Shannon's Kitchen Creations

There is nothing like warm apple pie….that is until I made these cookies!!! Is it bad that I ate 3 warm from the oven with a glass of milk? These are my new spin on the banana bread cookies that I made before. I made the recipe healthier by substituting oats for flour, applesauce for some of the butter and maple syrup instead of all sugar. The chunks of apple, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg give this cookie the same satisfying taste of warm, apple pie. It’s like the filling and crust are all in one! They are only 2 points + each and they are a good size! Crumble up a warm cookie in a bowl and top with vanilla ice cream!! Now that is a little bit of heaven!!!

Yummy!!

Apple Pie Cookies
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We have all made peanut butter cookies a million times, but what about substituting almond butter. I have recently discovered almond butter and it is wonderful. My daughter hates peanut butter (she is strange), so I figured almond butter and jelly sandwiches would work for her. (She will actually eat these) I love to put a tablespoon on the half of an apple. It is much better for you than peanut butter and if you have a child with a peanut allergy, these are the perfect alternative. Try them out! Enjoy!

I am in the works for a giveaway with Barney Butter, an almond butter company, for single serving size tubes, more info to come!

Image by Foodthatpeoplewant.com

Chocolate Chip Almond Butter Cookies

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I have done it! I have created the best cookie ever!!! The other day I was browsing the internet looking for baked donut recipes (yes, I am making those soon!) and I came across a Nutella Thumbprint Cookie recipe on Emilybites. It sounded wonderful and weight watcher friendly, but since I am trying to incorporate Greek Yogurt into my recipes this week, I figured why not substitute ½ the butter with yogurt. The result is AMAZING!!!! I am a huge nutella fan. If you have never tried it I would HIGHLY recommend it. It is a creamy, chocolatey, hazelnutty wonderfulness……. These cookie are to die for and healthy to boot! Try them and you will swear you are not eating anything remotely healthy!

Dreamy  Nutella Cookies

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This week I am dedicating all of my recipes to Greek Yogurt. Not only do I love to eat Greek Yogurt, but I use it to cook with as well. It is a great substitute for sour cream and you can also use it as a substitute for fat in recipes. Many of the recipes I have featured on my site have Greek yogurt in them, tzatziki sauce, Key Lime Muffins, Lemon Yogurt Muffins and Banana, Carrot, Zucchini Muffins . This week I decided I would not only try baked goods, but some main courses as well.  I was so excited to try out some of the new amazing yogurts that Chobani sent me to try and as you know I love cookies! These cookies are so soft and flavorful, you will never miss the full fat version! The yogurt allows them to keep their shape, so they do not flatten out when you bake them.   I also love the fact that they are egg free, which means you can eat the dough raw and not worry about it !!!

Next on the agenda this week :

Chicken Enchiladas

Banana Honey Muffins

“Fried” Chicken

Chocolate Chip Yogurt Cookies (2 points +)

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Today was a yucky day! The weather is dreary, my husband is cutting wood at a friends (So I am alone with 3 kids Yippeee!) and I am sore from the 2 hour Zumba fundraiser I went to last night. ( So fun!!!) I went to the fundraiser with 2 of my friends and got to try out my new Zumba shoes!! They really helped with all the twisting and turning on the gym floor. I am a group fitness kinda gal and working out with 50 other women of all shapes and sizes, made me feel great. My post baby body didn’t look so bad. So onto entertaining the kiddies…..our old fall back… cookies. I am telling you, this is why people in the north east gain so much weight in the winter, we just eat and then cover up our fat with big sweaters and puffy coats. Hence weight watchers!!!  I love classic chocolate chip cookies, but wanted to try something different. I bought some almond extract, so I can make the low fat banana muffins that I read about on Green Lite Bites website and I wanted to figure out another recipe to use it in as well. I decided to try out a new combo, white chocolate and almond. They turned out really well and the small amount of butter and oats used to substitute some of the flour, help keep them low points! Yummmmmm…..

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Ahhhhh Cookies!!!!  I live in a cold, snowy place during the winter months, so finding things to do with my kids in the house can get pretty boring. Therefore we bake.  I love making desserts, mainly cookies and my quest for healthier cookies that taste good is never ending.  My kids love to help out and it is a fun way to do something with them that produces a fabulous result. I found a recipe similar to this on the internet, but it had coconut in it. I decided to switch it out and instead integrate some dried berries. I usually have a couple different dried fruits that I use to add into quick breads and to toss on hot cereal, so I decided on some  tart dried cherries. The cookies turned out great and are only 2 points + each. They are chewy, have a faint banana flavor and not dry at all. My kids gobbled them up. Try them out and let me know what you think!

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Fruity Oatmeal Chocolate Bars

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats (not instant)
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup  softened butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1/2 cup dried Cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped mixed dried fruit (apples, apricots, plums)
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup white chocolate chipsDIRECTIONS:

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well.

3. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture mix well.

4. Chop dried fruit (not cranberries) then toss in a small amount flour until not sticking together.

5. Stir in dried cranberries, mixed fruit, oatmeal and 2 types of chocolate into mixture.

6. Press into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan.  Bake for 20- 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Then cut into squares or rectangles (to make granola bars). Wrap each one in saran wrap. You can freeze these in a big freezer bag and then pull out one for a snack or for lunch boxes.

Salty Cuatro Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ok my significant other is not a huge fan of peanut butter, and that includes peanut butter chips….So I needed to make another batch using the remaining numerous types of chocolate chips lying around. This is similar to the other as I use the stock Ghirardelli Recipe and then put my own salty & sweet spin on it. Warning these are exceptionally bad for you, and you will regret making them, as you will overindulge.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

• 11 1/2 ounce(s) Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 Bag Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 bag  60% Cacao Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 bag White Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup(s) + (2)tablespoons SALTED butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup(s) sugar
• 3/4 cup(s) brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 3 teaspoon(s) vanilla
• 2 1/4 cup(s) unsifted flour
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1.5-2 teaspoon(s) salt depending on preference (I do 2 but some people find this to be to much)

Directions
Heat oven to 375ºF.

Stir flour with baking soda and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy and lightened in color. Add eggs and vanilla, one at a time. Mix on low speed until incorporated. Gradually blend dry mixture into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

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“Cookie, Cookie, Cookie, Cookie”

Ghirardelli Ultimate Double Chocolate Cookies REMIXED

I love Ghirardelli’s recipes. They are all home-runs in my book. But with a few tweaks they can become grand slams! (at least to my taste buds) I started with the basic recipe from Ghiradelli’s website and then modified it where I found it appropriate. FYI I like it a bit saltier and a bit sweeter!

Yield: 24 cookies

• 6 ounce(s) Ghirardelli’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 10 ounce(s) Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips
• 6 ounce(s) Ghirardelli’s Milk Chocolate Chips
• 11 1/2 ounce(s) Ghirardelli’s 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 6 tablespoon(s) salted butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup(s) sugar
• 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder

Directions
In double boiler over hot water, melt bittersweet chocolate chips and butter. In large bowl with electric mixer or whisk, beat eggs and sugar until thick; stir into chocolate mixture. In small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder; stir into chocolate mixture. Gently mix in semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate, and peanut butter chips. Using a sheet of plastic wrap, form dough into two logs, each 2 inches in diameter and about 12 inches long. As dough will be quite soft, use plastic wrap to hold dough in log shape. Wrap tightly; refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. Heat oven to 375°F. Unwrap dough; with sharp knife, cut into 3/4-inch slices. Place slices 1 1/2 inches apart on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until shiny crust forms on top but interior is still soft. Cool on baking sheet; store in airtight tin up to 1 week.

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“Cookie, Cookie, Cookie, Cookie”

Santa Sprinkle cookies are all ready for tomorrow’s polar express train ride. The kids had fun making them with me and of course licking the bowl!  These cookies are light and fluffy and do not require you to refrigerate the dough before baking. They puff up in the middle to give a wonderful texture and they look pretty too! The sprinkles create an icing on top when they melt. You can be creative with the sprinkle colors depending on the holiday or time of year. The kids love to help me roll them in the different colors.

Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1⁄2 cups  all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup multicolor sprinkles

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.

3. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

4. Stir in the flour mixture into butter mixture until just combined.

5. Place the sprinkles in a small bowl. Scoop up a large tablespoon of dough and roll it between your palms to form a ball. Roll the top half of each ball in the sprinkles.

6. Place the balls, sprinkle side up on baking sheet sprayed with pam. Bake the cookies until they are pale golden around the edges but still soft on top, about 11 minutes. Let them stand on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then remove them with a metal spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies may be placed next to each other on parchment-lined baking sheets, frozen, transferred to zipper-lock plastic freezer bags, and stored in the freezer for up to 1 month. Frozen cookies may be placed in the oven directly from the freezer and baked as directed for 12 minutes.