Category: Baking

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Sadie1 Comment

So I’m going through a little bit of a granola bar baking phase thanks to the fabulosity of the pumpkin granola bars, that I have made several times at this point.  I decided to switch it up a little and try a granola bar recipe from Martha.  This recipe is great because it doesn’t have a million ingredients (sometimes granola ingredients can add up quickly), and it had all the best stuff: peanut butter, dried cranberries, sliced almonds, and oats!

I decided to make a couple alterations as usual.  First, I felt the need to add some mini chocolate chips, of course.  And second, I threw in some protein powder just for fun.  I will try protein powder in anything these days.  Don’t worry, I’m aware that I’m weird.  Martha’s recipe only makes an 8 x 8 pan’s worth, but since I was made these for a big group I tripled the recipe and used a full cookie sheet.

To make them more portable I ended up wrapping them individually!  They’re a great snack when you’re on the go!

Peanut Butter Almond Granola Bars

Adapted from Martha, yields about 24 bars depending how you slice them.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 ½ cups sliced almonds
  • 1 ½ cups dried cranberries
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 “scoops” protein powder (optional)
  • 1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter ( I used an entire 15 oz jar)
  • 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
  • 9 Tbs oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment.
  2. Combine the oats, almonds, cranberries, protein powder, and salt in a bowl.
  3. In a small pot over medium heat, combine sugar, oil, and peanut butter.  Cook for about 5 minutes until brown sugar is completely melted.
  4. Pour warm mixture over oat mixture.  Stir to combine.  When mixture is slightly cooled add egg whites and continue to mix to ensure that the eggs don’t cook.
  5. Spread mixture out on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Sprinkle top with mini chocolate chips (if you add them earlier they will just melt into the mixture).
  6. Bake 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

Santa’s Whiskers: the Official Start of Holiday Cookie Baking

Carrie1 Comment

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This cookbook might be vintage but the recipes never get old. One of my favorite Christmas cookies is found in this book. They are called Santa’s Whiskers because the coconut on the outside of the cookie is symbolic of Santa’s beard. They are also speckled with candied cherries for that extra Christmas cheer. You can make the dough ahead and slice and bake them right before the party.

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Ingredients

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. finely chopped red and green cherries
1/2 c. finely chopped pecans
3/4 c. flaked coconut

Directions
In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Blend in milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, chopped cherries, and pecans. Form dough into two 8-inch rolls. To do this, roll the dough in flaked coconut on a sheet of wax paper. Pull the waxed paper as if the dough roll was a sushi roll. The dough will even out inside the wax paper tube. Place in fridge and chill thoroughly.

Cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 until the edges are browned, about 12 minutes. Makes about 60 cookies.

Gingersnaps

Sadie2 Comments

The reason I love gingersnaps and gingerbread, is the unique taste and personality of the flavor.  It’s a nice compliment to any holiday cookie assortment because they add a different taste.  Gingersnaps are one of those cookies that I always associated with buying in the grocery store. Why would you make these when the packaged version is so great already?  Well I do believe there is a time and a place for the packaged gingersnap cookies, but these are so easy to whip up, and what is better than a fresh, home made cookie?

These are actually somewhat of pantry cookie for me.  The other day I had some leftover butter and eggs from another baking project and I wanted to use them up.  And who doesn’t have molasses at the ready in their cupboard?  Mine must have been left over from making gingerbread last year.  So anyway, I decided to make these gingersnaps, and I was thoroughly satisfied with the results.  In addition to enjoying a couple cookies with my tea, I saved a bunch for my mom and her famous molasses with gingersnap ice cream.  It sounds a little weird, but it’s a hit in our family!

Gingersnaps

Yields about 30 cookies, from The Sweets Life

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Combine dry ingredients: flour, spices, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add molasses and egg.
  4. Gradually add dry to wet and try not to overmix.
  5. Drop on lined cookie sheets in 1 inch balls, bake 8-10 minutes.  These cookies will spread so give them space!

PS- Happy Chanukah!Second Night