shortbread crust, a fudgy layer, and a smattering of crispied shortbread baked on top.  This is an old Better Homes and Gardens Recipe, marked as "Best Loved" in their familiar red and white checked cookbook.  I used freshly ground whole wheat flour- these were lovely and squidgy still barely warm from the oven, but the flavors melded better after a night of resting.



These were a big hit.  Actually, I never got a photo taken before they were eaten.  Glancing at the last remaining bar in its crumby pan, I asked my husband to please snap a picture for the blog before he ate it, I was going to bed.  Because one does not leave my husband alone with chocolate and expect it to be there in the morning.

I think this picture makes it look kind of like a crime scene.  But what a delicious crime!

Chocolate Revel Bars

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I left these out)
2 teaspoons vanilla

1.  Set aside 2 Tbsp of butter.  Beat the remaining butter on medium to high speed 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides, add the brown sugar and baking soda.  Beat until combined, scraping down sides occasionally.  Beat in the eggs and 2 tsp vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer, then stir in the rest of the flour, and the oats.  (I used the paddle attachment on my stand mixer and didn't have a problem at all.)

2.  For the filling, in a medium saucepan combine the reserved 2 Tbsp butter, the chocolate chips, and the sweetened condensed milk.  Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until chocolate melts.  Remove from heat, add nuts and 2 tsp vanilla.

3.  Press 2/3rds of the oat mixture into a 15x10x1" pan (I used two 8x8" pans).  This is about 3 1/3 cup.  Spread chocolate mixture evenly over crust.  Then take small pieces of remaining oat mixture and press into flat disks and arrange over the chocolate mixture.

4.  Bake in a 350 degree oven about 25 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned- the chocolate filling will still look moist.  Cool pan on a wire rack, and cut into bars.  Makes about 60 bars.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

This was an experiment...a delicious one. I received the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook for my birthday a few days ago, and I am SO excited to try a few of the recipes out. They are well-laid out, and well-explained, and well-proved. Last night, I asked my daughter what she would like to bake today, and her answer was chocolate chip cookies! The recipe looked pretty familiar, so I decided to play with it a little. I subbed in whole wheat flour for the white flour, and used olive oil for half of the butter. The result was a chewy, hearty, nutty cookie that is absolutely wonderful. I wouldn't call these healthy...but definitely a healthier version of a lunchbox favorite! 

LoLo's Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
(adapted from Cook's Illustrated Cookbook, Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies)

1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 oz) whole-wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 stick (4 oz/ 8 Tbsp.) butter
6 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup packed (5 1/4 oz) brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large yolk
1 1/4 cups (7 1/2 oz) chocolate chips

1. Set up your oven rack to the middle of the oven, and preheat to 275. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Whisk together flour and baking soda in a medium bowl, and set aside.

2. In a medium sized skillet, melt your stick of butter over medium-low heat. It will foam. Keep swirling and wait for the foam to subside, using your nose to watch for danger. You want the butter browned, but not burnt. When the foam goes down, your butter should be a nice chestnut color. Take it off the heat and mix in your olive oil. Dump your butter mixture into a large heatproof bowl.

3. To your large bowl, add brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla. Whisk until totally incorporated. Add your egg and egg yolk, and whisk until the mixture is smooth and lump free. Set the mixture aside for 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat this process two more times until the mixture is thick, smooth and shiny. Use a rubber spatula to fold in your flour mixture just until combined, then add your chocolate chips. Make sure there are no streaks of flour. Roll your dough out into 2" (3 Tbsp.) balls and place 2" apart on your prepared cookie sheets.



4. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time 10-14 minutes, until the edges are just set but the centers are still puffy and soft. Underdone will give you a soft, chewy cookie. Cooking until set all the way through will give you a light, crisp cookie. Let the cookies rest on the pan for a minute after removing them from the oven, and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Flourless Chocolate Crisps

Adapted from Kumquat

 

Ingredients:

3 cups powdered sugar

2/3 cups sifted cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

2 tsp vanilla

2-4 large egg whites

 

Preheat oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.

 

In a bowl, combine your powdered sugar, cocoa powder, salt, chocolate chips and vanilla. Add two egg whites, and give it a stir. It will probably look like wet chalk. Add another. Maybe another. You’re looking for anything between brownie batter (a slightly thicker cookie) and Elmer’s Glue (a thinner cookie).

 

When desired consistency is reached, put your cookies by spoonful onto your cookie sheets. Two tablespoon-sized heaps will give you 24 cookies. One tablespoon-sized heaps will give you smaller cookies, and more of them.

 

Bake 14 minutes per sheet, or until the cookies are shiny on top and slightly cracked. Cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then carefully move your paper/mat to your cooling rack. When you are able, peel your cookies off and allow them to finish cooling on the rack.

Alton Brown’s Super Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

(from LoLo’s Cooking School, session 2)

 

The Chewy

(Adapted from Alton Brown’s Good Eats: The Early Years)

(I ADORE this cookbook. If you do not have it, I HIGHLY recommend it. Not only are the recipes foolproof, but the book is packed full of interesting culinary facts, scientific facts and trivia bits from the Good Eats cooking show.)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, melted and cooled

2 1/4 cup (12 oz) flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt (3/4 tsp. table salt)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup (2 oz) white sugar

2 cups (8 oz) brown sugar

1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

2 Tablespoon milk

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups (12 oz) chocolate chips

 

1. Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and the two sugars. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

3. In a third (small) bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract.

4. Lower the mixer speed to low, and slowly add the egg mix. Mix until totally combined, about 30 seconds.

5.  Still on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, stopping several times to scrape down the sides. 

6. When the flour is all mixed in, put the mixer on its slowest setting, and add the chocolate chips.

7. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for one hour, then preheat your oven to 375.  Position the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven.

8. Scoop the dough onto parchment or silicone lined cookie sheets, and  bake two sheets at a time, 10-15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through cooking. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

Ginger Cookies

I found these while looking for a tasty afternoon snack for the kids and I. Oh boy, were these tasty! My favorite cookie texture – tender and chewy, almost like a brownie, but gingery and spicy.

 

Ginger Cookies

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Approximately 120 cookies

 

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. baking soda

1 12 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

 

Preheat oven to 350

 

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat your shortening on low speed for 30 seconds, then add sugar. Beat until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. (You can skip this this scraping step if you have a rubber edged blade, such as the Beater Blade.) Add your eggs and molasses and mix until combined. Add all your flour at once and mix in what you can with the mixer, then finish the job with a wooden spoon if necessary.

3. Use a small scoop to pull out balls of cookie dough approximately 1” in diameter (your hands would work here, too). (Balls of dough can be rolled in sugar at this point, if you like. You’ll need about 3/4 cup total.) Arrange cookies 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets, and bake 8-9 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed and just slightly browned on the bottom. Don’t overbake these! Allow to cool on the sheet for one minute, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Lavender Brownies

Oh, I know they don’t look like much. Just some fudgy brownies, from a box. In fact, what makes these brownies so special is something so subtle, you could miss it completely if you’re not paying attention. You might think they taste a little different…just a smidge floral perhaps?

And you’d be right.

The lavender in these was so subtle, but so delicious. I was really surprised! The lavender I used was bought from a tea shop in China, so it is not as fresh as what I could gather from my own yard. These brownies were made as refreshments for a class at church on building your own hanging baskets, and meant to highlight what you could do with herbs from your own garden. (The surprise hit of the night was the Herb Hanging Basket. Brilliant, right? Stick seven of your favorite herbs in a hanging pot, hang it…and enjoy a slug-less and bunny-less herb garden all summer long!)

(Please note – I doubled the recipe and baked it in a Silpat-lined half-sheet jelly roll pan for about 30 minutes, and they were perfect. I probably should have stuck them in the freezer for about 10 minutes before cutting them, though, to help me get the edges prettier.)

(Also, this would absolutely work with a from-scratch brownie recipe. Brownies aren’t a favorite around here, so I don’t make them very often. That being the case, I haven’t tried to make them from-scratch since I was about 13. I didn’t want to experiment on my friends at church, so…a mix it was! I used a Milk Chocolate mix, and that was perfect.)

Lavender Brownies

Ingredients:
1 boxed brownie mix (or your favorite brownie recipe)
(Ingredients required for your mix. Generally water, oil and eggs)
2 Tbsp. dried lavender flowers, plus extra for garnish

The night before, open your bag of brownie mix and add the lavender. Twist the top shut, shake to combine, and let sit overnight. This marinates the flavor of the lavender into your brownies. (If you are making brownies from scratch, the night before you bake them, measure out the required sugar and add your lavender to that. Let the sugar and lavender sit overnight and bake as usual the next day.)

On baking day, prepare your brownies and bake as directed. Before baking, sprinkle more lavender across the top of the brownies.

Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Raspberry-Rhubarb Thumbprint Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens, “Jam Thumbprints”)

 

Aunt LoLo’s Thumbprint Cookies

Makes 30 cookies

Ingredients:

2 eggs, separated

2/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar (extra, for rolling. Colored sugar would be fun here, too.)

1/2 cup Raspberry-Rhubarb preserves, or your favorite jam or preserves

 

1. In the large bowl of your mixer, beat your shortening on medium for 30 seconds, so it’s light and fluffy.  Add your egg yolks and vanilla and beat until combined. Lower the speed and mix in your flour. Gather your dough into a disk, ball or baton (whatever floats your boat), wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

2. Preheat your oven to 375, and prepare a large baking sheet with a silicone mat, parchment paper or Pam. Roll your dough out into 1” balls, roll in sugar, and place on your cookie sheet, 1” apart. By off-setting the rows, I could fit 30 cookies onto one sheet. Carefully put a thumbprint into each ball, smashing it into a cratered disc. (You’ll need that crater after baking, for filling with jam!)

3. Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes, or until the bottom edges just barely start to brown. (If your craters have puffed out while you were baking the cookies, carefully use your thumb or the back of a spoon to push them back down before the cookies cool.) Pull them out, let them cool for a few minutes, and remove them to a rack to cool. When they are completely cool, spoon about 1/2 tsp. jam into each crater.

 

Enjoy! These are a very rich little cookie, but not so smothering as a normal thumbprint cookie. The shortening makes the difference.

Nutritional Bars (Barritas Nutrivas)

These are very, very similar to the survival bars but they don't have as long of a shelf life because of the additional goodies included, and they are baked instead of steamed.  They turn out more like cookies, but are not too sweet and are very filling and yummy.  (I'm thinking these are the perfect post-baby food to have on hand: nutritious, filling, and one-handed!)

Nutritive Bars
Ingredients:
3 cups oats
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
1 cup brown sugar (not packed)
3 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp plain gelatin (2 packets)
2 Tbsp warm water
1/2 cup liquid milk, warmed

Mix all ingredients by hand in a bowl, one at a time, softly.

Add mix ins like raisins, nuts, chocolate chips, peanuts, almonds, etc.  (In class we had coconut, chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts!)

Form into cookies, and place on a foil-lined pan.  Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

If you want to store these as emergency food, let cool 12 hours and wrap individually in tin foil.  Store in a cardboard box for 6 months.  1 bar can sustain a person 3 days.

Best Sugar Cookies INTHEWORLD!

These are the best sugar cookies in the world, with a big bowl of cream cheese frosting.

The kidlets like them with sprinkles.

Or you can take the more classical approach.

 

These cookies are soft. They melt in your mouth. They’re delicious. I’m embarrassed to say it, but they taste just like the Lofthouse cookies that you can find in nearly any Pacific Northwest grocery store bakery. (Except, of course, that they aren’t full of preservatives and can’t be kept at room temperature for up to three weeks before they start to suffer.) That, to me, is the highest compliment I can give a sugar cookie. I adore Lofthouse cookies.

When I was in high school, one of my youth leaders at church made incredible cookies. They were so good, in fact, they could even lure my usually shy mother away from her home, and caring for my three younger siblings, and into various church functions.

 

As one particular function was approaching (Young Women in Excellence), this youth leader and I were given charge of organizing an edible favor for the other young women, and their parents. Since Karen, the leader, made such delicious cookies, my mother suggested (begged?) that I suggest those as favors. And that I ought to help with the prep. And take notes.

 

With Karen’s permission, I did take notes. Our baking day still stands out vividly in my mind. It was during our Christmas break, and we had quite a snowstorm. At 11 am, there was still a foot of snow on the ground, and a good six inches of slush in the roads. (If you know Seattle, you know that is odd.)  I carefully picked my way through the slippery slush, walking the four blocks to Karen’s house. I can still remember how impressed I was with her efficient kitchen. She had a pantry in the hall, just outside of the kitchen, with pre-cut sheets of parchment paper. It blew my mind, at the time, seeing a kitchen that was so specialized for one branch of the culinary arts. In fact, it might have been her that first gave me the notion that every kitchen should have  a cookie jar, and every week should find the cookie jar replenished.

 

I recently threw a baby shower for a friend at church, and made the cookies for the first time in nearly 15 years. I had never attempted to make them myself. Even though I had the recipe, I never found a reason to use it. These are not cookie-jar cookies, and most parties around here call for cupcakes, not decorated cookies.

 

My first attempt (a double batch) was tasty, but my technique was off. Obviously, my note-taking skills were a little off. I didn’t watch the order of the ingredients, or the mixing going on between adding ingredients to the bowl!

 

I tried again, another double batch, and made nearly perfect cookies. (The original cookies included almond flavoring, instead of vanilla. If I can get my hands on some good quality almond flavor, then I’ll be in business!)

 

One more note – most sugar cookie doughs are refrigerated before they can be rolled or cut. This dough does not need to be refrigerated. This is a major plus, since these cookies can go from cupboard to oven in about 15 minutes. They can be frosted as soon as the cookies are cool.

Best Sugar Cookies in the World

Adapted from Karen Palmer’s recipe

If rolled out 1/4” thick, this makes 14 large cookies. The recipe can be doubled, or tripled.

 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Crisco

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla or almond flavoring

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups flour, divided

 

Preheat the oven to 400 and prep two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

 

Cream together:

3/4 cup Crisco

1 cup white sugar

 

With the mixer on medium low, add:

2 eggs, one at a time

1 tsp. vanilla or almond flavoring

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

 

When everything is uniformly mixed in, add :

two cups of flour 

Mix just until flour is incorporated evenly.

 

Place a cup with 1/2 cup flour in it next to your workspace, and then sprinkle your workspace liberally. Turn out the dough and carefully roll it out. You want it thick, 1/4-1/2 inch.  Cut out your cookies and carefully remove to a prepared baking sheet. (I used a flat metal spatula for this, and cut out my cookies with a 3” biscuit cutter.)

 

Bake for 8-9 minutes, but check them often through the glass after 6. As soon as the bottom edges begin to turn golden, you want to take the cookies out of the oven.

 

While the cookies are baking, gently re-form and re-roll the remaining dough. Make sure you sprinkle your workspace with flour again. Cut out cookies and repeat above process. On your second cookie sheet. (It is important that you use at least two cookie sheets, since the sheets need to be COOL when the cookies are placed on them.)

 

(The original recipe indicates that dough should ONLY be rolled out twice. I rolled mine out three or four times. The third time was OK. The fourth time, and the cookie I made from patting together the resulting scraps, were perfect warm out of the oven. They didn’t make it further than that, but I imagine they’d be a bit tougher.)

 

Allow to cool on the baking sheet for one minute, and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Icing: (makes enough to ice 4 dozen cookies)

In an electric mixer, combine:

6 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup corn syrup

3 T. butter, softened

1/2 cup water

1 tsp. vanilla

 

Beat until smooth, and add dye as desired.

 

This makes a thick icing, suitable for spreading with a spatula but perhaps not still enough for intricate piping. It stays quite soft, and so is not really appropriate for individually wrapped cookies, and the cookies should NOT be stacked without waxed paper between them.

Aunt LoLo's Chocolate Granola Bar Cookies

*Edited - The amount of sugar should have been one cup total, not two cups. 
I could call these LoLo/Myrnie/Lera Oatmeal Cookie/Bars. Ok, that's an awful name....but I'm really not sure what to call these! The original recipe came from Lera, at The Sky is Pink. The lovely and affable Myrnie tried the recipe, and changed it just a smidge, patting it into a cookie sheet instead of scooping into balls. The result was a large sheet of cookies that disappeared at an alarming rate.

Then the recipe landed at Casa LoLo. And you KNOW I can't leave well enough alone. I tweaked, and I fiddled, and I forgot, and I compensated...and I came up with my Perfect Snack. I always make these before road trips, because they are healthier than other cookies, just sweet enough to be a treat for the kids, and with all the oatmeal and dried fruit, they have serious Staying Power. (Not to mention Magical Fiber Properties, but we won't go into that here. This is a food blog, after all.)

I like to press the mix into a 9x13 pan, and then cut the cookies into at least 42 small squares. Bite size! I grab one every time I pass the cookie jar. The perfect little mouthful...

Aunt LoLo's Chocolate Granola Bar Cookies
(Makes 1 cookie sheet full. Cut as desired.)


Ingredients:
4 cups regular oatmeal (Quick Cooking oats will give you a more tender cookie.)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (loosely scooped) (Alternately, leave out the white sugar and use 1 cup of brown sugar for a chewier cookie.)
1 cup canola oil (Olive oil would work as well)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 beaten eggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Saigon cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 cup dried fruit
Chocolate Chips


The night before:
In a large bowl, combine your oatmeal, sugars and canola oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it set out overnight (or at least a few hours. Or not at all. You know, it's totally up to you.)

*Note - if you were to use quick-cooking oats here, you would get a much more tender cookie. I like them chewy, with distinct bits of oatmeal. To each their own!


Baking Day:
Preheat your oven to 350 and grease your pan of choice. (A 9x13 pan will give you thicker, chewier cookies. A cookie sheet will give you thinner, slightly crispier cookies.) Add to your oatmeal mixture vanilla, eggs, flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger and mixed dried fruit. (Use whatever is on hand. Chop it all up to approximately raisin-sized chunks, and you're good to go. Craisins, dried pineapple and raisins make an awesome mix.) Mix with a spoon, and then with your hands, making sure all of the flour is incorporated and the dough is uniformly wet. Dump your dough into your prepared pan, and mash it into submission. Make sure it is uniformly thick, and spread all the way to the edges of the pan.

Bake approximately 15 minutes for a 9x13 pan, or until the edges just start to turn golden. Remove from the oven, and immediately scatter chocolate chips across the top. (About 3/4 cup should do it.) Wait 5 minutes, or until the chips are glistening. That means they are ready to bend to your will. Muahahahahah. Get your off-set spatula and go to town, spreading out the chocolate chip icing. (Alternately, you could have used parchment paper to line your pan and then dumped the whole thing onto a cutting board before adding the chocolate chips. It might make it easier to cut up later.) Now walk away. Let your cookies sit for at least 45 minutes, or until the chocolate is hardened. Now you can cut it up into as many pieces as you like! I really prefer teeny, tiny cookies so that they are one comfortable bite.

Enjoy!

No Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe came from the Sun Times. I was looking for some butter-free chocolate chip cookies to serve at a party at home. These are tasty, but I really prefer my cookies a bit thicker and chewier. However, if you are looking for a dairy-free (sub out the chocolate chips!) cookie to nibble on, and like them on the crispy side, these are for you!
(See my notes in parenthesis below.)

No Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from a recipe at Sun Times


In a medium bowl, whisk together:

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. (Saigon) cinnamon



In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat well:

2 eggs



Add:

1/4 cup oil



Blend until well mixed.



Add and mix in well:

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla



Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture slowly, and then fold in:

1 cup chocolate chips



Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a Silpat lined cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes.

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp. Saigon cinnamon

The Moving Cookie

These are based on a recipe for Ranger Cookies from my every-trusty Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. We've been looking for a good "travelling" cookie for Wonder Daddy to pack on long bike rides and runs- after one bite he looked at me and declared "These are the perfect cookie!" At fifty calories per cookie, 1 gram of protein, and almost a gram of fiber, I think I might agree. Next time, we'll use whole wheat flour, and cut the sugar back- I think the white sugar could be cut out entirely, and these would still be plenty sweet.

The cookies are cake-like and moist, and with the cinnamon and applesauce are really delicious, kind of like concentrated cider. The coconut and oats give them a nice chew, and the dried fruits plump up and moisten. These would also make a delicious treat for anyone on a dairy-free diet.

Wonder Daddy's Traveling Cookie

makes about 36 cookies

1/2 cup applesauce 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 3 Tbsp flax seed 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1 cup oats 1 1/4 cup flour 1/2 cup dried blueberries 1/2 cup dried cranberries 1 cup coconut

Mix wet ingredients, then stir in dry ingredients. Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto a greased cookie sheet, and bake at 375 for 8 minutes.

Nutrition information from this website

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 22 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

59

Calories from Fat

12

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat

1.3g

2%

Saturated Fat

0.8g

4%

Cholesterol

5mg

2%

Sodium

12mg

1%

Total Carbohydrates

11.1g

4%

Dietary Fiber

0.9g

4%

Sugars

5.5g

Protein

1.1g

Vitamin A 0%	•	Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 1%	•	Iron 2%

Nutrition Grade C

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

One Way Cookies

This recipe is from a friend, who got it from a friend....so I'm really not sure who to credit for this! These are rather healthy, and rather tasty. Don't expect them to taste like a traditional fruity cookie - without the oil, you're just setting yourself up for disappointment. Rather, think of it as...a healthy bowl of oatmeal, you can hold in the palm of your hand!

(Oh, these are called One Way Cookies because if you take them to a party...they won't be coming home!)

3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups unsweetened applesauce (you can substitute pureed pumpkin for part of the applesauce)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups chocolate chips
1/3 cup flax seed
8 egg whites (we used four whole eggs, since "non fat" wasn't our primary objective)
6 cups regular oats

Combine wet ingredients with sugar. Add dry ingredients, ending with oats and chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. We used a mini ice cream scoop to scoop out the cookies, and this made nearly 12 dozen cookies. Luckily, these hold up great in the freezer, and they thaw in a flash.

Oreo Pops

These were so simple to make, but they turned out pretty cute!

You'll need:
Oreos (either Double Stuff or twice as many cookies as you want pops)
Lollipop sticks
Chocolate (almond bark, candy coating, or chocolate chips and shortening)
Bling (Jelly Beans, Coconut, sprinkles...whatever!)

(Lollipop sticks, Lollipop bags and candy coating can all be found in a crafts store, such as Michaels or Hobby Lobby.)

If using Double Stuff: carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cookie.

If using normal Oreos: carefully separate each cookie, making sure that all the filling is on one side of the cookie. Set aside the "naked" half to munch on while you work. Lay a lollipop stick on the "cream" half, and top with another "cream" half. Gently push the two sides together to mold the cream around the lollipop stick.

Place your "sticked" cookies on a plate and put them in the refrigerator to chill for 15-20 minutes. (I'm told this helps the chocolate stick to the cookies better. It also helps the cream set up so your sticks won't come sliding out.)

While your cookies cool, melt your chocolate in a tall, narrow mug. If using almond bark or candy coating, melt according to package directions. If, like me, you'd rather use the chocolate chips hanging out in your baking cupboard, in your mug combine:
1 cup chocolate chips
1 T. shortening

(The shortening thins the chocolate out so you don't get such a gloppy chocolate coating.)

Microwave for about 90 seconds, stirring every thirty seconds.

Carefully dunk your cookies down into the chocolate to cover, and tap the stick against the side of the cup to knock the excess chocolate back into the mug.

Lay the coated cookies on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or a silicone baking mat. Press your desired Bling into the chocolate and leave the cookies to harden. (If using almond bark or candy coating, this will take about 10 minutes. If using chocolate chips, allow at least an hour.)

When hard, carefully remove each cookie pop from the baking sheet. I put my finished Oreo pops inside of small lollipop bags and tied them up with curling ribbon.

Enjoy!

Whippercrinkles or Really Fast Cookies

Catchy name, no? When I need treats in a hurry, I turn to this recipe. I've never met a kid who didn't adore these cookies and make their Mom ask me for the recipe. (Thankfully, all the Moms have been really nice about it when I tell them it's just a cake mix. Ha!)

If these were made from scratch, and chocolate, they'd be called Crinkles. If you use a lemon cake mix, they're called Lemon Whippersnappers.

I call 'em...

Whippercrinkles
This is adapted from Betty Crocker's Fudge Crinkles

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a large baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking sheet.

In a bowl, combine:
1 (two layer size) cake mix (any flavor)
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
(If this is too dry, add a bit of water)

Mix thoroughly and scoop out with a small ice cream or cookie scoop, 3" apart on the baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes, or until the edges are set.

(For a prettier cookie, these can be rolled in powdered sugar before baking, but I find that too messy for eating as a Primary treat, which is usually where these end up.)

Samoa Cookies

I came across this post last week, and mentioned it to Wonder Daddy. Unexpectedly, his eyes lit up and he squeaked "Did she have a recipe for Samoas?"

So, instead of a birthday cake this year I made him these!

In a nutshell, these are crisp buttery wafers, topped with a scoop of chewy coconut-caramel mixture, and then dunked in and drizzled with chocolate.

The recipe says to roll the dough out in a few batches, then cut with a 1.5" cookie cutter, then use a big straw to punch out the center...aw nuts. Just divide the dough in half, roll into two logs, chill, and cut into 1/4" discs. No one will miss the hole in the middle, and besides: you'll never get the coconut to go around the hole. I don't care that the author did it- she's amazing and I'm not. I'm fine with that. Really!


She recommended Werthers Chewy Caramels. I didn't know there was such a thing...but nevertheless, there was. And it was on sale, 2/$3.



So you unwrap those babies, microwave for 3 or 4 minutes with a few splashes of milk and some salt, and mix with some nicely toasted coconut (20 minutes at 300 degrees, and stir it around a few times.)

Spoon the gooey coconut and caramel onto the cookies, dredge the bottoms in chocolate (I used almond bark...it was half off after the holidays!) and use the rest of the melted almond bark to drizzle over the top. The easiest way to dunk these, I found, was melt the chocolate and pour a little at a time onto a salad plate. It was easy to swirl the cookie bottoms around without burning my fingers on a vat of molten chocolate. Although, that would be a delicious way to be burned.

You can visit her fabulously written post for a more complete recipe (I'd hate to steal her thunder) but that's it in nutshell. Yes, these take a while- it's not a "dump-mix-bake" recipe. But, they are VERY worth it. And rather economical, when you consider the girls in green vests are hawking roughly 20 cookies for $4, and this recipe makes at least 4 dozen. I made my logs small (these MUST be consumed in one bite, so small is definitely better) and I think I got about 70 cookies.

Next time, I'll make the cookie dough the night before and refrigerate. The next day, I'll just need to slice and bake, cook the coconut while they're cooling, and proceed to assemble the cookies.

Now will someone please give me a reason to make her Thin Mints? Wonder Daddy took all our cookies to the office....*sob* Something about New Year's resolutions...phooey.