Category Archives: Dessert

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

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Fill your cookie jar with a sweet treat that does double-duty: plenty of chips for chocolate lovers, plus oatmeal for those who want to get their fill of whole-grain fiber.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups oatmeal
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips
  • 2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Cream butter and sugars. Mix in eggs, milk and vanilla.
  3. In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (oatmeal, flour, baking soda, salt). Slowly incorporate into wet mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time.
  4. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
  5. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until edges start to slightly brown and center is set.

I know it’s a no-no, but it’s hard to resist a taste of cookie dough…

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It’s a good thing that the finished product is just as delicious!

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Bethenny Frankel’s “skinny” take on pumpkin treats

Source: Bethenny Bakes

Source: Bethenny Bakes

Her Skinnygirl empire has been a hit with the health-conscious crowd, so it’s no surprise that Bethenny Frankel, newly-minted talk show host and former celebrated natural foods chef, would take a stab at delicious guilt-free versions of popular pumpkin recipes for fall.

Below are two classics that Frankel reworked with her talent for “fix-ology” – a term she coined for the ability to take calorie-rich foods and revamp them into healthier versions without compromising flavor. For more of Frankel’s favorite healthy recipes, go to Bethenny.com.

Bethenny Frankel’s Pumpkin Spice Muffins (Makes 1 dozen)

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups oat flour
  • 2 cups raw sugar
  • 2 T unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup unsalted walnuts
  • 12 muffin cups

Directions:

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine raw sugar, melted butter, oil, eggs, pumpkin and water. Beat for 90 seconds, or until well mixed.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices, stirring until no streaks remain.
  3. Combine flour mixture and pumpkin mixture. Stir in nuts and cranberries; stirring only until all ingredients are mixed.
  4. Cover batter, and allow it to set at room temperature for 60 minutes.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  6. Place muffin cups in muffin holders and fill 2/3 of the way full.
  7. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until muffins tops spring back when lightly touched.
  8. If the muffins will be frozen, allow them to cool for 1 hour, then tightly wrap in plastic wrap; store in freezer zipper bags.
  9. To reheat, wrap loosely in foil and bake for 5-10 minutes at 350°F. (Or they may be reheated in the microwave wrapped loosely in a damp paper towel.)

Bethenny Frankel’s Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients for crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups graham crackers, crushed finely (approximately 9-10)
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tbsp melted butter

Ingredients for filling:

  • 2 8 oz. containers reduced fat cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup raw sugar plus 2 teaspoons
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 can of 15 oz. pumpkin (do not substitute pumpkin pie filling!)
  • 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed graham crackers, butter, applesauce, and ground ginger.
  3. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
  4. Bake crust 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.
  5. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup raw sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Mix eggs in one at a time, blending well after each.
  6. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture. Blend 1/4 cup raw sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.
  7. Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by spoonfuls onto the top. Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.
  8. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until filling is set.
  9. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and allow the cake to cool before removing pan rim.
  10. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Satisfy your sweet tooth: Peanut butter chocolate chip bars

Peanut butter + chocolate = perfection

Peanut butter + chocolate = perfection

To say we’re ‘peanut butter obsessed‘ in our house is putting it mildly.

Between smoothies, baked goods, spreads and spoonfuls straight from the jar, we go through Costco-sized tubs of the stuff like there’s no tomorrow.

Another one bites the dust

Yup, another one bites the dust

So when I ran across this recipe from Jen of Peanut Butter Runner, I knew it’d be an instant hit.

Try to restrain yourself from eating straight out of the bowl

Not only does it have a fairly simple ingredient list, but these bars have a perfect balance of crispy outside and chewy inside that just hits the spot.

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The only problem is that they seem to disappear the moment you set them out on the counter…

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars 

(Recipe source: Peanut Butter Runner)

Ingredients:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I used coarse Kosher salt and upped the amount to ~3/4 tsp)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease an 8 x 8 pan. (I used a round cake pan for thicker bars)
  2. Mix together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
  3. Using mixer, cream butter and peanut butter together on medium speed until smooth.
  4. Beat in the sugars until mixture is lightened in color and fluffy.
  5. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
  6. Reduce mixer to low speed and slowly add in the flour mixture. Add the chocolate chips, stirring until combined.
  7. Spread batter into pan, and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until done. (Center sets and edges begin to brown)
  8. Cool completely before cutting.

(Note that recipe can easily be doubled for a 13×9, but be sure to increase baking time.)

Three-ingredient chocolate peanut butter bars

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Ok, so these aren’t necessarily the healthiest treats. But they’re easy. And delicious. Plus, let’s face it, sometimes you just need a little peanut butter pick-me-up.

Fair warning, though – don’t expect them to linger on the counter very long…they’re addictive!

Three-Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients: 

  • 2 bags semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 cups peanut butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions: 

  1. Melt first bag of chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth (increments of 15-20 seconds work best)
  2. Spread melted chocolate on the bottom of a liberally-greased 9×9 glass pan; let harden
  3. Mix peanut butter and powdered sugar (you may have to tweak the ratio, depending on brand, for desired consistency); spread on top of chocolate
  4. Melt second bag of chocolate chips in microwave; spread on top of peanut butter layer and let harden before cutting