Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies with Maple Glaze

The maple syrup used in Monday's recipe got me excited to use it again (granted, I made both in one day-- so ingredients on hand were key!).  These cookies were so moist and tasty-  I could have eaten the whole batch.  Good thing I was sending most away!!

Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies with Maple Glaze

adapted from Baked by Rachel

Ingredients
4 tbsp butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tbsp water
2 tbsp maple syrup

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl or stand mixer (I used my BRAND NEW Kitchen Aid mixer), cream butter and sugars.

Add egg and applesauce, mix until blended well. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour and oats. Mix well. Stir in white chocolate chips and cranberries.

Prepare baking sheet (mine are air bake, so I didn't have to do anything to prep) Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop and space dough mounds a few inches apart.

Bake 14-15 minutes or until golden around the edge. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely and put wax paper underneath wire cooling racks.

In a small bowl whisk powdered sugar, water and maple syrup together until smooth and creamy. Place a wire rack over parchment paper. With cookies on wire rack, drizzle glaze over cookies.

You can eat immediately, store for a few days, or freeze.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Strawberry Baked Oatmeal Cups

When I told Austin I was making Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Strawberry Baked Oatmeal Cups, he asked if I wanted to throw some more ingredients in the title.  Yeah, I guess the title is a mouthful, but what do you leave out?  Each piece is important to the recipe, and I think it all goes well together!!  I adapted the recipe from Happy Healthy Mama, and it's a great combination of breakfast and dessert!

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and 

Strawberry Baked Oatmeal Cups

Ingredients

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup skim milk

1 egg

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup strawberries, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup peanut butter chips 

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease muffin tin or use muffin liners.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.  Add the milk, egg, and maple syrup.  Stir well.  Add in the strawberries and peanut butter chips.

Divide the mixture evenly among muffin cups.  Bake 20-25 minutes.  

Great to eat right away, or you can freeze and eat later!

Care Packages

This week is devoted to baked goods and care packages!!  I participated in My Love for Cooking's online bakesale, and my sister-in-law (a freshman in college) indicated that she wanted me to send her some goodies after she saw the peanut butter nutella cookies.  So I had a lot of baking to do!!

Here's what I made:
-Strawberry shortcake cookies
-Strawberry banana muffins

I love this picture and my new, amazing camera :)

-Chocolate, peanut butter, and strawberry baked oatmeal cups (I know, crazy long name!)
-Applesauce oatmeal cookies with maple glaze

The last two recipes I haven't made before on the blog, so they will appear this week.

While I made packages for the bakesale and my sister-in-law, I also decided to send my sister a package in California (she is also a college freshman).  I, of course, waited to bake until mid afternoon, so I was waiting on cookies in the oven well into the evening.  But it was worth it, especially when I get I get tagged on facebook with this picture:

Here's a line-up of the pictures of my packing-- I loved sending out the care packages.  Only problem- I was left with way too many cookies and muffins that I had to eat :)

The boxes ready to get packed

My awesome cards for the sisters!

Package for one sister

Package for another :)

Apple BBQ Chicken

Crock pot season is here- hurray!  I printed out this recipe in July and have been holding onto it for the right moment.  Last weekend was that time-- nothing is better than smelling dinner cooking in the crockpot all day.  Don't you agree?

Apple BBQ chicken is a great combo between local fruits and your favorite BBQ sauce.  It can even be Weight Watcher's friendly, thank to Hungry Girl.

Apple BBQ Chicken

Ingredients
1 lb raw boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 cups chopped apples, I did a variety of apples in my fridge, red and green alike
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (we used Sweet Baby Ray's)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp cornstarch

Directions
Season chicken with 1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper and place in a crock pot. Top with apples and onion.  Mix garlic and BBQ sauce in a bowl (I mixed it in my mini food processor).  Pour sauce mixture over contents of the crock pot, and lightly stir.

Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.  Turn crock pot to low (if needed). In a small bowl, stir to dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbsp cold water. Stir mixture into the contents of the crock pot, along with remaining salt and pepper.  Let food sit until it's thickened-- about 10 minutes.

It makes great leftovers too!

Serves 6, 6 WW Points per serving

Zebra Bundt Cake

Happy Birthday to Me :)  For my birthday, I sent the hubby a list of cake and cupcake recipes that I wanted, and it was up to him to select the one he wanted to pick.  My birthday cake list included some easy and hard recipes, and, of course, Austin picked the hardest one.  The zebra bundt cake from Tales of an Overtime Cook.

Words don't do this recipe justice.  Let's just take a look at the pictures!

The final product!!

At the beginning- yes, three bowls are required.

Starting to swirl

Ready for the oven.

Just out of the oven :)

So, only half the cake came out.  Guess someone forgot to grease and flour the pan :)

The half that came out!

And it doesn't even look like we had to piece it together!

Look at that zebra swirl :)

Zebra Bundt Cake

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup cocoa powder
6 Tbs water
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
5 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease AND flour a bundt pan well. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.  In another bowl, mix together 1/2 cup sugar, the cocoa powder and the water. Stir until a smooth paste forms. Set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, cream together the cooled melted butter and the remaining 2 cups sugar. Add vanilla and beat until combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then half of the milk, then repeat until all the milk and flour have been incorporated.  Measure out two heaping cups of the mixture and mix into the bowl with the chocolate mixture. Stir to combine.

To make the zebra look- use two medium cookie scoops:

Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the white batter into the bundt pan. Spoon an equal amount of the chocolate mixture directly in the middle of the white. Next, spoon some white into the center of the chocolate. Repeat until all of the batter has been used.


Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 Tbs oil
1-3 Tbs water

Instructions
Mix all ingredients for the glaze together to form a drizzling consistency. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.

Foodie Penpal Reveal

It's reveal day-- yay!!  My package came from Marie, an avid food blog reader.  Her package arrived to me at the PERFECT time. I have been unbelievably stressed recently, and I haven't had time to really eat properly.  Her package came, I opened it, and I took out a couple things for dinner and lunch the next day almost immediately.  

I forgot to take a picture of the package when it first arrived, but here it everything except the already cooked quinoa (excellent lunch!).

Here's a picture of the other goodies that I already ate :)  Notice the half empty cookie bag and empty cracker box... (at least I remembered to keep the box to take a picture)

I have never tried wasabi puffs, but I'm really excited.

Thanks Marie for this AMAZING Foodie Penpal box!

Meatloaf Parm Cups

One of my favorite fall foods is meatloaf.  It just screams back-to-school family dinner to me.  My biggest problem with meatloaf is that I have no portion control.  Enter:  the muffin tin.  It's a cute way to present your food but also really helps with portion control!

I adapted my recipe from Emily Bites-- her recipe was Chicken Parm Meatloaf, but I kept the flavor profile the same and used ground beef instead of chicken. Two meatloaf muffins was perfect for me; three for Austin.

Meatloaf Parmesan Cups

Ingredients
1 ½ lbs raw ground beef
2 large egg
6 Tbs dried breadcrumbs
1 tsp dried basil
¾ tsp dried thyme
¾ tsp oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 red onion, chopped
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
¾ cup pasta sauce
¾ cup reduced fat shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350.  Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.  In a bowl, combine ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, basil, thyme, oregano, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.  Mix together-- using your hands is the best way.
Form the meat mixture evenly into the 12 cups of your prepared muffin tin.  Use spoon to make little bowl in the meat mixture to cup the pasta sauce. Spread the pasta sauce evenly over the tops of each muffin. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from the oven. Top each muffin with about a Tbs of shredded cheese and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted.