The tea cakes on the left have yet to receive their sprinkle of powdered sugar.
My daughter Paula called me before Christmas because a fellow worker wanted my recipe for Russian Tea Cakes. Paula was at work so didn’t have her recipe at hand, so she went to her momma’s site but couldn’t find the recipe. And no wonder! My favorite cookie recipe and the one that always appears at the top of my list for “goodies that simply must be made at Christmas” had never been published. What! Wait! How could this be right? But sure enough, this fabulous recipe had never left my fingertips and as if by magic, landed on this site. The only reason I can think of to justify this omission, is that I practically have this recipe memorized. (Or I used to have it memorized when I still had my full set of faculties. Now I have to read, re-read, and then check off ingredients as I place them in the mixer. (Getting older can be a bit trying at times. Hopefully none of you can relate. But if you can, I sympathize.)
Anyway, here is my recipe for Russian Tea Cakes. (And I know. Most of you already have a great recipe for these fabulous and easy to make cookies. But for those who don’t, I felt compelled to share the recipe with you.)
Well, that’s it for today. I’m totally burned out from making reservations for our upcoming trailer trips, so I think I’ll keep this short and treat myself to an afternoon helping the protagonist in the book I’m reading figure out who done it. (I’m very good at being an armchair detective.)
Have a great new year. Stay healthy. Stay positive, and don’t forget to laugh. Laughter is so good for us, and although laughter can be contagious, it’s not infectious. And isn’t that refreshing!
Peace and love to all.
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ c. powdered sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 tsp. vanilla
2¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
¼ tsp. salt
¾ c. finely chopped walnuts
Cream the butter, ½ cup of powdered sugar, and vanilla together. Add the flour, salt, and finely chopped walnuts.
Use a small ice cream scoop or roll the dough by hand into 1-inch balls. Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for about 10-12 minutes. Cookies should be a very light golden brown when they are done. DO NOT OVERBAKE.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
When cool, sprinkle* with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.
*The best (and least messy) way to coat the top of the cookies with powdered sugar is to place the cooled cookies back on your baking pan, then scoop a bit of powdered sugar into a small, fine sieve (strainer) and shake over the cookies. (You don’t have to coat the bottom of the cookies.) Let sit for about 30 minutes before storing.
I thought covid and all its social restrictions was a bummer. And it was a bummer for a myriad of reasons. But at least we could still get together with dear friends and relatives at Christmas. Even if it was only for a short time in someone’s garage, responsibly spaced around a portable propane camping fire. (And yes, we actually did enjoy a bit of Christmas together exactly as described!)
But this Christmas was the pits. Both Andy and I were ill. We think we had RSV. But it could have been the flu. (And yes, we had this year’s flu vaccination!) But hey, we could have had both of these darling infirmities at the same time! Now wouldn’t that be special! Because we had symptoms from both at various times during our illnesses. And we still aren’t 100%! Almost 3 weeks for Andy and about 10 days for me. Humbug! (That’s what we’ve chosen to call what we had/have. The 2022 HUMBUG!)
So, we missed Christmas Eve with our dear friends Jim and Margo and Christmas day with relatives and close friends because of what’s “going around”.
But you know, while I was sitting in my favorite reading chair on Christmas day feeling ever so sorry for myself, I realized how exceedingly lucky I was to have Andy to spend the day with. And how blessed we both were to have close friends and family that were able to be together. Even if this Christmas we couldn’t be there with them. I realized all of us were the lucky ones. We had a home. We weren’t being bombed by some power-hungry Russian maniac. We weren’t out in the cold with no way to get warm, stay warm, or feed either our loved ones or ourselves. We were lucky. Just plain lucky!
So what if Mr. C. and I couldn’t spend Christmas as planned. We had fresh running water. A nice cozy bed to climb into when we felt chilled. Food to eat when we got hungry. We had everything we needed to get healthy. We were safe. Whereas so many of the world’s population could not say those three little words. I am safe. And I realized how horrible that must feel to not be safe. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that would mean.
So, did I have a great Christmas? Yes, I did. I was given the opportunity to realize how truly blessed I am. Sometimes it takes something like a brief illness to remind us of our blessings and to put our wonderful lives in perspective. Thankfully I was able to learn a valuable lesson as I was recovering. And thankfully, I had been able to finish most of my baking before my body was invaded by germs. (I’ll take my luck wherever I can find it!)
And one of the best cookies I made this year was this recipe for gingerbread biscotti. I found the recipe on theoliveblogger.com site. Delicious. I made a small change, of course I did, but the main recipe is all Melissa. So, if you too love gingerbread and biscotti, then this is the recipe for you.
As we all approach the new year, I hope we can keep the spirit of Christmas alive throughout 2023. Wouldn’t it be refreshing to find ourselves wishing each other a merry “whatever” every time we met. I’ll start. Merry 2023.
And as always, peace and love to all.
⅓ c. unsalted butter, room temp.
1¼ c. brown sugar, lightly packed
2 lg. eggs
2 T. molasses
1 tsp. vanilla
2¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground allspice
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
scant ½ tsp. fine sea salt
½ c. finely chopped candied ginger
white chocolate, for drizzle
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the butter and brown sugar together until creamy. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla and mix until well combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Stir in the candied ginger making sure each tiny piece is coated with flour.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, just until well combined. (The dough will be very thick).
Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On the parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into a 10×2-inch rectangle.
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 20 to 23 minutes, or until a light golden brown and slightly firm to the touch but NOT hard. Remove from oven.
Cool for 10 minutes. Leave the oven on. After 10 minutes, cut each log diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices.
Turn cut side down on the baking sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes. (They should be slightly golden on both sides.)
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before drizzling with melted white chocolate. Allow white chocolate to harden before storing the biscotti in an airtight container.
Before I write anything about this recipe, I need to apologize for not posting a recipe since December 5th. But I have some very good reasons. My grown children’s goodie packages take precedence over any other use of my time once the calendar reflects that December has once again rolled around. And the older I get, the more Christmas seems to take me by surprise. And really, I have been cognizant of Christmas since I was about 3 years old. By 78 years old, you would think that there should be no shocker value associated with the fact that Christmas is about to descend on us, with what seems to me, at an ever-increasing rate of speed. But every darn year, I am unprepared for the fact of Christmas, even though there have been Christmas decorations in stores since before Halloween! And BTW, what’s with that? Can’t stores just finish one holiday before they start touting products for two holidays hence?
Anyway, the bottom line is that I have been madly wearing my Mrs. Santa hat, and basically loving every minute of it. Nothing makes me happier than making cookies and candy for my kidlets, other family members, and close friends. And of course, figuring out what gift would be most appreciated by my kids and other family members and friends. (Thank God for Amazon prime is all I have to say!) But back to the real reason for this post.
Every year, our dear neighbor Joanna leaves a Christmas tin full of cookies and peanut brittle on our front porch. And every year she includes these incredible bar cookies in the mix. I always know that it’s time for me to get going with my baking when our Christmas tin from Joanna arrives. So, this year I decided my kids needed some of these delicious bar cookies in their goodie package too. And since you all have been so good this year (Santa told me so), I am going to pass along this wonderful recipe via epicurious.com and Joanna.
I plan to serve these bars in lieu of pecan pie this year because after eating all the other offerings on the Christmas dinner table, most people only need a small bite or two of dessert. So, I am also making apple pie bars instead of apple pie, for just that very reason.
May you too have a full to the brim Christmas and a great 2023. We have all had a rough time the past 3 years, but to my eyes, things appear to be looking up a bit. I continue to have hope that the earth’s citizens can all pull through the various messes we have gotten ourselves into. And can learn from our mistakes.
In the meantime, let your holidays and years to come be full of laughter, love, family, friendship, and joy.
And as always, peace and love to all.
Crust:
1¾ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
⅓ c. powdered sugar
¼ c. cornstarch
½ tsp. kosher salt
¾ c. (1½ sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving 1 inch overhang on all sides. Lightly butter the parchment paper. (Glass pan is best for this recipe.)
Blend flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt in food processor. Add butter and process until mixture begins to clump together. Press dough evenly onto bottom of prepared pan.
Bake crust in a pre-heated 350-degree oven until set and light golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand while preparing topping. Reduce oven temperature to 325-degrees.
Topping:
1¼ c. brown sugar (packed)
½ c. light corn syrup
¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter
4 c. coarsely chopped pecans
½ c. heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Stir brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter together in a heavy medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils; boil 1 minute. Add pecans and cream; boil until mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Pour hot topping over warm crust.
Bake nut-topped crust until caramel is slightly darker and bubbles thickly, about 20 minutes. Transfer pan to rack. Cool completely in pan (topping will harden).
Lift parchment paper out of pan onto cutting board. Using a heavy sharp knife, cut cookies into 1-inch squares. (These cookies are very rich.) Store between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature.
I actually baked my Giggle Doodles too long. So, do as I say below, and not as I did above. (However, they were still mighty tasty. Just sayin’)
Well, first of all, I am writing the preamble to this cookie recipe from our trailer site at Entiat City Park. This is a beautiful park with nice wide paved sites and our big back window looking out on the mighty Columbia River. Lots of green grass, a nice picnic table, and the location is close enough to visit Wenatchee, Leavenworth, or Chelan. So, day trips from camp are easily accommodated.
Our siteStanding outside looking at the river.Standing in our kitchen and looking at the view out our back window.
We are spending 4 nights in this park with our dear friends Jim and Margo and our new friends Tim and Phyllis.
From left to right – Tim, Phyllis, Jim, Andy, and Margo next to Jim and Margo’s rig.Andy and Margo sitting in the sun.Tim, Phyllis, and JimMargo, Tim, Phyllis, and our view of the river. And yes, I still haven’t learned to use a camera properly!
So, if you are not interested in reading a mini trip report, then I suggest you stop reading and go directly to the recipe. But if you care to stick with me, you will get a brief insight into why I am posting a recipe for a cookie I hated when I was a child.
My mother was not a good cook. She fed us, but there was not a lot of imagination that went into her meal planning. But she was an adequate baker. Pies, not so much. Cakes, from a mix. But most of the cookies she baked were OK. But not her snickerdoodles. Based on my experience with cookies and life in general at about age 10, I decided never to let another snickerdoodle pass my lips for the remainder of my life. And I stuck to that decision until last month when we were camped at the Cedar Mountain Farm B&B and RV Park in Athol, Idaho.
After setting up camp we were sitting outside our trailer reading when Daryl, one of the owners, came by with a large scone for breakfast the next day, and a couple of Giggle Doodles for “whenever”. (Giggle Doodles because she explained that there was a whole lot more giggling done on the farm than snickering. Made sense to us!) Anyway, I decided to be brave and take a small nibble out of one of the offerings. Oh my! That was one of the best cookies I had ever tasted. So, of course I had to ask for the recipe. Which she promptly provided. So, if you are someone who has offered me a snickerdoodle in the past, and I sneered in response, please accept my abject apology. I truly didn’t know what I was missing! And I’m sorry for ever doubting you!
Not only were the scone and cookies delicious, the entire time we spent on the farm was wonderful. For more information and pictures of our time spent at this delightful camping spot, type September 2022 Travel Trailer Trip in the search box on this site and then go to the September 13th and 14th entries.
And if you are ever in Northwestern Idaho and need a place to park your RV or enjoy a night or 8 in a B&B, we highly recommend the Cedar Mountain Farm. Absolutely a unique and memorable place to visit.
So, I hope you enjoy making and eating these cookies as much as I do. And again, thanks to Daryl for sharing her recipe. We are all in her debt.
And as always, peace and love to all.
For the dough:
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1⅓ c. granulated sugar
⅓ c. brown sugar, packed
2 lg. eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until soft and creamy, 4-5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until well blended. Then beat in the vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar together. Add to the butter mixture and stir only until combined.
Using a small ice cream scoop (I use my #60 – 1 tablespoon), form rounded balls of dough and plop them close together on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. (Make sure the baking sheet fits in your refrigerator.) Chill the dough balls for at least 3 hours. (Better over night!)
When ready to bake, roll each dough ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture (see recipe below) and place a couple inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for 9-10 minutes or until the cookies begin to brown around the edges and feel just about set to the touch. Think – underbaked! For this cookie, under cooked is better than over cooked. Giggle Doodles should be soft and deliciously chewy on the inside, but crispy around the edges, sugary, and cinnamon spicy on the outside. (Not the easiest of tasks to accomplish if truth be known!)
Remove from oven and immediately transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
Please note: The unbaked cookie balls freeze beautifully. To bake frozen balls, remove from freezer, roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture, place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet 2-inches apart, and bake in a pre-heated 400-degree oven for about 10-11 minutes.
For rolling:
⅓ c. granulated sugar
5 tsp. ground cinnamon
Combine in a small bowl and set aside until required. (You will have extra sugar/cinnamon mixture. Just store it for the next time you make these cookies. Or sprinkle it lightly on buttered toast.)
OK, this is basically the same recipe I use for Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies except that in this recipe, I roll the dough into logs (refrigerator cookies) because I am getting lazier and lazier. In my original recipe I scooped the dough into balls with one of my small ice cream scoops. So, if you prefer that method, ignore this recipe and bring up the original. Plus, since posting that recipe, I have learned to chill any cookie dough containing butter and flour before baking. Why you might ask.
Well, according to the kingarthurbaking.com site “Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies. As the cookies bake, the fat in the chilled cookie dough takes longer to melt than room-temperature fat. And the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread.
In addition, the sugar in the dough gradually absorbs liquid. If you bake the dough immediately, before sugar has a chance to absorb much liquid, that liquid remains “free” in the dough, and promotes spread.”
So, basically, I try to always give cookie dough a bit of a chilling experience before I subject it to a hot oven. But I do it a bit different than some cooks would suggest. Many recipes call for you to chill the dough before forming it. Well, that’s all well and good. But it ain’t easy to form cold dough into any semblance of a ball. And pressing hard dough into an ice cream scoop or rolling it into a ball is not good for my hands. So, simple solution. Form the balls then chill them. Ta da!
And truthfully, if I were a good person I’d go back and add the step of chilling the dough to all of my cookie recipes. But frankly, I’m just not that good a person! I figure it took me until I was 77 to learn this simple cookie baking trick. If it takes others a while to also figure it out, I’m sorry. But like I said, I’m getting indolent in my old age.
Anyway, these are wonderful cookies. They aren’t too sweet. And they are chock full of yummy chocolate. And really, who doesn’t like a great shortbread cookie?! Plus, they are perfect to take along on a camping trip or sending through the mail at Christmas time because they almost have the shelf life of a Twinkie. Well, not quite, but darn close!
Mr. C. has another gig tonight, so I am going to spend the rest of my afternoon reading rather than making some kind of culinary wonder with which to surprise and delight him. Instead, I’m going to make myself a big old plate of Fried Zucchini for dinner. That way I don’t have to share even one piece with him! But, please don’t feel too sorry for him. He’s playing at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, and they are going to feed the band. So, I don’t think he will mind in the least that he is missing out on fried zucchini.
Peace and love to all.
1 lb. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 c. powdered sugar + more for dusting/sprinkling
1 tsp. salt (only ½ tsp. salt if you use salted butter)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4½ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
2 c. mini chocolate chips
Cream the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the salt, vanilla, and flour. Mix only until blended. Do not overmix. Add mini chocolate chips. Roll into logs on plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. (Overnight is best.)
Cut into ½-inch circles and place on an ungreased baking sheet. (They can be fairly close together.)
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the bottoms are a nice golden brown. Don’t under-bake.
Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Sprinkle/dust* with powdered sugar while still warm. When completely cooled, store in an air-tight container.
These cookies will stay fresh for weeks. But, of course, these little darlins never last that long!
*An easy way to sprinkle/dust powdered sugar is to place a small amount in a fine mesh strainer and then shake the strainer over whatever you wish to decorate. This same technique works well with cocoa for chocolate dusting.
Now that it’s almost fall, I decided to develop a recipe for a fall/winter cookie. And I know what you’re thinking, what the heck is a “fall/winter” cookie? Well, it’s the equivalent of serving stew in autumn and throughout the winter. Stew just tastes better when it’s raining cats and dogs outside and there’s even a hint of snow in the air than when the temperatures are in the upper 80’s. So, a cookie that featured dried cranberries sounded like it would be perfect as the days start getting shorter, temperatures gradually decrease, and holiday decorations in every store front are just around the corner.
And what flavor goes better with dried cranberries than orange? And then there have to be nuts to give the cookies a bit of crunch. And because we are trying to eat healthier, lots of oats in the mix and the exclusive use of whole wheat flour. And what do you get? You get a really good cookie that is easy to make and would be a perfect addition to any holiday dessert selection. Like I said – a fall/winter yummy.
So, if you too would like to serve an oatmeal cookie that is just a bit different than your standard oatmeal cookie but is sure to be loved by one and all, this is the cookie for you.
Well, this is a special day at our house. Whistle Lake Jazz Quartet is recording in our living room. So, my only job is to feed the guys when they take a break. And you know my favorite things to do are listen to really good live music and feed people. So, I am one happy gal today. (See pictures of the guys below.)
Of course, I am usually a happy person. I was blessed with parents that taught me to be happy by both word and deed. My father especially stressed that I should be happy with what I had. Not that I shouldn’t strive to improve my situation if warranted. But not to be a “grass is always greener” kind of person. If I wanted greener grass, then I should work to make it happen! Therefore, metaphorically speaking, I have always had green grass.
May you too also be happy with what you have and treasure the world you live in.
Peace and love to all.
2 T. Cointreau (or your favorite orange liqueur or just plain orange juice)
1 c. dried cranberries
¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
1 c. brown sugar , packed
2 eggs
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. orange oil or 1 tsp. orange extract or 1 tsp. frozen orange juice concentrate
zest from 1 lg. orange
1½ c. whole wheat pastry flour
½ tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
3 c. rolled oats
¾ c. roughly chopped walnuts
Place the Cointreau and the dried cranberries in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir, then remove from heat, cover, and let sit until cool.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla, orange oil, and orange zest.
Whisk the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl; add to the butter mixture. Then mix in the oats, dried cranberries (plus any remaining liquid), and chopped walnuts.
Using a #40 (1½ T.) ice cream scoop, drop dough onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet as close together as possible. (Use a baking sheet that will fit in your refrigerator.) Gently pat each dough ball down just a bit. Refrigerate the dough balls for at least 4 hours or overnight. (Overnight preferred.)
Just before placing in the oven, transfer some of the dough balls to another parchment paper lined baking sheet and allow about 2-inches between each cookie. (I needed two pans to bake these cookies.)
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 14 minutes or until lightly golden brown and just set. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 7-8 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Tim on bassTodd on drumsJamie on guitar and Andy on piano
And yes, another natural peanut butter based, oat, and chocolate chip cookie recipe. (I recently published my recipe for GF Peanut Butter Oat chocolate chip coconut Cookies on this site.) And these cookies are not that much different except that this recipe is not gluten free and it’s a bar cookie. I love bar cookies. The older I get, the easier I want to make life for myself. And I thought you might find that to also be true for yourself.
So, when I looked for a healthy bar cookie recipe, this delightful ingredient assembly from the heynutritianlady.com site jumped out at me. I did add salted peanuts to the mix and changed up the prep instructions a bit, but other than that the recipe remains true to the original. And the fact that this recipe is very quick and easy to prepare didn’t hurt either.
So, enough said. The bar cookies are very good. And I can eat one without feeling guilty, which for anyone who is trying to bring their A1C numbers down, is a wonderful thing.
I am fortunate. My numbers are almost normal again since I stopped taking prednisone. But even so, I am going to continue eating like I have diabetes because, well, I’m no longer a spring chicken. I have advanced to the plucky old bird category. And as such, I need to continue paying close attention to what I put in my mouth. And for a foodie like myself, it ain’t easy. But nothing worthwhile has ever been easy. So, why should growing old be any different!
I have had such a wonderful life. I’ve never experienced hunger or had to worry about a roof over my head or how I was going to pay the electric bill. Of course, times were lean when I was younger, but there were opportunities galore when I was in my twenties. I can’t say the same for young adults who are starting out today. Things are different now. And the way our democracy is headed, I’m actually glad I’m old. I don’t like the direction in which our country is headed. Or the complete disregard some of our government leaders show for ethical behavior or empathy for one’s fellow man. Who allowed these spoiled toddlers, in the guise of men and women old enough to know better, to ever attain enough significance as to be able to display such hateful and narcissistic behavior as we are witnessing in our country today? And why aren’t more people incensed by this caustic and erratic behavior? I know if any one of these people were my kid, they’d be hearing from me on a daily basis. And it wouldn’t be to tell them they were doing a great job! I would be letting them know I was mortified by what they were doing, saying, and exemplifying! And that there would be no more Christmas goodie packages until they cleaned up their act! Period! And BTW, GO TO YOUR ROOM!!
How did we ever get to this place? Were most of us just too busy living our wonderful lives to notice what was happening to our world? If that is the case, then I have no one to blame but myself. Because I sure didn’t see it coming. I was simply content to happily drift along and assume that all was perfectly fine because I lived in this wonderful democratic country. Well, that may not always be the case.
So, if you too are bothered by what is happening in our country, please vote in every election that comes along. For most of us, the only way we can truly make a difference, is by casting our ballot for individuals who have the greater good for everyone uppermost in their political agenda.
Peace and love to all.
1 c. natural creamy peanut butter
½ c. coconut palm sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ c. whole milk
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 c. rolled oats
¾ c. dark chocolate chips
½ c. salted peanuts
Butter a 9×9-inch baking dish. (Glass is best.)
Mix the peanut butter, coconut sugar, vanilla, and milk together in the bowl of your stand mixer.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add the rolled oats, chocolate chips, and peanuts.
Pour over the peanut butter mixture and mix all together just until thoroughly combined.
Scoop and press the dough into the prepared baking dish.
Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the bars are lightly golden on top and set. Don’t over-bake.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.
There is just something about a peanut butter cookie. Of course, I am a peanut butter lover, so I’m sure that has something to do with why I gravitate to cookies that contain this amazing ingredient. But in my quest to eat healthier, it’s great when I don’t have to add extra fat in the form of butter or oil to a cookie dough. So, in full disclosure, I don’t normally eat natural peanut butter. All that oil that tends to separate just doesn’t appeal to me when spreading it on a piece of toast. But for cookies, that very same oil helps make cookies more tender. And usually, when I use natural peanut butter in a recipe, no other fat is required. Plus, natural peanut butter is better for us because its main ingredient is peanuts, and it doesn’t contain unhealthy additives. Natural peanut butter is basically protein and unsaturated fats which are known to be beneficial for heart health and to help lower LDL cholesterol levels.
So, when you consider the benefits of using natural peanut butter, you will understand why this recipe that I found on the eatingbirdfood.com site appealed to me so much. Natural peanut butter, with the addition of coconut palm sugar, oats, chocolate chips, and coconut – fantastic. What more could a gal ask for in a cookie recipe? Well, that and the cookie contained no gluten. For me not so much of an issue, but for some, a deal breaker. So, I am always on the lookout for great recipes that are made without a spec of gluten.
So, if you too would appreciate a healthier version of a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie, I recommend you give this recipe a try. The cookies are really tasty, easy to make, and don’t make me feel as guilty as other delightful cookies that shall remain nameless.
As always, have fun in your kitchen. Make every mealtime memorable by cooking from scratch. And don’t be afraid to try dishes from different ethnic cuisines. There is nothing more rewarding than trying a dish that contains an ingredient that you don’t normally appreciate and finding that you love it in the new dish. In other words, keep an open mind when trying new recipes. You really can teach an old dog new tricks. (Or an old eater, new ingredients!)
Peace and love to all.
1 c. natural peanut butter
2/3 c. coconut palm sugar
2 lg. eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ c. rolled oats (certified GF if required)
2 T. oat flour (certified GF if required)
1½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. fine sea salt
1 c. chocolate chips
½ c. shredded coconut
Mix the peanut butter, coconut sugar, and eggs together in the bowl of your stand mixer. (You can mix these cookies by hand, but it’s a workout!) Add the vanilla, oats, oat flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat to combine and then stir in the chocolate chips and shredded coconut. (It will appear that you have used too many chocolate chips. But never fear, you can stick them into the dough balls even after they have been formed.)
Using a #40, 1½ tablespoon ice cream scoop (mine has an orchid handle), drop balls of dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. (They can be quite close together because the cookies are not going to spread very much as they bake.) Press each cookie down lightly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, but over-night is best.
Bake in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for about 13 minutes or until the tops are cracked.
Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 4-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Now, Mr. C. and I are not always going to agree on the relative merits of a new food item I make. Like this cookie, for example. He prefers a lighter cookie when almond flavoring is involved. Me, I think this cookie, based on a recipe I found on the flavourandsavour.com site, is perfect. Plus, it’s a cookie I can eat. (This may have something to do with my finding nothing about this cookie I don’t like.)
Now this isn’t to say that Mr. C. doesn’t like these cookies. He would just prefer them to be shortbread. But as he is quickly finding out, I am going to keep experimenting with healthier cookie recipes that I can enjoy on occasion. And not feel totally guilty about. And then feel good about sharing the ones that work with all of you.
Because even if you aren’t restricting sugar and white flour from your diet, you probably still want to eat healthier just for the sake of eating healthier. And starting out before it becomes mandatory is a really good idea. (Wish I’d have thought of it sooner!)
The funny thing about my new passion to create healthier cookies, is that I’ve never had a sweet tooth. Until now I rarely ate more than one cookie from even a double batch. But now that I shouldn’t have any cookies, I can’t seem to think about anything else. Now I ask you, is that fair? Of course, it isn’t. Never-the-less, this is my new reality. Grrrrr
So, if you too are being careful about the ingredients you put into your body, this is a good cookie recipe for you. Especially if you are diabetic. Or require a cookie that is gluten free. Whatever! Just make the darn cookies. They are really, really good.
Well, that’s all for today. It’s cloudy outside, but it’s not raining. So, the courtyard and kitchen doors are both open and I can hear the birds singing. Of course, this often drives our poor cats crazy, but today they are in hiding. Andy’s sister Katie and her husband Rick are visiting. And although they have been here many times, our scaredy cats are mainly residing in our bedroom closet. They will periodically show their faces, but only when both Mr. C. and I are in the living room with our guests. Go figure! But what a joy to have Rick and Katie visit. It’s so lovely when your relatives are also close friends.
So, as always, have fun in your kitchen, never hesitate to play with your food, and stay positive. Staying positive is my new prime directive. So, I thought I might remind you to do the same.
Peace, Love, and Understanding to all.
This is a short story about Nick Lowe’s song (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding that I found on the americansongwriter.com site.
“There are some songs that we wish weren’t still relevant, but we’re nonetheless grateful for their existence and the pure catharsis of the truths that they speak. Certainly, if most of us had our druthers, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, And Understanding” would now sound hopelessly dated, as if it were the relic of another time. Instead the song, written by Nick Lowe in 1974 and performed by his band Brinsley Schwarz, is as timely as it’s ever been, its searching questions begging for answers now more than ever.
As Lowe told the A.V. Club in 2011, he originally intended the song to be tongue-in-cheek, only to rethink the tone along the way. “I wrote the song in 1973, and the hippie thing was going out, and everyone was starting to take harder drugs and rediscover drink,” he said. “Alcohol was coming back, and everyone sort of slipped out of the hippie dream and into a more cynical and more unpleasant frame of mind. And this song was supposed to be an old hippie, laughed at by the new thinking, saying to these new smarty-pants types, ‘Look, you think you got it all going on. You can laugh at me, but all I’m saying is ‘What’s so funny about peace, love, and understanding?’ And that was the idea of the song. But I think as I started writing it, something told me it was too good of an idea to make it into a joke. It was originally supposed to be a joke song, but something told me there was a little grain of wisdom in this thing, and not to mess it up.”
Adorned with Who-style power chords and Beach Boys-flavored harmonies, Brinsley Schwarz’s take on the song charges full-on into the breach even as Lowe begs us to stop and consider his pleas. His narrator attempts to navigate “this wicked world” and “searches for light in the darkness of insanity.” He admits that despair is never too far removed: “My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes.”
“Is all hope lost?” he wonders, and he laments about the ubiquity of “pain, hatred and misery.” Yet he suggests that the only way out of this malaise is vigilance, the kind that constantly presses and pushes for something better than the status quo, which he expresses via a series of queries: “So where are the strong? And who are the trusted? And where is the harmony?”
By keeping any kind of specifics out of his tale, Lowe ensured that his song would resonate in times of worldly turmoil or personal angst. It all builds to the scorching common sense of the refrain: “And each time I feel it slipping away, it just makes me want to cry. What’s so funny about peace, love, and understanding.”
Elvis Costello’s 1978 hard-charging, heart-on-sleeve version of the song, which was produced by Lowe, brought it to a wider audience and became one of Costello’s best-known recordings. Lowe, however, probably preferred the 1992 version by Curtis Stigers. Why? Because it appeared on the multi-platinum soundtrack to The Bodyguard, thus producing a royalties windfall for the writer.
In any case, “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, And Understanding” endures. Hopefully we’ll reach a day where we can appreciate the song based on its artistic merits alone and not because the title sounds like it could be the headline of an editorial in this morning’s newspaper rather than the lament of a songwriter written fortysomething years ago.”
The lyrics to (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, And Understanding:
As I walk through this wicked world Searchin’ for light in the darkness of insanity I ask myself, is all hope lost? Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?
And each time I feel like this inside There’s one thing I wanna know What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding? Oh What’s so funny ’bout peace love and understanding?
And as I walked on Through troubled times My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes So where are the strong
And who are the trusted? And where is the harmony? Sweet harmony
‘Cause each time I feel it slippin’ away, just makes me wanna cry What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding? Oh What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding?
So where are the strong? And who are the trusted? And where is the harmony? Sweet harmony
‘Cause each time I feel it slippin’ away, just makes me wanna cry What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding? Oh What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding? Oh What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding?
The recipe for this cookie:
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ c. coconut palm sugar*
½ tsp. pure almond extract
1 lg. egg, room temperature
1¼ c. oat flour, certified gluten-free, if necessary
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ c. chopped dried cherries
1½ c. rolled oats, certified gluten-free, if necessary
½ c. toasted slivered almonds
Line 1 medium sized baking sheet with parchment paper. (The baking sheet should be small enough to fit in your refrigerator.)
Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixture until fluffy. Add the almond extract and egg; beat until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk the oat flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add the chopped dried cherries and using your hand(s), stir the cherries into the flour mixture. As you stir them in, try to break the cherry bits up as much as possible so that each little bit is covered with flour. Then stir in the rolled oats and toasted slivered almonds. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat only until blended. Do not over mix.
Using a #60 (1 tablespoon) ice cream scoop, drop balls of dough on the prepared cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. (They can be close together at this point. They will need more room in between when you bake them off.) Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours, but 24 hours is better.
Line a larger baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the balls right out of the refrigerator at least 1-inch apart on the pan. They aren’t really going to spread out very much. But they still need to have a bit of breathing room.
Pop them immediately into a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 11 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Do not overbake.
Remove from oven and let sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
*Coconut Palm Sugar has a lower glycemic index than regular sugar, so it won’t spike your blood sugar in the same way. Coconut sugar tastes like caramel infused brown sugar. (Not a bad combination.) It is more grainy than brown sugar, however. So, it really works best in recipes that already offer a lot of texture. So, as in this cookie recipe with oats, dried cherries, and slivered almonds, it is perfect.
As you will read in the direction section, be sure to give the cookies plenty of room on the baking sheet. As you can see, my first batch created some irregular shaped cookies. They still tasted good, but I lost points for presentation.
This recipe is for our good friend Mike – wonderful singer and guitarist and house painter extraordinaire, who introduced us to Chocolate-Ginger-Spice cookies, one of the delightful cookie offerings at the Breadfarm in Bow, Washington. (Great bakery BTW.)
So, of course I had to try and duplicate this incredible Breadfarm cookie. Mine aren’t exactly like the bakeries, but they will most certainly do in their stead.
Now, you should know that I have been baking cookies like a maniac lately. All with the intention of foregoing white flour and reducing the amount or changing the type of sugar in the dough. A couple of the recipes I have tried produced a terrific product and have already been posted on this site. (GF Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies Made with Coconut Palm Sugar and Healthier Oatmeal Raisin Nut Cookies.) Others, well suffice it to say, they did not make the cut. But this recipe from the prettysimplesweet.com site, with a few changes from me, is a winner. And therefore, blog worthy.
Now just because there is no white flour in this recipe, and I have used coconut palm sugar (lower glycemic index than granulated or brown sugar) doesn’t mean that I can eat these cookies like they were peanut butter stuffed celery sticks. I can’t. But, as a once in a while treat, they are absolutely perfect. Chewy, ginger laced, chocolate infused bites of yum.
So, if you too would like to try a ginger cookie that is just a bit different, give this recipe a try. And no, I never would have thought chocolate in a ginger cookie was a good idea. But as with many things, I have learned to not knock it till I’ve tried it! And now that I have tried it, there is no going back. These are my new favorite chewy ginger molasses cookies!
Well, that’s it for now. I’m going to continue messing with cookie recipes and I’m going to spend a bunch of time researching recipes that include zucchini. I love zucchini and have decided I want to feature it in more dishes. And later today, I’m going to make a 1908 recipe for rye biscuits that I think might serve as a nice change of pace from toast in the morning. The biscuits use only rye flour and just 2 tablespoons of butter. And not a bit of sugar. May the force be with me!
Peace and love to all.
1½ c. whole wheat flour
1¼ tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 T. freshly grated peeled ginger (I use my microplane)
½ c. coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
½ c. molasses
⅓ c. finely chopped candied ginger
½ c. dark chocolate chips
granulated sugar
Line a medium sized baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder together.
In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and fresh ginger together. Add the coconut sugar and beat until well combined. Add the molasses and beat until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, then beat just until combined. Don’t overmix. Stir in the candied ginger and dark chocolate chips.
Pour a bit of granulated sugar in a flat-bottomed pan. (I use an 8-inch cake pan). Using a #40 (1½-inch diameter) ice cream scoop, plop balls of dough into the sugar and turn to coat all sides. Then place on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Better if refrigerated overnight.)
Read below why you should almost always refrigerate cookie dough before baking.
Remove from refrigerator and make sure the cookies are at least 1½ inches apart on the baking sheet. If not, you may wish to use a second parchment paper lined baking sheet for the rest of the cookies.
Bake in a pre-heated 325-degree oven until surfaces just begin to crack, 13-14 minutes. Do not over bake. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Why refrigerate cookie dough?
Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies. As the cookies bake, the fat in the chilled cookie dough takes longer to melt than room-temperature fat. And the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread. If you skip the chilling step, you’re more likely to wind up with flat, sad disks instead of lovely, chewy cookies. So, anywhere from 24 to 72 hours is best. And the longer you chill the dough, the more flavor will develop. The flour will also absorb more of the moisture helping insure a thicker and chewier cookie.
