Category Archives: Cookies

Sweet Potato Oat Bites

Sweet Potato Oat Bites

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If you want to make a simple, easy to make treat that’s healthful and not too sweet, here it is! These little “bites” are a cake-like/cookie-like treat that will help to satisfy that sweet tooth in a gentle yet healthful way. Give them a try!

Below is a video demonstration of how to make the little bites. The written recipe is below the video.

Enjoy!
Judi

Sweet Potato-Oat Bites
Makes About 14 Small “Bites”

These are soft cake-like, cookie/like treats that are really easy to make. Stir in the add-in of your choice for unlimited variations. The recipe can easily be adjusted to make as many as you need. Enjoy! jk

1 cup oats (any kind)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ cup mashed cooked sweet potato
1 to 2 Tbsp maple syrup or apple butter, to taste
1 or 2 Tbsp milk of choice, or more if needed
¼ cup “add-in” of choice

Place oats in a food processor and pulse until the oats are medium ground (with some oat flour, but some oat pieces are fine). Add remaining ingredients (using 1 tablespoon of milk at a time) and pulse until well mixed, and holds together when pressed…not too wet and not too dry. If too wet, add a small amount of oats and process more. If too dry, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is moist and holds together. Stir in your “add-in” ingredients.

Scoop by rounded teaspoonful onto a silicone mat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 18 to 20 minutes, until set and lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Possible add-in ingredients (use any combination or single ingredient of choice):

Chopped dried fruit of choice, such as cherries, cranberries, figs, apples, raisins, apricots, etc.
Chocolate chips
White baking chips
Cinnamon chips
Nut of choice such as pecans, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, sesame seeds, cashews, Brazil nuts, etc.

About Judi
Julia W. Klee (Judi) began her journey enjoying “all things food” in elementary school when she started preparing meals for her family. That love of food blossomed into a quest to learn more and more about health and wellness as related to nutrition. She went on to earn a BS Degree in Food and Nutrition, then an MS Degree in Nutrition. She has taught nutrition and related courses at the college level to pre-nursing and exercise science students. Her hunger to learn didn’t stop upon graduation from college. She continues to research on a regular basis about nutrition as it relates to health. Her hope is to help as many people as possible to enjoy foods that promote health and wellness.

Quick and Easy Banana Oat Cookies

Quick and Easy Banana Oat Cookies

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Here’s a REALLY fast and easy banana oat cookie that can be made in no time in the food processor, if you have one. Otherwise, mix them by hand, no issues! They’re perfect for anyone wanting to reduce added sugar and fat in their diet. They’re great as a dessert, snack, or even a breakfast cookie.

Here’s a video showing how to make the cookies. The recipe is below the video.

Enjoy!
Judi

Quick and Easy Banana Oat Cookies
Makes About 18 Small Cookies

2 cups oats (any type)
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon*
2 ripe bananas
2-4 Tbsp milk of choice, or more if needed**
½ cup add-ins, optional

Place the oats, baking soda and cinnamon (if you are adding it) in a food processor and process until the oats are a coarse flour. It does not need to be ultra-fine. Slice the bananas and add them plus the milk to the food processor. Pulse until the bananas are pureed and the mixture comes together. If the mixture seems crumbly and a bit dry, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture is moist and comes together, but is not overly wet.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in up to ½ cup of any combination of add-in ingredients you want. Mix well. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to rest for about 15 minutes so the oats can soak up some liquid. After the soaking time, the mixture should be moist and still hold together, not dry and crumbly. If it is dry, add a little more milk until it is moist and holds together.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. With a tablespoon or a #40 cookie scoop (which holds 1-3/4 tablespoons), divide the mixture on the prepared baking sheet. Slightly flatten each mound with your fingers. Bake on the rack in the middle of the oven for 13 to 16 minutes, until they are set and starting to brown. Remove from the oven, cool, and enjoy!

* The cinnamon can be omitted if you feel the flavor won’t blend with your preferred add-in ingredients.

**The amount of milk needed will vary depending on the size of the bananas used, and the type of add-ins you choose. Batches made with larger bananas will need less milk than batches made with smaller bananas. Add enough to make a very moist, but not sopping wet batter.

Optional add-ins:
You can add any one or combination of embellishments and flavorings to your cookies. Nuts, seeds, dried fruits, flavorings, and chips of various sorts all work well. Get creative! Here are some examples:

Chopped Nuts or Seeds
Walnuts
Pecans
Almonds
Peanuts
Pistachios
Pepitas
Sunflower Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Flaxseeds
Dried Coconut

Chopped Dried Fruits
Raisins
Cranberries
Cherries
Figs
Currants
Apples
Peaches
Apricots

Flavorings (Of course, add only small amounts of these!)
Vanilla extract
Vanilla bean
Cocoa powder
Orange zest
Orange extract
Nutmeg

Chips
Chocolate chips
Peanut butter chips
Butterscotch chips
White chocolate chips
Cinnamon chips
Mint chocolate chips
Caramel chips
This list is growing with what’s becoming available in stores.

About Judi
Julia W. Klee (Judi) began her journey enjoying “all things food” in elementary school when she started preparing meals for her family. That love of food blossomed into a quest to learn more and more about health and wellness as related to nutrition. She went on to earn a BS Degree in Food and Nutrition, then an MS Degree in Nutrition. She has taught nutrition and related courses at the college level to pre-nursing and exercise science students. Her hunger to learn didn’t stop upon graduation from college. She continues to research on a regular basis about nutrition as it relates to health. Her hope is to help as many people as possible to enjoy foods that promote health and wellness.

Classic Snickerdoodles

Classic Snickerdoodles

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Snickerdoodles are cookies that are good for any occasion year-round. I always included them in my holiday cookie trays when I ran my bakery. They were loved by all. Here’s the recipe I used, straight out of my bakery/bistro cookbook, Secrets of a Professional Baker. Enjoy! Judi

Snickerdoodles
Makes about 3 Dozen Cookies

8 oz (1 cup) butter (No substitutes, please!)
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
15 to 16 oz (3 cups) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar

3 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Add flour mixture to butter mix; combine until smooth.

On a plate or in a shallow bowl, combine the extra granulated sugar and cinnamon. Roll cookie dough into 1″ balls, then roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place cookie dough ball on parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake at 400F for about 9 minutes, until lightly browned. Test 1 cookie first for time and texture! If it spreads too much, add a little more flour.

Remove from oven when slightly underdone when allowing them to cool on the baking sheet as they will continue to cook for a minute or two after being removed from the oven. This will help prevent them from being too browned, dry or crisp.

Almond Butter Shortbread Cookies

Almond Butter Shortbread Cookies

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Shortbread cookies are fabulous. It doesn’t matter to me what flavor they are. I love them all. They are sweet, buttery and simply melt in your mouth. Can you get any better than that?

When I had my bakery/bistro, I made a HUGE amount of cookies over the holidays. My shortbread cookies were among my customers’ favorites. Here’s a recipe straight from my cookbook for Almond Butter Shortbread Cookies. Enjoy!

Almond Butter Shortbread Cookies
Makes about 2-1/2 Dozen Cookies

8 oz (1 cup) butter (No substitutes, please!)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
10 oz (2 cups) all-purpose flour

In a mixer bowl, cream the butter, sugar and almond extract; set aside. In another bowl, combine the salt and flour; add to the butter mixture. Mix well until smooth.

Form into 1″ balls and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Flatten with the lightly oiled then floured flat bottom of a measuring cup or glass. Sprinkle with sugar (colored sugar is pretty for the holidays).

Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, until they just barely begin to brown.

Tip: These cookies are delicious just as the recipe is written. However, if you want to add almonds for some crunch, add a little finely chopped natural almonds to the batter. OR, you could substitute one or two tablespoons of the flour with an equal amount of almond meal/flour. Yum!

 

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies

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For most people, the holidays automatically mean it’s cookie season. The aroma of freshly baked cookies and the heartwarming sensation of eating warm cookies right out of the oven can’t be beat. Hence, now is the time we start digging out our favorite recipes from last year and start baking in preparation for all of our social gatherings.

Here’s a recipe that was a holiday favorite with the customers I enjoyed at The Spice Rack, the bakery/bistro I once owned. The cookies are a holiday “twist” from the standard oatmeal raisin cookies. The addition of orange flavoring and sweetened dried cranberries makes them perfect for any holiday occasion. AND they’re easy to make! No mix needed. Here’s my recipe…

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies
Makes about 4 Dozen Cookies

8 oz (1 cup) butter (No substitutes, please!)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange extract
1 tsp dried orange zest

10 oz (2 cups) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups oats (quick or old fashioned)
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries

In a mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Blend in eggs, extracts and orange zest; set aside. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Blend the flour mixture into the butter mix. Stir in the oats and sweetened dried cranberries.

Drop by scoopfuls or heaping teaspoons onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350F for about 11-12 minutes, until slightly underdone (when allowing cookies to cool on the baking sheet).*

Store in an air-tight container or wrap tightly and freeze until needed.

Tip: Removing the cookies from the oven while slightly under-baked allows them to finish cooking on the hot baking sheet as it cools. This will help prevent them from being over-baked and become too crisp or dry.