Pimpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

1 1/2 cups pumpkin
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1 cup whole wheat soft wheat flour
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 9x13 pan with tinfoil and spray with cooking spray.
In a large bowl combine the first four ingredients. Stir in the next seven ingredients. Add the pecans and 1 cup of chocolate chips.
Pour batter into the pan and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips.
Bake for 20-23 minutes.
Cool and cut into 20 granola bars.

Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I was looking for a traditional soft & chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. To be honest I wasn't really a fan of oatmeal raisin cookies before I found these amazing cookies. If you can choose between raisins or chocolate chips it's not really a contest. :)  But I made these, half the batch with raisins and the other half with chocolate chips. They were both great! But to my surprise I really enjoyed the batch with the raisins. I must be getting old. :)  Thanks again to Sallys Baking Addiction.

No Bake Power Balls

I found this recipe on The Well Floured Kitchen . I made a few adjustment because I didn't like the idea of so much extra fat along with the fat of the peanut butter. I may even try this without the applesauce and add just the reduced amount of butter.

• 1 Cup Peanut Butter (or other nut butter)
• 1/2 Cup Honey
• 2 Cups Rolled Oats
• 1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds or nuts
• 1/4 Cup Ground Flax Seeds
• 1/4 Cup Butter 
• 1/4 Cup Apple Sauce
• 1/2 to 1 Cup Coconut
• 3 Tbsp.  Cocoa Powder

Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and turn it on until blended. Shape into balls using a cookie scoop or spread into a pan and cut into squares. Super Yummy!

Honey Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

    4 ripe bananas, mashed 
    1 tablespoon vanilla
    1 cup natural chunky peanut butter
    1/2 cup honey 
    1 cups quick oats
    2 cup white whole wheat flour
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/4 tsp baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips*

* For sugar free cookies omit the chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl mash bananas. Add the vanilla, peanut butter, and honey. Beat until a creamy consistency (best to do with a hand mixer).

2. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir into the banana mixture.

3. Fold in the chocolate chips. Place heaping tablespoon-sized balls of the batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten the cookie balls as they will not spread out like a cookie with butter in it.  Bake for 15-18 minutes.
 

Low-Fat Zucchini Chocolate Cookies

1 cup sugar
2 Tbs oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
2 1/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/3 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup salt
1 cup chocolate chips
Options: peanut butter chips, 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, nuts

Stir together sugar, oil, vanilla and zucchini.  In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt . Stir the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and any other options being used.  Use a large cookie scoop and drop 24 dough balls onto two parchment lined cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with your fingers and bake at 375* for 10 minutes.

Whole-Wheat Blueberry Bars

We went blueberry picking this last Saturday and came home with 16 lb of blueberries. The girls and I had the greatest time. I love picking blueberries!  Needless to say with so many blueberries I went looking for blueberry recipes. This one is so, so good!

Crust

1 1/3 cups plus about 3 Tbs whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blueberry Filling

1/3 cup Agava or 1/2 cup sugar 
2-3 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice

 Preparation

1. To make crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk together 1 1/3 cups + 3 Tbs whole-wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Beat together brown sugar, butter, oil, egg and vanilla in another large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth, making sure no lumps of brown sugar remain, about 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. (The dough will be quite firm.)
3. Transfer two-thirds of the dough to the prepared baking dish; cover the dough with a piece of plastic wrap and use it to press the dough into the bottom of the dish in an even layer. Remove the plastic wrap. Bake until puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.
4. To make the topping: Gradually work about 3 more tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour into the remaining dough using your fingertips, until it resembles coarse crumbs.
5. To make filling: Combine blueberries and lemon juice in a medium saucepan; cook, stirring, over medium heat until the berries begin to exude juice. Add the Agava syrup and stir. 
6. Gradually add up to 3 Tbs of whole wheat flour, stir until the filling reaches a simmer and thickens.
7. Push down the higher outside edges of the baked crust with a wooden spoon; pour the hot filling over it and spread all the way to the sides of the dish. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the top. Bake until the topping is golden, 15 minutes longer.
8. Transfer the baking dish to a rack and let cool, covered with a kitchen towel to soften the crumbs slightly. Cut into 15 bars. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

B's Dark Chocolate Cookie Bars

So, my 6 year old daughter told me yesterday that she wanted to make brownies. She then proceeded to tell me how she wanted to make them. First she wanted to start with some left over melted 60% dark chocolate. She then asked what we had for making cake. I said we had flour, butter, sugar and an egg. She said we could add those things too. She wanted me to write down her recipe. So I wrote:
1/4 cup butter 
leftover melted chocolate (I think it was 3-4oz bittersweet chocolate)
I then showed her the other baking chocolate that we have. She thought the unsweetened chocolate looked good. I asked her how much she wanted to add, 2,3 or 4 squares? She thought 2 squares looked good.
2 oz unsweetened chocolate 
I then asked her how she wanted to mix the ingredients. Melt the butter with the chocolate then add the other ingredients or beat the butter and the sugar then add melted chocolate?
She said she wanted to melt the chocolate and the butter together.
I then asked how much sugar she wanted to add to the chocolate. She tasted it and thought 1/4 cup would be good.
1/4 cup sugar  She then tasted it again and really liked it!
She added 1 egg because it was all we had.
I asked her if she thought vanilla would be good to add. She thought it would. I showed her the 1 tsp and the 1 T and asked her how much she thought would be good. She said 1 T would be good. So I added a Scant 1 T of Vanilla
She then told me we needed to add "2/4" of Flour. So I did as I was instructed. I then asked if she thought salt might be a good idea. She told me maybe just a tiny bit.
So I added 1/4 tsp salt.
I showed her the dough and we thought it might need a little more flour. She told me to add another 1/4 cup.
3/4 cup flour.

We pressed the dough into an 8in square baking dish and baked at 350* for 15 min.

She then said we needed to add melted chocolate chips on top. She sprinkled chocolate chips onto the hot what turned out to be chocolate cookie bars and spread them when they had melted.
She then garnished them with 4 whole strawberries.

When she started to tell me her recipe, measurements and all, I realized the recipe could actually work. So I told her we could experiment and see what might happen. The results were a very dark chocolatey cookie bar that melts in your mouth.
I think I would be willing to make this again!

Low-fat Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies

1/4 cup Agava
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 egg or 2 T water and 1 1/2 tsp egg replacer
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup quick oats
1 cup grated zucchini (fine grate)
1 cup chocolate chips
(opt) pecans ,craisins, raisins, etc

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Cream together agava, maple syrup, coconut oil, applesauce and egg with a mixer on low speed until well combined. Gradually add dry ingredients, alternating with grated zucchini. Once all ingredients are well combined, fold in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon full onto a greased cookie sheet. Press down with the palm of your hand. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are barely starting to turn brown around the edges. Let cookies stand for 1-2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a wire rack for cooling. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies

    3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
    1 tablespoon vanilla
    3/4 cup natural chunky peanut butter
    2 tablespoons maple syrup
    2 tablespoons Agave
    2 cups rolled oats
    1/2 cup whole wheat flour
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
    1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix bananas, vanilla, peanut butter, maple syrup and Agave into a creamy consistency (best to do with a hand mixer).

2. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until they are well combined.

3. Fold in the chocolate chips. Place heaping tablespoon-sized balls of the batter onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Trail Mix Cookies or Energy Bars

I've been on the look out for a good, soft, homemade granola bar. These are, by far, the best that I've tried.  
This is the original recipe Trail Mix Cookies.
The recipe below includes the changes that I made to the recipe.

    2 medium sized bananas, mashed
    1/4 cup agave nectar
    1/4 cup molasses
    1/4 cup maple syrup
    1 tablespoon corn starch (I used 1 tablespoon egg replacer)  
    1/4 cup water
    1/2 cup applesauce
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1 cup whole wheat flour
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon cloves
    3 cups quick oats
    generous handful raisins, craisins, currents, apricots, prunes or chocolate chips
    generous handful walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, almonds, chopped (your choice)
  
Directions:

1.T Heat oven to 375 degrees F.  Mix thoroughly bananas, maple syrup, molasses, agave, applesauce, and vanilla. Combine corn starch and water add to banana mixture.  Stir in remaining ingredients, leaving the oats and fruit/nuts until the end.

2.  Lightly spray cookie sheet with nonstick vegetable spray or line with parchment paper.  Form dough into balls, and flatten and shape into large, round cookies.  Or press dough into a 9x13 pan for bars. 

3. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned.  Cool, and enjoy!

Pomegranate Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I had these wonderful cookies over the Holiday's at a friends house.
The original cookie calls for white chocolate. Most of the time I replace the white chocolate with either dark or semi-sweet chocolate.
http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/pomegranate-white-chocolate-chunk-cookies/

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Cup Butter
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1T Vanila
3 1/2 Cup Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking soda
2 Cups Chocolate Chips

Combine butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and Vanilla. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes.

Variation: Cover an Oreo cookie with cookie dough and bake for 13 minutes

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°.
Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light. Add the egg and mix until fluffy.
Blend the flour, baking powder, soda and salt together well. Add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the chocolate chips.
Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375°.

Spicy Oatmeal Cookies

• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour or white whole wheat pastry flour
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups uncooked regular oatmeal
• 1 cup raisins
• or 1 cup dried cranberries
  
• and 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 9 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Let cool completely (about 30 minutes).

2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar and molasses, beating well. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

3. Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients. Add to butter mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Stir in oatmeal, raisins, and pecans. (If desired, store dough in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week.)

4. Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment paper-lined or lightly greased baking sheets.

5. Bake at 375º for 9 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. (Bake chilled dough 10 to 11 minutes.) Cool on baking sheets on a wire rack 5 minutes; transfer to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

We used this recipe this year to make our ginger bread men cookies. They were wonderful. It is a fun, different flavor. I really liked how soft the cookies stayed.

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons HERSHEY®’S Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Icing and decorations of your choice

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat
in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda,
cinnamon, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture
and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to
handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut
with a floured 3-1/2-in. gingerbread boy cookie cutter; place 1 in.
apart on ungreased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough; chill
and reroll scraps.

Bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove to
wire racks to cool. Ice and decorate as desired. Yield: 3 dozen.


Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 92 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 13 mg cholesterol, 95 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat.

36 Servings Prep: 40 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling

Chocolate Chip Cookies

10 T butter
1/4 cup pureed white beans
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips


1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flours and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
2. Heat 8 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 2 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg, yolk and pureed beans, whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
4. Using a medium sized cookie scoop drop dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets
5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Makes 24 cookies
4 points each

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Cookies

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pureed white beans
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup 1% milk
1 cup all- purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg


Combine sugars and beans, beat well. Add molasses, egg, milk and pumpkin.
Combine last five ingredients and add to above mixture.
Bake at 350*
Makes 27 cookies
1 point each

Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup almond butter
3/4 cup quick oats
1 Tbsp dark baking cocoa
1 cup + 2 Tbsp white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 60% cocoa
1/2 cup dried tart cherries, minced




1. Pre-heat oven to 350*.
Melt butter butter in 10 inch skillet over Medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma. 1-3 minutes.
Transfer browned butter to a large standing mixer bowl.

2. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand for 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times. On the third repeat add the almond butter. whisk for 30 seconds until thick, smooth and shiny, rest for 3 minutes.

3. Combine flour, baking soda and cocoa.

4. Using standing mixer, stir in the quick oats on low speed. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.

5. Using a large wooden spoon stir in chocolate chips and cherries. Batter will be some what crumbly yet oily

6. Drop cookies onto a large parchment lined cookie sheet using a large cookie scoop.

7. Bake for 10 minutes, until edges are just crisping and centers are still soft.

8. Cool on a cooling rack.

Makes about 20 cookies.
4 points each

Super Chuncky Cookie

Taste of Home Cook book

1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Shortening
1 Cup Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup White Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Tsp Vanilla
2 1/2 Cup Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/8 Tsp salt
1 Cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
4 oz Bitter Sweet Chocolate, chopped
1 Cup White or Vanilla Chips
3/4 Cup English Toffee Bits
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans

Cream butter, shortening and sugars. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla
Combine flour, baking soda and salt.
Add flour to butter mixture and stir until just combined.
Add the last six ingredients and mix with a large spoon until combined.

Drop by Tlbs. onto parchment lined cookie sheets.
Bake at 350* for 10 minutes until just browning on the edges.
Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes.
Remove to a wire rack to cool completely

Breakfast Cookies

3/4 Cup Butter
3/4 Cup Pureed White Beans
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/2 Cup Quick Oats
1 1/2 Cup Bran Flakes
1 1/2 Cup White Whole Wheat Flour
2 Cups White flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Cup shredded Coconut
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Walnuts
1/3 Cup Chopped Craisins
1/3 Cup Chopped Dried Cherries
1/3 Cup Chopped Dried Blueberries
2/3 Cup Chocolate Chips

Cream Butter, Beans and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.
Add quick oats and bran flakes to cream mixture, mix until combined.
Combine flours, baking powder and baking soda. Add to mixture.
Stir in the last 7 ingredients.

Drop by 2 Tbsp fulls onto parchment lined cookie sheets.
Bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes.
Makes 3 1/2 dozen
3 Points each