Healthy Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

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Oatmeal Cookies. Just a mere mention of these bring back so many vivid childhood memories for most of us. A classic oatmeal cookie recipe has nothing more than flour, oats, butter, eggs, sugar, leavening agent and a mix-in like raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, dried berries etc. Wouldn't it be incredible if we could put a healthy spin to our beloved cookie recipe? How about whole wheat flour, rolled oats, healthy fat like coconut oil and honey (or agave). Since quite some time I was in look out for a fool-proof recipe and am happy to report today's version is exactly that. Many of my co-workers at office loved them when I took a batch yesterday and even my skeptic better-half gave a thumbs up! Excited with the cookie success and a sweet comment about my blog on Instagram by Anusha nudged me to come out of my slumberland and actually write about them. Enjoy!

Halloween Baking Ideas | Easy Hoot Owl Cookies - Step by Step Recipe

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The season of festivities has already begun here in India (Dussehra + Deepavali) and in US (Halloween + Thanksgiving + Christmas). While I was US, October brought two things - lots of snow and the exuberant holiday spirit. It was very hard to give it a miss and not get sucked right into it. I never wore a Halloween costume myself but I have seen many friends who used to start their planning on what to wear and whom to scare with such gusto.

Hoot Owl Cookies

Now that I am staying far far away and terribly missing them, I made a batch of hoot owl cookies, right at the very last minute. I had all these plans to write about a cake recipe today but the nostalgia of celebrating couple of Halloweens with my friends back in US got the better of me. :-)

The hardest part of this super fun cookie recipe is the wait of at least 2 hours for the dough to set a bit. Other than that, it is a real breeze to make these and store in an air tight container. I have been munching all day on these and my 4 month old little nephew got real excited looking at them. Make some and enjoy this year's Halloween with friends and family.

Do I look scaryyyy?

Easy Hoot Owl Cookies

Adapted for Taste of Home Cookbook
Makes around 12 owl cookies
Prep Time: 25 mins + chilling
Cook Time: 10 to 13 mins

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups maida/all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tbsp cocoa powder (original recipe used 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted)
3 tbsp water
1/4 tsp baking soda
M & M's (or Gems)
few whole cashews

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add 1 cup at a time to the creamed mixture.

3. Remove two-thirds of the dough; roll into a square on plastic wrap. Set aside.

4. Combine together cocoa powder, baking soda and little water.

5. Beat the cocoa mixture into remaining dough. Shape into an cylindrical log.

6. Place chocolate log at one end of the square and roll up. Pinch seams together. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

7. Unwrap dough and cut into slices. To form owl's face, place two slices side by side on a lightly greased or parchment covered baking sheet. Pinch dough at the top of the circles to form ears. Place M&M's in the center of each circle for eyes. Place a cashew in the center of the face for the beak.

8. Bake at 350° (or 180 C) for 10 to 13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Who is more cuter - my nephew or the little owl?

This is Recipe 62 added to 2013 Recipe Archive. Check out the rest of the recipes too.

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Eggless White Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

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“The rain to the wind said, You push and I'll pelt.'

They so smote the garden bed, That the flowers actually knelt,

And lay lodged--though not dead, I know how the flowers felt.”  ~ Robert Frost

Cookies with Yogi Chai Tea

{Simple and Easy Baking} Peanut Butter Cookies

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I think am one of the very few out there who conveniently despised the taste of peanut butter all of childhood. My ex-roomie always had a super big jar of peanut butter from Costco during my graduation days right on the top of our fridge and I never, ever was even tempted to have some. Such was the dislike.

Fast forward..few days ago..when I was hunting down the aisles for a particular brand of jam, I literally stopped on my heels when a bottle of peanut butter just tumbled down into my shopping cart. I dutifully was about to put it back, that's when my sister asked - Why do you hate it? I didn't have an answer for her. That's when I decided to give this a try. Not as a the very popular peanut butter and jelly sandwich, am not yet ready for that. As a soft, chewy cookie may be? That's today's recipe - Peanut Butter Cookies.

Enjoy!

{Recipe} Peanut Butter Cookies

Adapted from Saveur
Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1.5 cups maida/all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (avoid if using salted butter)
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 eggs
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 350 F or 180 C. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.  Set aside. Beat butter and sugar together in a bowl with a hand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add egg, beating well after each, until smooth. Add peanut butter and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

....peanut butter...

...vanilla essence...

 2. Add flour mixture beat until combined using a spatula.

3. Using a tablespoon, portion out dough and roll into balls; place 2″ apart on parchment paper, lined on a baking sheet. Using a fork, press tines over balls in a crosshatch pattern to flatten.

4. Bake, rotating baking sheets halfway through cooking, until golden brown, about 12-13 minutes.

Serve with some chai or just plain milk. Store the remaining in an air tight container. 

..You want one?..

I especially enjoyed these with a glass of cold milk on a hot summer day!

This is Recipe 27 added to my The 100 Recipe Challenge for Year 2013. Check out the rest of the recipes too!

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Perfect Light Desserts: {Recipe} Best Skinny Chocolate Chip Cookies with Step by Step pictures

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"Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table."

~ William Powell

Almost everybody love desserts, but hate the extra calories that come with them. Isn't it. I wished there was a way where I can enjoy a general serving of cake or a muffin, without worrying or feeling guilty and particularly without using any artificial sweeteners or other fancy synthetic substitutes. I would rather put some pounds than using such stuff. Trust me.

In short, recipes that are low calorie, high in flavor and nothing less than spectacular always appeal to me. I am sure that is the case with you guys too.

If you like this recipe, you might also like - Basic Vanilla Cookie Dough + Cut-Out (Star) Cookies
Black and White Heart Cookies, Wheat Free Chocolate Chip cookies, Orange Pecan Cookies 

..and I ate them all!

..and for the same, I stumbled upon a perfect cookbook during my quest. Those who love baking are already aware of Nick Malgieri's popular book - "How to Bake" and for the cookbook - Perfect Light Desserts: All Under 300 Calories per generous serving, he teamed up with David Joachim, a health food writer to create lighter desserts that are not high in calories using real butter, sugar, flour and eggs. And they do it by using them in moderation and in perfect combination. Each recipe featured has a nutritional breakdown, perfect for people who are dieting and watching their calories. Today I chose to make these simple "David's Skinny Chocolate Chip Cookies" which are super duper delicious and very moist. A keeper recipe.

Enjoy!

{Recipe} Best Skinny Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Perfect Light Desserts by Nick Malgieri and David Joachim

Makes around 30 cookies

Nick's Notes: My co-author David Joachim eats tons of these moist cookies but still stays very thin. What I love about them is the fact that they are reduced in fat and sugar, yet every bit as good as traditional chocolate chip cookies. 

Ingredients:

11/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
4 tbsp (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
5 tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preparation:

Step 1: Soften butter to room temparature. Sift flour, baking soda and salt (omit if using salted butter). Set aside.

Step 2: In a mixing bowl beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar, on medium speed for a minute. 

Step 3: Add egg, milk and vanilla.

Step 4: Beat with an electric mixer using a spatula to scrape down the mixture from edges.

Step 5: Add flour, 1/2 cup at-a-time and beat on a low-speed.  

Step 6: Fold in the chocolate chips.

Step 7: Cover and chill the dough in the bowl for about 15-20 minutes to keep the cookies from spreading too much while baking. I made just half a batch immediately and the rest on next day. Both the times, I had amazing results. Chilling the dough overnight definitely helps to hold their shape better. 

Step 8: Preheat oven to 180 C or 350 F. Form small balls using two spoons or ice cream scoop and arrange on a cookie sheet or a baking sheet 2 inches apart.

Step 9: Bake for about 8 to 12 minutes until the cookies look dull on the surface, have spread and still quite moist. Cool the cookies on the pans and then on wire racks for 5-10 mins. Slide them off and cool them completely. Keep the cookies between sheets of wax paper in a tin or an air-tight container.

just out of the oven. cooling.

all stacked up

A cookie tastes best when enjoyed with a glass of milk. Now you can have them as many as you want, guilt-free. No one can eat just one as the calorie count per cookie is less than 100 calories. How cool is that! :-)

Best Skinny Chocolate Chip Cookies

P.S - this is not a paid or sponsored post. I bought the cookbook, loved the recipes tested, hence decided to feature here on my blog. Stay tuned for more in coming days.

until next time,

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Weekend Baking: Recipe for Black and White Heart Cookies

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Few days back I posted a Basic Vanilla Cookie Dough recipe and made some cut-out star cookies. Remember? and I also promised to share some easy ideas using the dough, which is so versatile to make countless number of variations. Today I am going to write about one such cookie recipe. All you need is a batch of basic cookie dough, some chocolate and butter. Voila! Black and White Heart Cookies are ready. It is as simple as that - a cookie recipe that can be made in a jiffy.

Store these in an air tight container and will stay fresh for at least 2-3 weeks. Given the fact how good these taste, I don't think these will last that long. ;-). 

Enjoy!

out of oven, cooled and ready to be dipped in the chocolate..

Roll the cookie dough. Cut. 

Bake for few minutes.

they taste good as-is..

adding a touch of chocolate to them..

{Recipe} Black and White Heart Cookies

Ingredients

1 batch of basic vanilla cookie dough (recipe already posted)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips or pieces
4 tsp of butter (or shortening)

Preparation


1. Preheat oven to 190 C or 375 F.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a disc of 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies and line them up on a parchment or wax paper. Refrigerate the cookies (before baking) for 15-20 mins until firm.

3. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Keep an eye on the cookies after then 8-minute mark. Cool them on a wire wrack.

4. Meanwhile using a double boiler method, melt chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl. Dip one side of each cookie in melted chocolate. Return on to a wire rack and let stand at room temp until chocolate is firm.

Store these in an air tight container and they will stay good atleast for 2 weeks.

Enter and Win! - Share your favorite quick fix recipe for a chance to win a copy of Quick Fix Indian Cookbook by Ruta Kahate. Details are in this post. Giveaway ends on July 31st 2012.

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A trip to Goa and {Recipe} Basic Vanilla Cookie Dough + Cut-Out (Star) Cookies

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Would you believe if I said we hardly vacationed anywhere since past few months. Blame it on work, health, or simply lack of opportunity and when we did get one to tag along with my sister & her husband, we just jumped on it. Hence this quick 2-day trip to Goa.

If you are a sun-soaking-beach-loving person or hate monsoons, then July/August is not the time to visit Goa. But if you are in for some sporadic rainfall, lush greenery and lovely breeze all around, then this is the right place at the right time. The experience would be completely different during summer season when the beaches, malls, flea markets are buzzing (read as crowded) with tourists. Now, Goa is a hidden gem - serene and quaint.

Here are some pictures from our trip.

a quaint corner of a cafe where we had our lunch

lush greenery all around --> That's Goa in monsoons.

the very famous Mangueshi Temple, Goa

enjoying the monsoons..

Once back home, the baking bug caught me during the weekend and quickly baked some cookies using Martha Stewart's Basic Vanilla Cookie Dough recipe which I bookmarked a very long time ago. This recipe is so versatile and can be used as base for countless varieties of cookies. Just a make a batch and then refrigerate or freeze. Cut a piece of cookie dough when you want to crave some and save the rest. How cool is that.

Today I made some Cut-Out cookies using the dough. Just roll, cut, sprinkle, bake and eat! :-)

Cut-Out (Star) Cookies. Any pretext to make these today is a valid excuse! :P

Butter + Sugar --> Creamed until pale & fluffy

Cookie Dough versatile enough to make various kinds of cookies. I will share a few in coming posts.

It's time to get creative and use this master dough to make any shape or colour of cookies, perfect for any occasion

Just out of the oven..

{Recipe}  Basic Vanilla Cookie Dough 

Adapted from Martha Stewart

~ Makes around 60 star cookies

Ingredients


3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar (or 1 3/4 cup of powdered sugar)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Note: If using salted butter, omit salt from the ingredients list. But, I personally prefer unsalted butter as the salted version has an after taste which is not-so-pleasant to the taste buds.


Preparation:

1. On a wax paper or in a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Keep aside.

2. Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. If using a whisk to cream then use powdered sugar for easy, smoother dough. Scrap with a spatula as you go. Beat in egg and vanilla on a low speed. Add flour 1/2 cup each time and beat until combined. If the dough is dry, then add few tablespoons of milk.

3. Divide into two portions and wrap each of the cookie dough ball in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for atleast an hour. The dough will stay good for 3 days when refrigerated. When kept frozen, the dough is good for 1-2 months. Cut out the needed amount of dough and thaw in the refrigerator overnight in case of frozen dough.

Making of Cut-Out (Star) Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 190 C or 375 F.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a disc of 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut out cookies into desired shapes and line them up on a parchment or wax paper. Refrigerate the cookies (before baking) for 15-20 mins until firm.

3. Sprinkle some chocolate strands on the top and bake for 8-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Keep an eye on the cookies after then 8-minute mark. Cool them on a wire wrack.

Serve and save the rest in an air tight container which will stay fresh for at least a week.

Enjoy!

Since its the first recipe with this dough, I have kept it simple using chocolate strands as the topping.

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Who said food can't look good in monochrome? :-). Sending the below picture as an entry to Black and White Wednesdays 40 guested hosted by Anusha, original concept by Susan.

until next time,