I was in a baking mood and whipped up these tasty babies.  I have had problems finding a good oatmeal cookie recipe as I am not a big fan of raisins.  When I found this one from Cooking Light, I had to give it a try.  No raisins in these cookies.  Just chocolate and pecan goodness.

I made them a bit bigger than called for and was concerned they were not cooked all the way through.  I left them in 3 minutes longer and they ended up way to crispy.  I pulled the second batch out after only an extra minute and they were still crispy, just not as bad.  I recommend pulling these guys out at the 12 minute mark even if they look a little under done.

My reviewers all gave this cookie a thumbs up.  I took them into work, gave some to may parents and force fed the Husband the cookies.  In less than 24 hours there are only 3 cookies left.  Even my extra-crispy version was a tummy pleaser.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal, Chocolate and Pecan Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup regular oats
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted (bake at 350 on a cookie sheet for about 4 minutes)
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips (I used regular-sized chips just fine)

The Steps

1. Preheat the over to 350
2. Combine flour and the next four ingredients in a bowl, whisk to combine and set aside.
3. Combine sugars and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium speed until well blended.  Add vanilla and egg and beat again.  Add the oatmeal flour mixture a little at a time to the sugar mixture.  Mix until just combined. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.
4. Drop a level tablespoon full cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Keep cookies at least 2 inches apart.
5. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned.  Cool cookies on the pan for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to continue to cool.
6. Eat and enjoy you fresh, homemade cookies!

The chocolate cake had a solid form and taste to it.  It was in the middle moisture-wise, not too moist and not too dry.  The Chocolate Toffee Glaze is more chocolate than toffee.  It takes its flavor from the bittersweet chocolate and a slightly firmer, barely chewy texture from the sugar.  I feel that this is a good cake, but I might not make it again since I am not a fan of chocolate in general.  But the Husband liked it, so you never know when it might re-appear on the table.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Fudge Mini Bundt Cakes

Inspired by Chocolate Fudge Cake by Rose Levy Beranbaum in The Cake Bible

The Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 3 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• Chocolate Toffee Glaze (recipe below)

The Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk together the cocoa and boiling water until smooth.  Cool to room temperature.
3. In another bowl mix together the eggs, 1/4 the cocoa mixture and the vanilla just until incorporated.
4. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.  Mix for 30 second to incorporate.  Next add the butter and remaining cocoa mixture and mix for 2 minutes.  Add the egg mixture a little at a time and mix after each addition.
5. Pour mixture into mini bundt pans that have been lightly greased.  Fill only 1/2 – 2/3 full as the cake will rise a lot.  Bake for 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before releasing them onto wire racks. Glaze with the Chocolate Toffee Glaze.

Chocolate Toffee Glaze

Inspired by Martha Stewart’s Chocolate-Date Cake with Chocolate Sticky Toffee Glaze

The Ingredients

• 4  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

The Steps

1. Bring butter, light-brown sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt to a boil in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Boil 3 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in cream. Add chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Let cool until thickened, but still thin enough to pour over the mini bundt cakes.

This time, I didn’t want to make my standard banana bread. I wanted it to be a bit more healthy than normal. So I came up with a new concoction that involves whole wheat flour and flaxseed meal. I also substituted some of the butter and added walnuts for some healthy fat. In the end, I think I have created a pretty tasty banana bread. I find that it is the perfect denseness, but it does have a “whole wheat taste.” It is also not nearly as sweet as my normal banana bread. You can choose to adjust the recipe to make it a bit sweeter, if you need yours to be sweet.

One lesson learned: this was my first time using a silicone bread loaf pan that I got on sale from Bed, Bath and Beyond. I now know why those particular ones were on sale. The walls were a bit too flimsy and my loaf expanded out to the sides. Still a tasty banana bread, but a bloated looking one.

Enjoy!

A Better Banana Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup vanola oil
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 6 medium overripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flours, flaxseed meal, baking powder baking soda and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Mix in eggs, spices and vanilla. Add the mashed bananas until well blended.
4. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Stir in walnuts until evenly distributed. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

1. Try The Great Walking Experiment: Steph over at Back in Skinny Jeans just posted her conclusion of The Great Walking Experiment of March 2008. Steph is hilarious in her reviews of her walks and also has an interesting summation of the project as a whole (she stopped after Day 13, but left knowing a bit more about herself and her exercise preferences). I want to try what Steph tried: walk 30 minutes per day for 30 days, with 4/7 days being outside of the gym. I will still go to the gym and do some cardio and strength training. I’ll start today, which means my last walking day will actually fall on May 1. I make no promises of posting about all of my weekday walks as she did, but will try to post a few. Thanks to Steph for the idea!
2. Find and Make a Healthy and Nutritious Dessert: You may have already seen my post on Quadruple Chocolate Cookies. Those were some very, very tasty cookies. But those cookies were also high in fat and really contributed nothing nutritious to my diet. I would like to find a really tasty but also a nutritious dessert. This will probably involve fruits and would still include some sugar, but I want ti to be better for me than those really delicious cookies.
3. Meditate, Meditate, Meditate: Meditation is something that I have always wanted to do more of. I enjoy having that quiet time during my day where my mind is focused and cleared of the baggage and stress that accumulates. This month, I want to meditate for just 5 minutes a day everyday. Daily meditation will help me to become a more centered, grounded, and happier person.
4. Wake-up at 6:30 am Every Morning: This is a tough on for me. I am not a morning person, not even a little bit. My brain kicks in in the afternoon and runs me into the evening. But I know that I need to start getting up earlier so I am not so rushed getting ready in the morning. Sometimes I wake up late enough that I end up having a LunaBar or Peanut Butter and Crackers for breakfast. Now that is not a balanced breakfast! So I need to make it a habit of waking up early enough every morning to relieve the frustration of running around like a mad woman on some of these busy mornings.

There you have it: my goals for the month of April.  Every one of these goals will help me to live a happier, healthier life.

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor, add the flour, flaxseed, salt and yeast and process for about 5 seconds for it to mix.
2. While running, add honey, butter, dry milk, brown sugar and then the water. You might not need all the water, you might need more. You should have a nice, well-defined, not too sticky ball. If it is too dry, add a bit more water and process for 5 or so seconds.
3. Grease a large bowl with butter or oil. Knead the bread and then shape into a ball and place into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a wet paper towel and allow dough to rise for at least 2 hours until it has almost doubled.
4. Deflate the ball, shape it again and then let it rest on a lightly floured surface for 15 minues, covered.
5. Shape the dough into a rectangle, then shaped it into the loaf by folding the two long sides towards each other, then pinching them together, flip it over and tuck the short end down. Pat the bread down into a buttered or oiled 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Cover and let it rise for about an hour, until it almost level with the top of the pan.
6. Pre-heat the oven to 375 F. Brush the top of the bread with some water and place it in the oven for about 45 minutes. You know it is done when the bottom makes a hollow sound when you tap on it, or it reaches 200 F internally.
7. Remove from pan and place on wire rack. Wait until it cools before you slice it!

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups plain M&Ms (or chocolate chips)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Finally, mix in the M&Ms. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Remove from baking sheet to cool on wire racks.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar & 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup crushed pineapple (drain out the juice)
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sweetened coconut
• 1 cup white chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and eggs one at a time. Beat in pineapple Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Finally, mix in the chocolate chips and coconut. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Remove from baking sheet to cool on wire racks