Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I was perusing the ol' interweb looking for "just the right" recipe for cookies this afternoon.  Hmpf.  Didn't find at all what I was wanting.  SO.. what else to do than come up with my own, yeah?  I just might add that they turned out DELISH!


Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
3/4 cp turbinado sugar
1 cp dark brown sugar
1 cp softened butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cp all purpose flour
1/2 cp whole wheat flour
2/3 cp flax meal
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp china cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
3 cps rolled oats
2 cps raisins


1. Blend sugars and butter until smooth. Mix in eggs and vanilla.
2. In separate bowl, combine flours, flax, soda and all spices.
3. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet.  Stir until combined.
4. Add oats and raisins.  Mix well.
5. Bake (in about 1 1/2 Tbsp balls) on greased cookie sheets at 375 for about 8-10 min.  Shorter for softer cookie, longer for crispier.
6. Allow to sit about 5 min on cookie sheet before transferring to rack or parchment paper.  Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

On a side note.. these are GREAT October cookies. Not necessarily May cookies :)  However, I'll still have one today with a little Earl Gray.

Cranberry Oat Muffins

I feel like I should start this blog with an apology... another Muffin Recipe.. whoopdie doo, right?  Well, the thing with muffin making is 1] they're quick and easy 2] they satisfy my need for something scrumptious to go with my morning coffee AND 3] I usually always have everything on hand to whip these out in a rush.  So, ANOTHER Muffin Recipe :)

Cranberry Oat Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup sugar (heaping)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup mashed banana
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 cup+ fresh or frozen whole cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans [optional]
• 
  

• Directions:

  • In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, beat the egg, milk, banana and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in cranberries and pecans.
  • Grease muffin tin; fill two-thirds full with batter. Bake at 400° for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm. 
  • Yield: 9 muffins (regular) or 6 muffins (large)
  
  
  Bonus:  Less than 200 calories per [regular] muffin :)

Banana Oat Muffins

Muffin success this morning!  My fabulous friend, Heather, came over this morning for coffee, and after noting the browning bananas on the counter, we decided to try out a new recipe...  And it was so tasty.  
These muffins go great with Vanilla Nut Coffee.  

Banana Oat Muffins
1 cp oats

• 1 cp flour
• 1 tbs rolled oats
• 1/2 cp chopped walnuts or almonds
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbs cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cp butter, softened
• 1 cp white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cp+ mashed bananas 
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 1/2 cp plain yogurt or sour cream
•  
• Muffin Topping
• 1/3 cp rolled oats
• 4 Tbs brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbs butter, chilled or frozen
• 1/4 cp chopped walnuts or almonds

Directions:

 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 6 large muffin tin.

Place 1 cup oats in a food processor and process until ground. In a large bowl, combine ground oats with flour, 1 Tbs rolled oats, chopped nuts, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, then stir in banana and vanilla.  Finally, add yogurt or sour cream. 

Mix dry oat/flour mixture into wet mixture. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.

For Topping: In a small bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; stir in nuts. Generously sprinkle muffins with topping.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

White Chocolate & Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

I am embarrassed to say that I did not know it was Super Bowl Sunday until a few hours ago. Oops. While I am not sure that our afternoon plans will include the Big Game, we will be tuning in to hulu.com for the commercials throughout the day :)

So on this beautiful, sunny Sunday, I have decided to bake and cook. It really is therapeutic for my spirit. On the menu today is 16 Bean Soup and Corn Muffins and cookies. We just pulled the first batch of cookies out of the oven and they are tasty!! Here's the recipe:

Oatmeal Cookies with White Chocolate and Raisins
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened (That's 2 sticks!)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs at room te

mperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups uncooked oats
1 cup raisins
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
-Preheat oven

to 350 degrees.
-Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
-In a bowl mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together.
-Beat in eggs and

vanilla.
-Add flour mixture and mix well.
-With a spatula, combine in oats, raisins, and white chocolate chips. Make sure ingredients are evenly distributed.
-Use an ice cream scoop to drop portions of dough onto an ungreased sheet pan. Use the palm of your hand to lightly flatten the cookies.
-Bake at 350 for 12

-15 minutes or until golden brown.
*Allow cookies to settle on the sheet pan before transferring to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!!!!