Who doesn’t like the idea of cookies for breakfast? This oatmeal breakfast cookies recipe [with peanut butter, banana & black cherry] is very hearty and rich in fiber, while low in simple carbohydrates (e.g. white sugar). You could call these oatmeal breakfast bars, but that sounds too plain. And these cookies are anything but plain.
The protein from the peanut butter and the magnesium from the banana – not to mention the calcium and good bacteria from the yogurt – all come together to make this a nutritious breakfast option that’s also highly portable.
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the mashed banana, peanut butter, honey, yogurt and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture until combined.
Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup or large ice cream scoop, drop mounds of dough about 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. That's about six cookies per baking sheet. Using a spatula dipped in water, flatten each mound of dough to about 1/2-inch thickness.
Bake one sheet at a time for about 24 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer the oatmeal breakfast cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Store in an airtight container (up to 3 days) or freeze (up to 3 months).
This recipe for banana butterscotch muffins comes from Nigella Lawson’s Quick Collection for iPad (Random House 2012), with one minor modification (I added ground cinnamon, one of my favorite spices). I like to eat the muffins while they are still warm with a dollop of room temperature butter for good measure.
Most cooks and bakers have someone who inspires them. In the realm of celebrity chefs and cooks, there are a few that I admire, like Ina Garten, Tyler Florence, and Giada De Laurentiis. But at the top of my list of celebrity food icons is Alton Brown and Nigella Lawson. I like Alton’s balanced approach to understanding recipes and ingredients (he delves in to the science as much as the art of cooking). And I just adore Nigella Lawson, who (like myself) is not a professionally trained chef. Her passion for food, her wit and common sense approach to cooking makes her a friend to every home cook who aspires to create simply good food.
If you’re a Nigella superfan like me, you’ve got to watch her on ABC’s The Taste. I can’t wait to dig into her latest cookbook, Nigellissima, and the accompanying free iPad app.
Preheat your oven to 400° F. Line a standard 12-muffin tin with cupcake papers.
In a medium bowl, mash the bananas. Set aside for a moment.
In a small bowl (I use a Pyrex 2-cup measuring container), pour in the vegetable oil. Add the eggs and beat lightly.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix in the oil-egg mixture, followed by the mashed bananas. Do not overmix the batter.
Fold in the butterscotch morsels. Place an equal amount of batter in each of the muffin tins. I used a large ice cream scoop to ensure consistency. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool in the muffin tin for 20 minutes. Remove the banana butterscotch muffins and cool completely on a wire rack.
For some, peanut butter is fun and flirty. And most equate chocolate – at least on some level – with love. But when you combine peanut butter and chocolate in a recipe like this for peanut butter brownie biscotti, well it’s downright lustful!
This is a great treat to make for your special someone to help celebrate Valentine’s Day. And [shameless plug alert!] for a lower calorie gift that will last much longer and bring much more pleasure for you both, accompany the peanut butter brownie biscotti with a signed copy of Baked Chicago’s Simply Decadent Brownies Cookbook.
Peanut Butter Brownie Biscotti
Preheat your oven to 375° F. In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter and butter. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder. Beat until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating just until combined.
Use the mixer to incorporate about half of the flour before using a wooden spoon to stir in the remaining flour by hand. Fold in the dark chocolate.
Transfer the peanut butter brownie biscotti dough to a lightly floured surface and divide the dough in half. Shape each dough portion into a 9-inch long log roll. Place the rolls 3 inches apart on a large, ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten the rolls slightly, to about 2 inches wide.
Bake initially for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325° F. Transfer the baked loaves to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut each loaf diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place the slices on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, before turning slices over. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes more, or until biscotti are dry and crisp. Transfer biscotti to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 32 peanut butter brownie biscotti.
Ingredients:
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
Bacon makes almost every recipe better. I love the crunchy texture of crispy bacon. This recipe for bacon and salted caramel brownies features both crispy bacon and a deep bacon flavor because it incorporates some of the bacon grease into the batter. It makes for a very rich, very decadent explosion of flavor for your taste buds. This bacon and salted caramel brownies recipe has received great response from readers of the Baked Chicago blog, which is why it’s featured in the Simply Decadent Brownies Cookbook.
Update as of 10/26/13: The genius folks over at America’s Test Kitchen share an easy way to make caramel in the microwave. It requires a bit less constant attention than making caramel on the stove top, so I’m sharing their video quick tip in case you prefer to use the microwave for the caramel in this recipe.
6 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup salted butter, divided and cut into pieces
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions
In a medium skillet, fry the bacon slices until just crisp. Remove the bacon, reserving the bacon grease in the pan. Add the cream to pan and let cool. When the bacon has cooled, crumble or chop finely. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup of sugar over high heat until the mixture is liquid and deep amber in color. Add 6 tablespoons of butter and the cooled bacon cream mixture. Stir until the butter is melted. Add the chopped bacon and let cool.
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Lightly grease the bottom of an 8x8-inch baking pan with butter or shortening.
In a large saucepan, melt the remaining butter and dark chocolate over very low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder. Whisk until smooth and add in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the remaining sugar, vanilla and flour, just until combined.
Spread half of the brownie batter in the prepared baking pan. Drop half of the bacon caramel mixture by tablespoon, evenly spaced, over the brownie batter. Spread the remaining brownie batter over the top, and then drop the remaining bacon caramel mixture by spoonfuls over the top of the brownies. Drag the back of the tablespoon through the batter to create a swirled effect.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 bacon and salted caramel brownies.
When it rains, make it pour…marshmallow and mint! Cold, drizzling days like today are perfect for baking some mocha marshmallow mint chocolate cupcakes. The insides of this cupcake are so rich and minty sweet that you won’t need to frost or decorate them. These are perfect for pairing (while still slightly warm) with a mug of hot cocoa or your favorite coffee.
Mocha Marshmallow Mint Chocolate Cupcakes
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a standard cupcake pan with paper liners.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cocoa and sugar. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the eggs, coffee, buttermilk, vanilla and vegetable oil. Mix just until combined. Fold in the miniature marshmallows and creme de menthe baking chips.
Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean.
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup brewed coffee, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup creme de menthe baking chips
At first blush, the combination of bourbon, bacon and pecans might not make sense to the mind. But trust me, your taste buds will understand it all and thank you for it. Here’s what one reader wrote about this bourbon, bacon and pecan brownies recipe, which is featured in Baked Chicago’s Simply Decadent Brownies Cookbook:
“Love, love, love the Bourbon, Bacon and Pecan brownies! (Yes, bourbon and bacon!) These brownies were so moist and chocolatey with a hint of bourbon and a hit of salt from the bacon to finish off each bite. So delicious you’ll want to share these with friends and family!” JAStenzel review from Amazon.com
Bourbon, Bacon and Pecan Brownies
In a medium skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Reserve 1/4 cup of the bacon fat and set aside. Let the bacon cool and chop roughly. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9×9-inch baking pan with butter or shortening.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large heatproof bowl set on top of a small saucepan of simmering water, melt the dark chocolate and butter. Stir constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until frothy (about 1 minute). Beat in the melted chocolate mixture, bourbon and reserved bacon fat. Fold in the flour mixture and pecans, just until combined.
Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the chopped bacon on top. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out nearly clean. Cool the brownies completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 brownies.
Ingredients:
6 slices of bacon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
10 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
4 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons bourbon
These turtle brownies were, in part, inspired by a favorite childhood candy: Kathryn Beich’s Katydids. Kathryn Beich’s (part of the Nestle company in the 1960’s and 1970’s and possibly longer) had operations in Central Illinois near where I grew up. They worked with schools and churches with fundraising programs where you’d order your favorite confections, including Golden Crumbles, Butter Mints and Katydids. I remember selling the candy for school groups in yearly fundraising efforts.
Today, the Kathryn Beich brand is barely visible and no longer part of Nestle. A Google search found some old pictures of those tin cans that required a key to “unlock” the vacuum seal.
For anyone who remembers these cans, can you believe we were actually allowed to open them as kids? The edges were so sharp that you could cut a bitch. Personally, I also loved the caramel filled chocolate bars which amazingly seem to still be available.
While that “technology” may no longer be used, I do remember it definitely locked in the freshness of the candy. The Katydids would melt in your mouth. The crunchy pecans and caramel were bite-sized portions of addiction.
This recipe for turtle brownies is featured in the Baked Chicago’s Simply Decadent Brownies Cookbook, available at Amazon.com. Thanks to the many readers who have shared that this is one of their favorites in the book.
Update on 10/26/13: America’s Test Kitchen has a great suggestion for making caramel in the microwave. For those who may be a bit timid about making caramel from scratch on the stove top (it does require constant monitoring), this might be a better solution. This recipe uses the stove top method for the caramel in the turtle brownies, but you can get similar results following the instructions in this video.
Preheat your oven to 325° F. Lightly grease the bottom of an 8x8-inch baking pan with butter or shortening. Melt the dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, set over pan of simmering water. Stir constantly until melted and smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly.
Whisk together in a large bowl this flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Whisk the sugar and eggs on medium speed with electric mixer until pale and fluffy (4 minutes). Add the chocolate mixture, milk and vanilla, mixing until combined. Reduce speed to low and add in the flour mixture, until well combined.
Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few dry crumbs. Let the brownies cool, about 30 minutes.
Bring 1/3 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Constantly stir until the sugar has dissolved. Wash down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Cook until the sugar is a medium amber color (5 to 7 minutes). Remove from heat and add the heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gently stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add pecans and stir until caramel begins to cool and thicken.
Spread the caramel over brownies. Refrigerate for one hour to help set. Let the turtle brownies stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to make 16 brownies.
Today’s marshmallow & honey banana bread recipe adventure is one for the dogs! Literally. When one of my pugs, Baxter, was diagnosed with severe food allergies, I started changing out his store-bought, grain-based treats with fresh fruits and vegetables. He loves bananas and I can easily cut one up for him and Bing, one of my other pugs. But they can only eat so many bananas before getting too much roughage in their diet, which causes a new set of digestive problems for Bing. And that means I sometimes have a bunch of bananas about to become “overly ripe.”
I faced that today and decided I wanted to try a new twist on banana bread. So I first found inspiration for a base banana bread recipe from my Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook, and then I dug into my cupboards to find what I could add for texture and flavor. I found some honey, which is a great substitute for granulated sugar in a quick bread recipe. And then I found some miniature marshmallows that I bought in December, either thinking I’d have them in my hot cocoa or I might have been planning a marshmallow baked treat for Christmas [this year I had many plans for baking, but only had time to execute about 3 of them]. I thought the gooey-ness of marshmallows, honey and smashed bananas would be a great experiment to try, while using up these waylaid ingredients.
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease the bottom and sides of two 7 1/2 X 3 1/2 X 2-inch loaf pans (or one 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan), and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, banana, oil and honey. Add wet mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined (batter will be lumpy). Fold in miniature marshmallows. Pour batter into prepared pans and spread evenly.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. [If using a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan, bake for about 55 minutes.] Watch carefully during the last 15 minutes of baking. If needed, cover loosely with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.
Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on rack. It's recommended to wrap in plastic or store in airtight container and store overnight before slicing. Makes about 16 slices.
This slow cooker lasagna recipe is perfect for large family gatherings or Super Bowl viewing parties. Recently I killed my Cuisinart slow cooker when I mistakenly turned on the HIGH setting with no food in it. Just as I was prepared to cook, I heard a big crack and the removable ceramic container split in half. I researched replacement containers but realized that my slow cooker (purchased in 1999 or 2000) was so old that you couldn’t get parts any more. So I upgraded to a digital Cuisinart slow cooker with built-in steamer and brown/saute functions.
I rarely make lasagna because it seems like a huge amount of work for one person – and then I have it for leftovers for weeks and get bored. But this slow cooker lasagna recipe intrigued me because it appeared to really simplify the cooking process. Overall, I was pleased with how it turned out – though I still had tons of leftovers. But this time, I put most of them in labeled freezer containers and stored in the deep freeze for the next time I get a craving.
Lightly coat the inside of a 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. [I am also a fan of the new slow cooker liners, because they really save on clean up time.]
In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until brown. Break up the meat as it cooks. Stir in the marinara sauce and diced tomatoes. Remove from heat.
Place about 1/2 cup of the meat / marinara mixture in the bottom of the slow cooker (this will allow the bottom layer of noodles to properly cook). Layer 4 of the noodles on top of the meat mixture. Top with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese, then 1/3 of the remaining meat / marinara mixture, and about 1/3 of the shredded cheese. That’s NOODLES – RICOTTA – MEAT/MARINARA – SHREDDED CHEESE. Repeat the layers two more times starting with the noodles.
Cover and cook on high-heat setting for up to 3 hours. Let stand, uncovered, for about 15 minutes before serving.
Serve individual portions sprinkled with fresh Parmesan or shredded Italian cheese bend. Freeze any slow cooker lasagna leftovers for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
additional shredded Italian or Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
Lightly coat the inside of a 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker with
non-stick cooking spray.
In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until brown. Break up the meat as it cooks. Stir in the marinara sauce and chopped Italian tomatoes. Remove from heat.
Place about 1/2 cup of the meat / marinara mixture in the bottom of the slow cooker (this will allow the bottom layer of noodles to properly cook).
Layer 4 of the noodles on top of the meat mixture. Top with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese, then 1/3 of the remaining meat / marinara mixture, and about 1/3 of the shredded cheese. That's noodles, ricotta, meat/marinara/shredded cheese.
Repeat the layers two more times starting with the noodles.
Cover and cook on high-heat setting for up to 3 hours.
Let stand, uncovered, for about 15 minutes before serving.
Serve individual portions sprinkled with fresh Parmesan or shredded Italian cheese blend. Freeze any slow cooker lasagna leftovers for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
I have to admit I don’t know a lot about gluten-free baking. Every time I think I’m finally understanding what it’s all about I learn that there’s a lot more I need to learn. And I shall. This recipe was the result of finding a really cool Peanut Butter & Marshmallow Sandwich Cookie recipe at Bakers Royale – and not having the energy to make the marshmallow filling. Full disclosure, the recipe at Bakers Royal was a mash-up of a PBS recipe for flourless peanut butter cookies and Bakers Royal’s original marshmallow frosting filling recipe. It sounds and looks delicious so I vow on my next gluten-free peanut butter cookie baking frenzy to actually – finally – make the marshmallow frosting filling.
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Put all of the ingredients (yes, all four!) in a mixing bowl (either a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer will do). Mix on low speed until thoroughly combined.
Use a cookie dough scoop to drop small balls of dough (about 1 rounded tablespoon in volume) onto the baking sheets about 1 inch apart. You should be able to fit a dozen cookies on a standard baking sheet. Take a small fork and spray the back liberally with non-stick cooking spray. Use the fork to flatten the cookie in a criss-cross pattern.
Bake one sheet of cookies at a time. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the cookies are golden around the edges. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the parchment-lined baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies. The cookies are thin, very crunchy and about 3 inches in diameter.
Are you like me? Do you enjoy discovering new recipes? I usually find new recipes online, but I also am addicted to well-written cookbooks. This peanut butter bars recipe is lightly adapted from the Fat Witch Brownies cookbook, which is one of the best specialty cookbooks E-V-E-R.
If you’ve never had brownies from New York City’s legendary Fat Witch Bakery, well…I’m sorry. Because their deliciousness and decadence rivals those found in (shameless plug) Baked Chicago’s Simply Decadent Brownies cookbook. [If you’re a baking aficionado, then you need to get the Fat Witch cookbook. I’ll assume you already have the Baked Chicago brownies cookbook. ;0) – But if not, watch for a special announcement on February 1 kicking off National Chocolate Month.]
I was specifically searching for a peanut butter flavored dessert to bake as part of a peanut butter-themed goodie box for my niece. She – like most of the world – loves peanut butter. Overall, this recipe was easy-to-follow (all the directions are on one page – love that!). My only comment (and I always assume it could be human operator error – me) is that I was expecting a bold peanut butter flavor in these bars.
I did add semisweet chocolate chips (which the recipe says is optional, but recommends) and to me the bar tasted more like a chocolate chip cookie bar. The butter and the chocolate were the primary flavors that came through, with a hint of peanut butter peering out. I used crunchy peanut butter (as the recipe called for) but I think if I had also added rough chopped dry roasted peanuts that it would have elevated the peanut butter in the flavor profile.
That said, the bars were irresistible. I cut 9 bars from the 9×9-inch pan (recipe suggested 12 to 16 bars) because I like a big bar. And only 6 of them made it into the goodie box.
Peanut Butter Bars
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease a 9-inch by 9-inch baking pan with butter. Dust with flour and tap out the excess flour.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Beat the eggs and sugars until smooth. Add the peanut butter and continue mixing until well combined. Beat in the vanilla and butter. Mix until thoroughly incorporated.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing gently until well combined and there’s not a trace of dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Using a spatula, spread the dough evenly in the prepared baking pan. The batter is very thick, so this may be a challenge; using a spatula makes it easier.
Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool in plan for 1 hour before cutting into 9 large bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
When I think of oatmeal, I immediately think of breakfast. These oatmeal peanut butter cookies are easy to make and are a delicious way to get more fiber in your diet. And one might argue that you could even consider these to be “breakfast cookies” which are also highly portable for a breakfast on the run.
The breakfast cookie debate aside, I’ve never liked eating hot oatmeal on its own for breakfast or any meal. As a kid, I was more of a Cream of Wheat fan topped with maple syrup.
But oatmeal as a featured ingredient in another dish – well I can get behind that big time.
Oatmeal adds a great textural dimension to meatloaf and muffin recipes. And an oatmeal base for “breakfast cookies” provides a blank canvas for healthy options like apples, raisins or nuts.
This recipe is my riff off the classic Quaker Oats oatmeal raisin cookie recipe.
Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350° F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add the flour mixture and mix well.
Stir in the oats by hand, then fold in the peanut butter chips until well blended.
Using a cookie dough scoop, drop onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Or the old-school way of dropping by rounded tablespoons.
Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool for 1 minute on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container. Makes about 4 dozen Oatmeal-Peanut Butter cookies.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.
Add the eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add the flour mixture and mix well.
Stir in the oats by hand, then fold in the peanut butter chips until well blended. Using a cookie dough scoop, drop onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Or the old-school way of dropping by rounded tablespoons.
Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until lightly brown. Cool for 1 minute on baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
