Posts tagged ‘Cookies’

September 21, 2015

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies

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I recently posted a picture of these cookies on Instagram and received many requests for the recipe. I have to say, not only are they easy to throw together, I think they are fairly healthy. They only use 1/4 cup of butter, which sounds even better when you say 4 tablespoons… and they are full of healthy oats.

I found the original recipe online through the “myrecipes” website, but as usual I’ve changed things up a little. Don’t we all find ourselves with a couple of overripe bananas every week? You can peel and freeze them to use in smoothies or bake a banana bread. These cookies are a nice change from the usual.

You could definitely add nuts to this or other dried fried. They perfectly mimic the tops of muffins, so I guess they’re a bit like banana muffin cookies.

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INGREDIENTS

  • 2 mashed overripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine the mashed bananas with the brown sugar, butter, sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of a mixer. Mix until well combined, then add the egg. Mix again until properly incorporated.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour. oats, baking soda and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the banana mixture in thirds, mixing to combine after each addition. Next add in the chocolate chips and raisins and stir by hand.

4. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and drop heaping tablespoons of the batter a couple of inches apart. Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 16 minutes. I use the convection setting on my oven and they were done in 12 minutes.

5. Allow them to cool for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheets and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Do you have a favorite ingredient that you would never substitute? This vanilla extract is mine. I have used it forever and wouldn’t dream of using any other brand. Since I’m no expert baker I can’t give you any technical reason for my obsession, just that it tastes fantastic! It adds awesome flavor to smoothies, too. Most important, its REAL vanilla extract. Many of the extracts available in the grocery store are artificial. Make sure you read the label before you make your purchase.

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May 6, 2014

Yummy Little Molasses Cookies

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My first molasses cookie was from Max Hansen Grocery in Carversville, PA and it was delicious. What a fabulous little grocery store. He offers all kinds of sandwiches, prepared foods, coffee & breakfast and even gourmet packaged goods. He has an impressive cheese case and even packages his own smoked salmon… which as my mother-in-law would say is “world-famous!” I had Max cater a birthday party for my husband not long ago and everything was top-notch. Check out his website for more information. You can see pictures of the store, which is located inside the historic Carversville post office – very quaint and picturesque. Alan and I went to Max’s store soon after it opened and enjoyed sandwiches sitting in a pretty grassy area at a picnic table beside the store. We grabbed a couple of homemade cookies for dessert. The molasses cookie was chewy, spicy and sweet… love. I saw this recipe and decided to try baking some here at home. It took less than an hour to make these perfect little cookies, start to finish. Since the butter is melted you don’t even need a stand mixer. I rolled them in Sugar in the Raw. Once baked they had a fabulous crunch on the outside and a chewy center. They’re like gingerbread on steroids.

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Adapted from Bon Appetit

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 extra-large egg
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup mild flavored molasses
  • Sugar in the Raw (turbinado sugar) for rolling the cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, spices & salt. Whisk together.

3. In another mixing bowl whisk the egg and the cooled melted butter. Add the sugar, brown sugar and molasses. Stir until completely incorporated.

4.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in thirds until just combined. You will have a very dense cookie dough.

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5. Pour some raw sugar in a small bowl. Using your hands, roll tablespoon size balls of the cookie dough. Roll the balls in the sugar and set them on the prepared sheet pans.

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6. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until they puff up and crack. Rotate the cookie sheets halfway through. Don’t over-bake. You want a chewy cookie. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

IMG_3228   Enjoy!

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