Cinnamon oatmeal cookies....with a side of creativity!!!!

Nowadays it’s all about being healthy.  Eating healthy, exercising…eating healthy!!!… Well I’ve found that the best way of doing that, is finding ways to add healthy foods to not so healthy treats! (Or just giving in and eating not so healthy treats occasionally! Teehee!)

My recipe for cinnamon oatmeal cookies is divine!! (Or so I’ve been told).  They end up being gooey and soft…and lets be real….since they have oatmeal, they have to be healthy! Right?? Haha! ..Or that’s at least what I tell myself…

My roommate Jessica... she loves these!!

The best part about these cookies is that you can add whatever you like to them!!! I’ve found (through many a taste testing) …the oatmeal raisin ones are most preferred by my friends and family…(I tend to lean towards the chocolate chip oatmeal ones myself….because duuhhhh …its chocolate!!)

Last night I mixed chocolate chip & cranberry into the oatmeal batter…and it was delicious!!! But why limit yourself….try walnuts, dark chocolate, blueberries, macadamia nuts, anything and everything…be creative!!!! Creativity is the best part about baking!!

Now to the recipe... Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies!

A dozen cookies should be able to fit on a sheet!

Ingredients:

½ cup (1 stick) butter

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla      

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

A pinch of salt (literally…just use your thumb and pointer finger!)

3 cups oats… (I tend to prefer the Old Fashioned Quaker oats!..they stay a little bit firmer)

And then 1 cup of creativity! Raisins, chocolate chips, etc.  ( If you plan on mixing, use ½ cup each of whatever your mixing….or if you like your cookies loaded…a ¾ cup to 1 cup of each!)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

In a bowl, mix the butter (melted), brown sugar, and granulated sugar together.  Once it is mixed thoroughly, add in the eggs and vanilla.  Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Once that  is mixed completely add in 3 generous scoops of oatmeal.  Once the oats are completely mixed in…it’s time to get fun! Add in your fruits, nuts, or chocolate…whatever your pleasure!

Make balls (no smaller than 1 inch) and place them on a cookie sheet!  Bake them for 8-10 minutes.  The top of the cookies do not get “brown” like other cookies…or at least they shouldn’t! Watch the bottom edges of the cookies…once they start turning golden brown…take them out!! Leave them on the cookie sheet for a minute or two then transfer them to a cooling rack!...Try them while they are warm…the gooeyness of the cookie is entirely scrumptious!!

Depending on the size of the cookies…this recipe makes anywhere from 2 – 4 dozen cookies! 

Have fun! Enjoy the cookies!! Millions of chocolate kisses!! 

PB&C Cupcakes!!! (Peanut butter and Chocolate....yum!)

Everything you could ever want in a cupcake! Peanut butter and chocolate!  Now when I originally found this recipe I got SO excited seeing as these two ingredients are my favorite foods…and when you mix them together ….total bliss!! Now for those people who aren’t exactly chocoholics or peanut butter nutters, I would say this isn’t the dessert for you! It is VERY sweet and coming from a dessert lover, I could only have one of these babies at a sitting (teehee!).  The extra surprise of peanut butter filling just puts it over the top!

Overall I would say this was a fairly easy recipe to follow, just a little time consuming.  But the results ….YUM!  I would say the one thing I might change for next time, is maybe leave some of the cupcakes unfrosted…these scrumptious treats would be just as good without the topping!! 

The recipe!

Ingredients:

For the filling:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the batter:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs

For the frosting:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  While the ovens heating, and before preparation of the cupcakes, line a cupcake holder with liners! (I used silver liners to make the cupcakes look just a little more fancy!)

To make the filling:  Using a spatula or large spoon, mix the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter and vanilla extract in a bowl. Then roll the mixture into 1-inch balls (at least 24) and set aside.  (These will be used after making the actual cupcake batter!)

To make the cupcake batter: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; whisk together and set aside.  In another bowl, stir together the sour cream, milk and vanilla extract.  In yet another bowl (preferably a larger one because all of the ingredients will go into this bowl) mix together the butter and sugar, beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.  Alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Spoon a tablespoon or two of batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner.  Place a ball of the peanut butter filling in each cupcake well (wiggle it down so that the batter comes up around it) and top with the remaining batter so that all the cups are filled.  Bake for 18-22 minutes, you should be able to tell if it is done if the top begins to crack!  Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are baking:  Place the confectioners’ sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl mix together thoroughly with an electric mixer (or spatula) until combined. Add in the cream as you stir.  

Frosting and decorating: To decorate the cupcakes I used a small spatula to spread the frosting.  (I usually am a big promoter of using lots of frosting, but on these, use the frosting sparingly...its already so sweet!)  I then melted some unsweetened chocolate chips, and dribbled the chocolate over the top of the frosting...just to make them look a little fancier! Also on some of the cupcakes I just put a dollop of PB frosting, for those who just aren't big frosting fanatics!! 

I Hope you all enjoy these delicious cupcakes!!! (Or share this with someone who has a PB&C addiction!) 

Millions of chocolate kisses

<3 Grace 

A very pretty "Classic Vanilla Bundt Cake"

What is better than a beautiful bundt cake to greet relatives and company? Now you might think, “that is so typical”…but just wait until you see this cake.  The cake pan was originally bought at William Sonoma and is VERY easy to use! The instructions on the cake pan say to butter and flour the pan to prevent sticking, however I have found that non-stick cooking spray works just as well (and without as much effort!).  In addition, when I have used flour in the past, it turns the outside of the cake splotchy with flour, and when presentation is everything, splotchy white patches just will NOT do!

The box I had for the vanilla bundt cake was also a William Sonoma product.  Now I’m a firm believer that even if it “comes from a box”…it can still be considered homemade! This particular “boxed cake” had the sugars and flour mixed together in packets and then all I had to do was mix in 2 sticks of butter, 4 eggs and a cup of milk! The box said it should cook between 50-60 minutes…Though it ended up being more like 70 minutes.  While that was baking I mixed together a glaze (1/2 cup water, ½ cup sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla) and then covered the cake with it when it came out of the oven! (Put the glaze on while the cake is still warm, so that it absorbs more of it!) and for a final touch, sprinkle the cake with confectioners’ sugar (powered sugar)!

It turned out to be a very pretty, and yummy dessert!!! I would definitely make this again!! The cake itself was very sweet, best served with a black coffee!!

Millions of chocolate kisses,

<3 Grace 


*Sorry I didn't get a picture of the whole bundt cake! My family got to it first!! :) 

Chocolate chip cookies! (The secret is in the sugar!)

One of my favorite types of cookies is Chocolate Chip!!! (Hellllloooo,.... its chocolate!) ...I've always found with past recipes that the cookies end up being flat or crispy!! THIS recipe though is soooo good!! They didn't even last a night! The cookies are fluffy and soft...and its an easy enough recipe for little hands to join in and help! ...Hope you enjoy :)

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract (I didn't have any, so I went without! And they still turned out great!)

1 large egg

1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (the cookies were extra chocolatey, just the way I like um!! But if your not a chocoholic...1 cup would do!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, wisk butter and brown sugar. Beat in vanilla extract and egg until smooth. Add in your mixture of dry ingredients (mix until there is no visible flour).

Stir in chocolate chips.

Place rounded tablespoons of dough on baking sheet.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, until just golden around the edges. (I took my batches out after 9 minutes, and they were perfect!)

Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (Or if you are like me..sneak a couple of the warm gooey ones!)

It makes 3 dozen cookies :)

** These cookies don't get really wide, however they do get tall!!! And they end up being VERY soft!!!! Probably one of my favorite recipes for CC cookies :)

I don't remember exactly where I got this recipe from...but for whoever came up with it...a million chocolate kisses! <3 Grace