Guilt-Free Cookie Dough Balls

Six ingredients. No baking. Wholesome blend of protein, fiber, and healthy fats.  And they seriously taste like a scoop of cookie dough. No joke. My kids even requested them in their lunches!

Here's what you'll need: 

Guilt Free Cookie Dough Balls

Makes about 24

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Coconut Butter (not oil)

3/4 cup Almond/ Peanut Butter (I have made them both ways successfully)

1/3 cup Maple Syrup

1/2 cup Vanilla or Cookies and Cream Protein Mix

1 cup Rolled Oats

1/4- 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips/ Cocoa Nibs

Directions:

In a food processor, combine all ingredients except chocolate chips/ cocoa nibs. Process until well mixed. Stir in or just barely process in chips/nibs. Form 1 inch balls and store in refrigerator. 

SO easy, right? 

Buttermilk Syrup with Coconut Oil

Buttermilk syrup is the unsurpassed champion of all breakfast toppings. This sounds like an opinion, but it is, in fact, FACT.  And it is most definitely NOT on my no-refined-sugar diet I am doing Monday through Saturday.  Sunday, however....

I decided waffles were in order Sunday morning, and I realized we were out of maple syrup. Then, I had the idea of making some buttermilk syrup. Since we are trying to eat healthier, I decided to try making the syrup a bit better for us--definitely not into a diet food--but with more redeeming value.

Most recipes for buttermilk syrup call for butter, sugar, buttermilk, baking soda and vanilla (some call for corn syrup as well).  I used a combination of coconut oil and butter; and I used less sugar and more buttermilk than many recipes you may have seen.

As a side note: I have bought this and other brands, and Kirkland Organic Coconut Oil (found at Costco or online) is my favorite. It is unrefined, so the coconut scent is evident, but only very slightly. It is hard at room temperature, but not so hard I have to chisel it out of the jar.  It leaves a fresh feeling in your mouth if you taste it by itself--unlike the icky coating that lower-quality oils seem to leave. 

The recipe I came up with was a HUGE winner! It has the decadent flavor that you expect from a buttermilk syrup, but not the burn-your-throat caramel-like richness of traditional buttermilk syrup that can quickly take over all other flavors. This syrup complimented the waffle taste, instead of covering it. It will be my new go-to homemade syrup! I can't wait to serve it again!

Buttermilk Syrup with Coconut Oil

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons coconut oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1/8 tsp salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. In a medium-large sauce pan, melt butter, coconut oil, and sugar over medium-low heat. Stir in buttermilk and salt. Turn up heat to medium and bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat.

2. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Mixture will begin to foam. Stir well. 

3. Serve hot or warm over pancakes, waffles, or french toast. Mixture is thin, but thickens when it cools. Store in a covered mason jar in the refrigerator. Re-heat for future use. 

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Blueberry Brunch Cake

Fresh blueberries, sweet cream butter, and rich Greek yogurt make this a coffee cake that works for breakfast, brunch, or as a midnight treat.  Every part of this cake is delicious--the crust, the baked batter, the berries, and the ribbons of brown sugar and cinnamon!  

If you need a fail-safe dessert, a celebratory treat to share, or something to make for a friend who deserves more sweetness in his/her life, this is it!  My husband and kids are in love with it, and I ate mine slowly to savor each bite. 

Blueberry Brunch Cake

Makes 2 large loaves

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour (whole wheat works)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup plain Greek yogurt (full-fat preferred)

1 3/4 cups fresh blueberries (frozen work)

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 large loaf pans with cooking spray.

2. In a medium/large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. 

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and soda, Alternate adding flour mixture and Greek yogurt to creamed mixture.  Fold in blueberries. 

4. In a small bowl, stir brown sugar and cinnamon well. 

5. Spread 1/2 blueberry batter in prepared pans. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mixture over the wet batter. Top with remaining blueberry batter, and finish with a sprinkling of the remaining brown sugar mix. 

6. Place in center of hot oven and bake 38-42 minutes. Let cool in pans. Use a knife to loosen edges before removing.  Serve warm or cooled. 

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Lemon Chess Squares

Chess Squares. Have you ever heard of them? They are a sinfully delicious bar based on the Southern-originating Chess Pie. My mom always makes them at Christmastime, and I have carried on the tradition with my family.

This year, however, I changed them up a bit. Not because they needed changing. They are completely wonderful without any change. But when all my family were putting in their requests for Christmas treats, my husband requested lemon bars. I don't care for lemon bars. I don't hate them, but they are typically too sweet and gelatinous (using that word will turn anyone off of them, huh?) for my taste. So I asked if a lemon cookie would suffice. He said "Sure, just something sweet and lemony."

Well, it was Christmas Eve and I had two goodies on our grand list of Christmas treats that I still needed to make: Chess Squares and Lemon Cookies. I was sick of being in the kitchen, so I decided to give the Chess Squares a lemon makeover. 

The result became a new family favorite instantly! These have plenty of lemon flavor, without the overwhelming sweetness of a traditional lemon bar. I have one son who despises cheesecake and can usually taste the smallest bit of cream cheese in anything I make, but even he loved these. I really think anyone who likes lemon will LOVE these bars. And they are extremely quick and easy to make!

Lemon Chess Squares

Makes 24 bars

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)

1 stick butter, melted

4 eggs (divided)

3 1/2 teaspoons pure lemon extract (divided)

1 brick (8oz) cream cheese

2 1/3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°.

2. Mix cake mix, melted butter, one egg and 2 teaspoons lemon extract until it holds together well. Press in a greased 9x13 baking dish. This is crust.

3. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add remaining 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.  Beat in 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract. Pour mixture over crust.
4. Bake in top-half of oven 40 minutes, or until set and light brown on edges. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

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Caramel Chocolate Bacon Maple Bars

I had to make a late-night run to the grocery store on Saturday night. We were out of milk, and my family doesn't think they can survive a Sunday morning without milk. I don't know what got into me, but when I saw Rolos, a maple cookie mix, and remembered the bacon I had bought earlier in the week at home, I decided to make this treat.

I made my first batch into cookies. They turned out very, very good, and I photographed them to put here on the blog. We gave a bunch of them away to friends, so I told my poor, neglected family I'd make another batch. I was sick of being in the kitchen by this time, so I made this batch into bars. The bars were INCREDIBLE. A superior creature. The way this recipe was meant to be baked.

See that pocket of caramel there on the upper right side of the bar. Mmmm... The caramel in Rolos doesn't get too runny, but it is spreadable when heated. And it sets up well as it cools. Perfect.

Bacon looks more and more normal on there the longer you look. :)

Caramel Chocolate Bacon Maple Bars

Makes one 9x13 inch pan

Ingredients:

1.5 sticks butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons maple extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

30 Rolos, unwrapped and cut in half

6 pieces of bacon, cooked and torn/cut into small pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Prepare a 9"x13" baking dish with cooking spray or parchment paper. 

2. Beat butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. I used my KitchenAid with the paddle attachment. Add the egg and extracts and beat well.

3. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl, then add to the wet mixture. Stir well. 

4. Press evenly into prepared dish (it will be thick). Be sure to press it all the way to the corners. *Cold water on your fingers will help keep the dough from sticking to your hands as you spread it in the dish.

5. Place in center of oven and bake 15 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven, place halved Rolos all over the top of the bars, and return to oven for 2 minutes.

7. Spread the melted Rolos over the bars. Sprinkle evenly with bacon, pressing pieces gently into the melted chocolate/caramel. 

8. Cool and cut into bars. 

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Peanut Butter Cup Mini Tarts

A.K.A. "Michele's Amazing Camp Cookies Spectacular!"  

I really like this name better, but it doesn't bode well for this coming up on any search engines, hence the more boring title.  These were introduced to me by my good friend Michele. She brought them to share at the girls' camp where we were both leaders to 30 young women a couple of weeks ago. Everything tastes better when you are camping, but I knew these were actually tasty, and it wasn't just the lack of sleep and too much bug-spray talking. So we decided while at camp that they needed to be blogged in the near future.

And let me just tell you, I might have enjoyed these even more while NOT camping. Why? I could sit on a soft seat and have a glass of milk with them. No bugs tried to land on them in my home. And I got to smell them baking. 

So, on to how to make them. 

Start with a good soft peanut butter cookie recipe. I used this one from Sally's Baking Addiction. I doubled it and made a couple of small changes. My slightly altered version is in the recipe below. 

Preheat the oven to 350 °.  Mix up your peanut butter cookie dough. Using a mini-tart pan and a small cookie scoop, scoop 1 tablespoon scoops into each tart cup.  Bake 7 minutes.  

*This is a good time to unwrap all your peanut butter cup candies if you haven't yet. 

Remove the pan from the oven and press a candy into the center of each tart (cookies won't be done yet). Press until the top of the candy is close to level with the dough. Return to the oven for 2 more minutes. 

Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove and cool more on a cooling rack.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Mini Tarts

(aka: Michele's Amazing Camp Cookies Spectacular!)

Makes 32

1 cup softened butter

1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1  and 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour

32 miniature peanut butter cup candies, unwrapped

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Prepare a mini-muffin / mini-tart pan with cooking spray (unless it's non-stick). 

2.  Mix butter, brown sugar, sugar, and eggs in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer (paddle attachment).  Add the peanut butter and mix well.  

3. Add the vanilla and the baking soda. Mix well. Slowly add the flours. Mix only until incorporated. 

4. Fill each muffin cup with 1 tablespoon of cookie dough. 

5. Bake 7 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and press a candy into the center of each tart. 

6. Return to the oven to bake for 2 more minutes.

7. Cool at least 5 minutes in the pan before removing. Cool further on counter top or wire rack. 

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Saturday Dishes

Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

Aren't these fun?!  My mom gave me a cookbook ("Prize Winning Recipes from Current Customers") years ago that had a recipe similar to this one .  I adapted the recipe (called "Bowl of Berries") to create these Strawberry Shortbread Cookies. 

I could hardly keep my daughter's little hands away the entire time I was making these. She is usually my little helper, but today she just wanted to taste the entire time. (Except the green stems--she had no interest in those.) 

These are truly a shortbread--no eggs or leavening (baking powder/soda)--but with a strawberry twist. They melt in your mouth. And they are a joy to present because they look so darn cute.

AND...they are easy to make. Here's how:

Soak slivered white nuts (almonds, peanuts, or even pecans if you want to sliver them), in 1/3 cup water with 4 drops of green food coloring in it. I soaked mine while I was a church so 3+ hours, but I think 1 hour will be plenty of time. 

Drain the green nuts and let them dry on some paper towels.

Make the shortbread dough. Refrigerate it 30 minutes. Then divide it into 32-36 portions (mine made 32, but I had little friends tasting the dough a bit along the way. I may have tasted some too...after all, no eggs!). Roll the portions into balls, then taper one end to make a strawberry-ish shape. As you can see, perfection with the shape is optional. 

Now prepare two bowls of sugar sprinkles for rolling--one red and one green. Roll the dough into the red to coat all but the top. Dip the top in the green. Stick a green nut sliver into the middle of the green top.

Here they are all ready to go into the oven. They should be 1 inch apart from each other on the baking pan. I used a new silicone baking mat I ordered a while back from Pick Your Plum. It is pretty awesome, and I don't get paid for saying that. These cookies cooked beautifully, evenly, and didn't stick at all (no cooking spray required)--which is amazing since they were coated in sugar. 

Bake at 375° for 12-14 minutes.  They do grow a little (despite no eggs or leavening). A couple of mine ran into each other, but didn't stick together at all when I removed them from the pan (phew!).

A fun, delicious summer shortbread cookie that is a sure hit! Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

Stems:

1/3 cup slivered nuts (almonds, peanuts, or other white nut)

1/3 cup water

4 drops green food coloring

Cookies:

1 cup salted sweet cream butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 of a 3oz package of strawberry Jello

3/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

Red sugar sprinkles 

Green sugar sprinkles

Directions

1. Place nuts into water in a small glass bowl. Add food coloring. Let sit 1 hour, or until nuts are tinted green.

2. Beat butter, powdered sugar, Jello, and vanilla in a bowl until creamy. Slowly beat in flour until evenly mixed.  Chill dough 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 375°.  Divide dough into 32-36 pieces. Roll pieces into balls, then taper one end to form a strawberry-like shape.

4. Put red sprinkles in one small bowl and green in another. Roll the dough in the red sprinkles around the sides and bottom, then dip in the green on the top. Stick one green nut sliver into the center of each green top.

5. Place on a non-stick or parchment lined baking sheet 1 inch apart. Bake 12-14 minutes.

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"New Fashioned" Oatmeal Pie

Oatmeal Pie. If you've never had it, you are missing out. It is NOT like eating a bowl of hot breakfast with a crust around it, so don't even go there.

It is a closer relative to the best pecan pie you've ever had. NOT the kind that is 80% sugary gel sandwiched between a crust and some nuts.  Think about the ideal  pecan pie, where everything is perfectly melded together in each bite. Sweet, but not so sweet that your throat burns and you feel a diet coming on.

An ideal Oatmeal Pie is like the perfect oatmeal cookie and the perfect macaroon were in a tornado and they ended up combined in a way only fate could orchestrate;  and they are resting together after the storm in a flaky crust made of their close relatives, butter and coconut oil.

This is a "New-Fashioned" Oatmeal Pie because I based my recipe on one from a cookbook that belonged to my grandmother, but I changed it to make it more conducive to today's health knowledge. (i.e.: ALOT less sugar, more oats and coconut).

We had it last night for our family night treat, but since I was out of natural light by that time, I had to vigilantly guard the last piece so I could get a decent photograph this morning to show.  My boys wanted it for breakfast, for lunch, for snack, etc.  I think I may need to whip up another.

Here it is fresh out of the oven. The house smelled heavenly.

"New Fashioned" Oatmeal Pie

Ingredients:
1 unbaked pie crust (I used Yesterfood's Coconut Oil Pie Crust #1)
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat together eggs, sugars, and butter.  Add oats, coconut and vanilla and mix well. Pour into pie crust.

Bake 30-35 minutes, until no longer liquid in the middle.

Allow to cool at least 1/2 hour before serving. Delicious warm or cold or in-between.

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Saturday Dishes