Jumbo Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are cookies that I keep in the freezer ready to pop in the oven in case someone comes over. The last time we had some kids come over from church and served these, they were totally devoured.

I have (literally) hundreds of pounds of different kinds of grain in the house ready to mill. Except for the chocolate chips, I always have these ingredients on hand. When I make this recipe I make several batches at a time. I often omit the chocolate chips (the most expensive ingredient) - they are still delicious!

2-1/2 C soft white wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
2-1/2 C rolled oats (tastes best if you roll your own oats!)
2 C chocolate chips
1 C unsalted butter, softened
3/4 C sucanat
3/4 C honey
2 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°, In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

With electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and honey until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add flour mixture; beat until combined. Add oats and chocolate chips. Mix until just comibined. If final dough mixture is a bit sticky, add a small amount of flour.

Drop level 1/4 C measures of dough, 1-1/2 inches apart on baking sheets.

Bake until cookies have spread and are golden brown and soft to the touch, 18-20 minutes. Cook five minutes on baking sheets and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. You can also freeze unbaked cookie dough and bake them later. Place unbaked cookies on baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Transfer to re-sealable plastic bags, label and date; keep up to 6 months.Bake as many as you need, without thawing, 20 - 25 minutes.

From the BreadBeckers Holiday Recipes 2007 cookbook, Page 56

Kitchen Pantry Cookies

Just made some cookies last night that turned out great!

2 bananas, ripe
2 eggs
1/2 C peanut butter
1/2 C honey
1/2 C pumpkin puree
1 T molasses
1/2 C dry milk
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 C milled oat groats
1/2 C milled kamut or spelt
1 C milled hard wheat (either white or red)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 C sunflower seeds
1/2 C raisins
3/4 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325°. Mash the bananas in a large bowl. Add the eggs, peanut butter, honey, pumpkin and molasses. Mix well. Add the dry ingredients and stir until fully moistened. Add the nuts, raisins and chocolate chips.

Drop on greased stone or cookie sheet. Cook for 12 minutes or until slightly browned. If you make larger cookies make sure to flatten them so the inside gets properly cooked.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Note: Substitutions are easily made for this recipe:

• You can substitute another kind of seeds or chopped nuts for the sunflower seeds.
• Use dried cranberries or cherries instead of the raisins.
• Use all wheat if you don't have the other grains.
• If you don't have oat groats, grind rolled oats in the blender to make the oat flour (oat flour helps to make a light cookie and I am convinced that oat flour helps improve the shelf life in my baked goods).
• Substitute agave nectar for the honey.
• If you have peanuts but not peanut butter, grind some up in your blender or food processor. If it isn't blended totally smooth, the final product would appear to have chopped peanuts added - which you can also do.
  
  Please share your substitutions and results!

Spiced Nuts (not sweet)

Here are a couple different recipes I use for spiced nuts. The preparation instructions are the same for both ingredient lists and you can choose to use EITHER the microwave instructions or the oven instructions.

I am allergic to almonds so I usually use pecans or walnuts, but you are free to use whatever whole nuts (or pecan/walnut halves) you wish.

Nuts that would work well include pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, and almonds. The nuts should be stored in an airtight container after they have cooled.

Ingredient list #1:

1/2 C butter
4 C nuts
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T soy sauce
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground allspice
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t garlic powder

Ingredient list #2:

1/2 C butter
4 C nuts
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t chili powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t cayenne pepper

Oven (my preferred method):

Preheat the oven to 300°. If you are unsure of the accuracy of your oven temperature, it is better to err on the side of a lower temperature than a higher temperature. You want the nuts toasted, but not too browned.

In a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan, melt the butter and stir in the Worcestershire Sauce and then the nuts until well-coated. Bake the nut mixture until it is toasted, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Remove the nuts from the oven and sprinkle the mixture evenly with the dry ingredients. Toss until well mixed

Microwave:

In a 2-quart microwave safe dish (make sure it isn't too wide for your microwave), melt the butter and stir in nuts. Mix well and microwave on high for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, and stir well to coat. Microwave for another 30 seconds. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the nuts and stir again.

Note: Because microwaves have different power levels, make sure that you are keeping an eye on the mixture. If your microwave is a high-powered one, you may wish to lower the temp to a lower power setting. You don't want your spiced nuts to be overcooked (or even burned).

After nuts have cooled:

Store in a tightly sealed container. I usually put a folded paper towel in the bottom to absorb any extra butter.

Homemade Cool Whip

1 t unflavored gelatin
2 t cold water
3 t boiling water
1/2 C ice water
1/2 C nonfat dry milk
3 T dehydrated cane juice (buzz in blender for a few seconds)
3 T vegetable oil (probably don't want to use EVOO because of the strong flavor)

Chill a small mixing bowl (metal is probably best). In a separate small bowl, Soften gelatin with 2 teaspoons cold water, then add boiling water, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved.

Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes. Place ice water & dry milk in the chilled bowl. Beat at high speed until mixture forms stiff peaks. Add cane juice, still beating, then oil and gelatin. Place in freezer about 15 minutes then transfer to refrigerator until ready for use. Stir before using to retain creamy texture. Makes 2 cups.

Note: If it is important to you that this be bright white, you might want to use organic sugar because dehydrated cane juice hasn't been bleached.

For a chocolate version, melt 2 squares semisweet chocolate. Cool slightly. Mix in together with the oil and gelatin. A quick and easy alternative, although it is less healthy, is to add 2 T sweetened cocoa powder (the kind you stir in to make chocolate milk).

Cinnamon Muffins

2 C Fresh milled Soft White Wheat Flour
1 C powdered milk
1 T baking powder
3 T cinnamon
2 eggs, slightly whisked in bowl
1 t vanilla
1-1/2 C water
1/2 C softened butter
1/2 C honey

Spray muffin stone with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 400° F oven.

Add dry ingredients and mix together well. Add liquid ingredients and stir until fully moistened.

Spoon into muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 12 large muffins.

Optional: sprinkle a little dehydrated cane juice over the top before baking.

Pumpkin Roll

The fall is the perfect time to take advantage of the easy availability of pumpkins - they are both nutritious and tasty. I am experimenting with recipes using pumpkin pureé and grated pumpkin. Each year I try to cook up about 5 pumpkins (I use the regular large ones) and freeze some pureé to use over the next several months. Based on what I have done so far, I would estimate that I will probably do around 10 this year.

3 eggs
2/3 C honey
1 C pumpkin pureé
1 t lemon juice
1-1/2 C soft white wheat flour (or 1/2 hard wheat and 1/2 oat)
1 T baking powder
2 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 t ginger
1/2 t salt
1/4 C Sucanat® w/ honey (to sprinkle on towel before rolling), buzz briefly in VitaMix for fine crystals (making powdered Sucanat)

Filling

1/2 C honey
4 T butter
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 375°F. Gently scramble eggs; gradually add the honey. Add pumpkin and lemon juice. Mix all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Turn mixer to the slowest setting. Add the dry ingredients slowly. Spread evenly on a stone sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 15 minutes. Do not overcook! Turn out on a towel sprinkled with the powdered Sucanat. Roll the towel up from short end. Cool.

Cream together the filling ingredients. Caution: don't overdo it! Chill the filling while the rolled cake is setting.

Unroll cake and spread with filling. Roll again without the towel. Cover in plastic and chill.

When completely chilled, serve by cutting in pinwheel slices.

Makes about 10 slices.

If you pureé your own pumpkin and cook it by steaming instead of baking the pumpkin, you may need to add a little bit more flour. If you are using frozen pumpkin pureé you also may need to add a bit more flour.

Note: Above reflects modified recipe - 10/22/2008

Chocolate Mint Sandwich Cookies

I use dehydrated cane juice w/honey and "fluff" it in my VitaMix instead of buying powdered sugar. It isn't as white (but it isn't chemically processed or bleached).

1 cup softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup cocoa powder
1 egg white
3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (or you can toss regular sea salt in the VitaMix for a few seconds)
1-1/2 cups hard white wheat flour (or combo of hard white wheat and oat flour)

Cream filling

2+ cups powdered sugar, sifted for silkiness
10 - 15 drops peppermint extract
1/4 cup water

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.

Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and continue to cream, scraping the sides of the bowl a time or two. Stir in the vanilla extract, cocoa powder, egg white, and salt and mix until the batter is smooth and creamy and the consistency of a thick frosting. Add the flour and mix just until the batter is no longer dusty looking (it still might be somewhat crumbly).

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, form it into a ball, and knead it slightly - until smooth. Separate into two 1" thick patties and place, covered, in the freezer to chill.

Remove one patty at a time from the freezer. On a well-floured surface roll it out very thin - about 1/8" thick. Stamp out cookies in whatever shape you like. Place on pre-heated baking sheets, sprayed with non-stick spray, and bake for 7-10 minutes, depending on the size of your cookie.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Filling: Using a mixer, whisk together the sugar and water until nice and fluffy. The filling should be thick, but not runny. Add small amounts of powdered sugar at a time to thicken and add a few drops of water at a time to thin. Whisk in the peppermint extract a bit at a time, until you are satisfied with the taste (don't make too strong).

Take the cooled cookies, put on some filling and cover with a second cookie.

Makes about 3 dozen 1-1/2" sandwich cookies.

Black Bean Brownies

These are so awesome! These are moist and chocolaty (is that a word?). You'd never know they were made with beans. To make a mint-chocolate version, replace the vanilla extract with peppermint extract.

4 oz squares unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate
1 C softened butter
2 C canned or soft-cooked black beans
2 T vanilla extract
1-1/2 T instant coffee granules
1/4 t sea salt
3 eggs
1½ C honey
1 C mini chocolate chips (or small chopped chocolate pieces)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a jellyroll pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with non-stick spray.

Melt the chocolate with the butter in microwave-safe bowl, making sure not to scorch the chocolate, stirring every 20 seconds or so until melted. Place black beans, vanilla extract, and ONLY 2 T of the melted chocolate mixture in food processor until beans are a paste-like consistency.

In a separate bowl stir the remaining melted chocolate mixture, instant coffee, and salt. Mix well and set aside. In a third bowl, beat the eggs almost until soft peaks form. Add the honey just until incorporated.

Add the mixture from the food processor to the chocolate and coffee mixture and stir until blended well. Add the egg mixture and mix together well. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 35 minutes or until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. They set up best (and taste best!) if refrigerated.

Makes 3 dozen brownies

Options:
You can replace the honey with agave nectar.
You can add toffee pieces at the same time as (or in place of) the chocolate chips