Healthyish Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I majorly changed this recipe I found on allrecipes.com to attempt to make it healthy. So, I halved the butter and subbed applesauce for the other half. Then I added flax meal and wheat germ. And subbed part of the white flour for whole wheat flour. I thought about lowering the sugar, but I thought with all of those other changes that I better keep the sugar amount the same. They came out really good and the kids loved them. I think next time I will try to lower the sugar a bit.

Ingredients:
1 C golden raisins (or regular raisins)
3 C rolled oats
1/2 C butter (1 stick)
1/2 C applesauce (natural, unsweetened)
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C white sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 C all purpose flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/4 C wheat germ
1/4 C flax meal
1 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t salt

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine; all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, flax meal, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter, applesauce and sugar together. It will be a little lumpy. Then, beat in eggs and vanilla. Finally stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture. After thoroughly mixed, add in oats and raisins and stir until mixed throughout. Finally, drop 1 T of cookie dough onto cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-12 minutes at 350 degrees. If you like chewy cookies, bake for a shorter time...for more cake like cookies bake longer.
After completely cooled you may store in a tightly sealed container for about 1 week.
ENJOY!

Thumbprint cookies

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it was super duper yummie! :) I filled mine with icing and put sprinkles on top, but you can do it many different ways...rolled in nuts, filled with jelly, or rolled in colored sugar. I also found the icing recipe on recipezaar.com and it was SO good! I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 egg (separated)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Separate the eggs.
Cream the butter or margarine with the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla. Stir in the flour and the salt.
Shape the dough into small balls and roll in the slightly beaten egg whites (if covering in nuts or sugar) then in the chopped nuts or sugar (if you want to leave them plain don't in egg whites). Press thumb in center of cookie to make an indentation. If you are filling with jelly, some like to add it before baking, which I think comes out really nicely.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12-15 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool then fill with your favorite frosting or jam (if you chose not to add it BEFORE baking.)

Icing:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Crisco
• 1-4 teaspoon water, just enough to make it spreadable
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• food coloring (optional)

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.

German Chocolate Cookies

Here is a recipe I made today from BH&G's September issue! They are ridiculously delicious!!! However, you MUST love chocolate because they are severely chocolaty (in the best way).

Ingredients:
1/4 c butter, softened (1/2 stick)
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1 egg
1 t vanilla
2/3 c all-purpose flour
2/3 c rolled oats
1/4 c flax seed meal
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
3 oz dark or semi-sweet baking chocolate chopped (that would be 3 squares)
1/3 c flaked coconut
1/3 c chopped pecans, toasted (put in pan on med high, stirring frequently for 2 minutes)
additional pecans and coconut, optional (for topping)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until well combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vniall until combined. beat in flour. Stir in rolled oats, flax seed meal and cocoa powder. Stir in chopped chocolate, coconut and pecans (dough will be thick).

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cooke sheets. If desired, sprinkle tops with addition chopped pecans and flaked coconut. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are just firm and tops are set. Let cookies cool on cooke sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookie to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 35 cookies. Store cookies for 2 days at room temperature or freeze for up to 3 months.

Serving size: 1 cookie

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've always had a hard time getting cookies to come out right for me. They would spread out flat on the cookie sheet or crumble. These are super easy and always turn out perfect for me. They would be really good with walnuts or pecans too. I have gotten so many compliments and requests for this recipe.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Food Network Kitchens How to Boil Water, Meredith, 2006

This is such an easy chocolate chip cookie. No special equipment, no creaming--a perfect cookie to do with kids. We love how versatile this dough is, too. It makes an awesome rocky road bar cookie.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips, or chunks
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt

DirectionsEvenly position 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets. (If you only have 1 baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches.)

Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on medium power until melted. (Alternatively melt in a small saucepan.) Cool slightly. Whisk the sugars, eggs, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon; take care not to over mix. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared pans. Wet hands slightly and roll the dough into balls. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart on the pans. Bake, until golden, but still soft in the center, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on how chewy or crunchy you like your cookies. Transfer hot cookies with a spatula to a rack to cool. Serve.

Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

Flour free peanut butter cookies

These are just about the easiest cookies I've ever made. I love to make them with my daughter because she can help me measure, mix and make the dough into little balls to put on the cookie sheet. Then, while they are cooking I can occupy her by having her unwrap all the kisses. After they come out of the oven, I transfer the hot cookies onto a cool cookie sheet and my daughter can carefully place the kisses on the cookies. Make sure that you keep the cookies out until they are completely cooled and the candy kisses become solid again (as they will melt, but keep their form, due to the heat of the cookie).

1 cup white sugar (I actually like to use 1/3 white, 1/3 brown, and 1/3 confectioners suger...it really makes the texture nice and not too grainy)
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg
18 milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped (optional)


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine sugar, peanut butter, and egg.
3. Shape into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. NOTE: If dough is too sticky, refrigerate 1/2 hour or until easy to handle.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from oven. Press a chocolate kiss into the center of each warm cookie.