Oatmeal Cookies

I've been craving oatmeal cookies lately.  Must be the dusting of snow on the ground and the freezing cold wind outside!  These made the house smell wonderful and chased away the chill of the day.

Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup nuts or raisins
• 3 1/4 cups rolled oats

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
*Cream butter and sugars.  Add in eggs and vanilla.  Beat well.
*Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl.  Beat into wet ingredients.
*Stir in nuts/raisins and oats.
*Drop by the tablespoon on greased cookie sheets or parchment paper.
*Bake for 12 to 18 minutes depending on if you like your cookies soft or crispy.

These cookies are quite sweet.  I'm going to experiment with decreasing the sugar next time I make them.  I'll update the recipe if I make any changes.  I made them with no nuts or raisins and they are a very good basic cookie.  The kids loved them.

Enjoy!
-C :)

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

These creamy bars combine two of my favorite things - tangy lemon and cheesecake.  They are really easy to make but taste like they required hard work.  I have to refrain from making these every week.  I'd like to but my hips wouldn't appreciate it!!

Photo by me.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars
(recipe from allrecipes.com)

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, cubed

*Whisk flour and sugar together.  Cut in butter.  Press into a 9x13 pan that has been greased.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes.

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/2 cup lemon juice

*Whisk together.  Pour over baked crust.  Skim off bubbles.

• 2 (8oz) packages cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten

*Mix cream cheese and sugar.  Whisk in eggs.  Spread over lemon mixture.
*Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until filling is set.  The lemon layers will separate as it bakes.

I make half the recipe in an 8x8 inch pan.  I also use light cream cheese.

Enjoy!
-C :)

Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins

Another pumpkin recipe!!  Tis the season!  I was looking for a way to use of some of the abundance of zucchini that I have and this recipe fit the bill.  It not only used some zucchini, it also used my favorite fall ingredient - pumpkin!

These muffins came together quickly, freeze well and taste amazing.  They are very moist but not soggy.  The spices are just right and taste great with a cup of coffee.

Photo by me.

Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins
(adapted from Six Sister's Stuff)

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups flour (I used white whole wheat)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 cup walnuts or pepitas

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line or grease muffin tin.
*Combine eggs and sugar.  Add pumpkin, butter, and vanilla.
*Combine dry ingredients in a second bowl.
*Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
*Stir in zucchini and nuts/pepitas.
*Spoon into muffin tin until almost full.
*Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

Enjoy!
-C :)

Crustless Mini Pumpkin Pies

I'm in love.  Fall is in the air and Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away.  This has me thinking of all things pumpkin.  I came across these fabulous looking Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes on Pinterest.  I've renamed them because to me they are tiny crustless pumpkin pies.  I love these because I'm not a fan of pie crusts!  These are a bit less creamy than real pumpkin pie but not in a bad way.  My kids both loved these.

Photo by me.

Crustless Mini Pumpkin Pies
(from Baking Bites)

• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup half and half or evaporated milk

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a muffin tin with 12 liners.
*Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
*In a separate bowl whisk together pumpkin, sugars, eggs, vanilla, and milk.
*Whisk dry into wet until combined.
*Fill each muffin liner with 1/3 cup batter.
*Bake 20 minutes.
*Pies will be puffy when you remove them from the oven and will sink as they cool.  Cool in the tin and then refrigerate before serving.
*Top with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

Enjoy!
-C :)

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Fall is in the air here.  It has been blustery and cold this week, so I've been keeping warm with some time in the kitchen.  I have a fabulous recipe coming up for a fresh take on pumpkin pie but in order to make that I needed some pumpkin pie spice.  I can't even count the times that I have wanted to make a recipe but couldn't because I had no pumpkin pie spice.  Well, that's no longer going to stand in my way as I can now make my own.  Hooray!!

Pumpkin Pie Spice
(from Baking Bites)

1/4 cup cinnamon
2 tablespoons ginger
2 teaspoons cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cardamom

*Mix it all together and store in an airtight container.

I omitted the cloves because I don't like them and the cardamom because I don't have any.  This tasted so yummy in the recipe I used it in.  Baking Bites also has a recipe for Apple Pie Spice which I'm sure would be great also.

Enjoy!
-C :)

Parmesan Garlic PullAparts

This recipe is one that I pieced together from a few different recipes I have seen online lately.  I made this for supper recently and my kids devoured it.  They raced to eat their main dish so that they could eat as many of these cheesy, garlicky bites as they could.  I love that this recipe comes together very quickly using the baking mix posted previously.

Photos by ME.

 

Parmesan Garlic PullAparts

• 2 1/2 cups baking mix
• scant 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon basil

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease two 9 inch baking pans.
*Pour melted butter into prepared pans.
*Mix baking mix and milk in a mixing bowl until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
*Shape dough into small balls (smaller than a golf ball).
*Mix together Parmesan cheese, garlic, oregano and basil in a bowl.
*Toss dough balls in Parmesan cheese mixture until well coated.
*Place dough balls in prepared pans in a single layer (there should be a little room around each ball for it to rise but not so much space that they won't touch when risen).
*Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown on the bottom.

Enjoy!

-C :)

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

I'm not a huge fan of fresh blueberries.  Until this summer, I never bought them but my kids love them, so I've seen a lot of blueberries go through my kitchen.  I came across this amazing recipe on pinterest.  I pinned it months ago but thought of it recently.  I am so glad I did.  I've never used lemon zest before...  Weirdly enough, I always omit it in recipes I make.  I definitely won't be doing that again because through this recipe I realized the amazing 'lemonyness' it brings to this moist loaf.

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
(adapted slightly from Sweet Pea's Kitchen)

For the loaf:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup canola or olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
*In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
*In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil.
*Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
*In a separate bowl mix blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour.  Fold them into the batter.
*Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
*Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then cool on a wire rack over top of a plate or cookie sheet.
*While the loaf is cooling, prepare the lemon syrup.

For the Lemon Syrup:

• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar

*Stir lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook until dissolved, then boil 3 minutes.
*Poke top and sides of cooling loaf with a toothpick.
*Brush with lemon syrup.  Repeat.
*Let the loaf cool completely.
*Prepare glaze.

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

*Once loaf has cooled, whisk together icing sugar and lemon juice.  Glaze should be thick but pourable.
*Drizzle over cool loaf and let drip down the sides.
*Let glaze dry for approximately 15 minutes before serving.

This was the best thing I have eaten in a long time.  As soon as I tried it I made the same recipe into a batch of muffins.  They were equally as good.

Enjoy!
-C :)