No-Bake Energy Bites

Forever searching for snack ideas for the fam, I stumbled across this recipe and was instantly attracted.  Simple ingredients, no prepackaging mystery ingredients, easy, and did I say easy?

This recipe is from Smashed Peas and Carrots blog.

No-Bake Energy Bites

(makes 18-20 bites)

1 cup oatmeal (I used old fashioned oats)

1/2 cup peanut butter or other nut butter

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes (I used unsweetened shredded coconut and the bites were still perfectly sweet)

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Be sure to check out other recipes by Maggie on her blog and thank her for sharing this recipe if you enjoy them as much as we do. : )

Molasses Cookies

I've had my mind set on baking molasses cookies for Christmas for some time.  I combed many recipes and found Kate's blog, Cooking During Stolen Moments, and knew it was the one to try.  I was not disappointed.  It yielded about 24 cookies, give or take, by rolling the dough into walnut size balls.  If you are interested in an easy no-fuss cookie recipe, this is just the thing.  The spices give a wonderful holiday flavor, the ingredients are things most likely already in your cupboard and, if not, inexpensive to buy at any common grocery market, and they're simple to make!

Here's what you'll need:

• 3/4 c. butter or margarine
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 c. blackstrap molasses (or 1/2 c. plain molasses)
• 2 1/2 c. flour (You can use any combination white/whole wheat flour)
• 2 t. baking soda
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 1/2 t. ginger
• For rolling dough – 1/2 c. white sugar

Directions:

1. Cream the butter or margarine and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat for an additional minute.

2. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Sift or stir with a fork or whisk for 30 seconds.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours, until firm.

4. Roll heaping tablespoons of dough into a ball, then roll through white sugar. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

recipe by Kate Miller; please go by her blog and check out her fine recipes. : )

Happy Holidays,

The Kitchen Witch

sharing @  by Designs by Gollum.

Fresh Fig Cookies

So our Fig tree has been producing dozens of little Figs and, for the life of me, I didn't know what to do with them...not enough for preserves, too many for a salad.  So, I decided to bake.  I'm really glad I stumbled upon this recipe.  These cookies are really good.

• Ingredients:
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup chopped fresh figs
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Cream sugar and shortening and add beaten egg.
3. Sift dry ingredients and blend with creamed mixture. Fold in figs and nuts.
4. Drop by spoonfuls on greased sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Nutritional Information 

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 155 | Total Fat: 6.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg

**Recipe found on allrecipes.com.

Cocoa Cinnamon Boots

I'd like to share a recipe that my mom and I made when I was a little girl.  Every few years, I like to break out this Christmas cookie recipe...it brings back good memories of baking with my mom.

Here 'tis:     (see how festive it sounds when I say 'tis, I up my usage of that word for the holidays)

Cocoa Cinnamon Boots

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1 egg yolk, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a cookie sheet.
In a mixing bowl add: flour, sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon. Cut in butter and margarine until dry ingredients form into pea size pieces. Stir in yolk until well blended.
Shape dough into a ball. Wrap in saran and chill for 30+ minutes.
Roll 1/3 of the dough at a time on a lightly floured surface. Keep remaining dough chilled until ready for use.
Bake at 350 degrees on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes.

I've been working on a collective book of recipes by family and some not so that I may have all my favs in one place. In the process of collecting, I came across a lemon cookie recipe (I've been on the hunt for one for awhile now). "Try before for you buy", I thought, before adding it to my tastebook collection so that's exactly what I did today. I've whipped up a batch of lemon cookies by following a recipe out of my mother's Vintage Vicksburg cookbook. I tweaked it some. I have to say that, although I had my doubts (adding 2 tsp of lemon extract had the batter smelling more like something I'd shine furniture with), these are the lightest, dreamiest lemon cookies that I've ever had. Adding lemon zest and rolling them in powdered sugar before baking gave them that little something extra that I was looking for. I'm going to freeze the dough so that I may bake these up for bunco next month.