Banana Walnut Bars

This is a fast and healthy recipe that yields a soft, bread-like bar cookie. I made this in a loaf pan, but next time I plan to use an 8x8 pan for a thinner bar.

I always use real banana in my banana flavored treats, but sometimes I don't want the texture to be altered by it. Have you tried banana extract or flavoring? If so, what did you think of the result?

Ingredients

1 cup wheat flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

3 Tbsp margarine

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg white

1 mashed banana

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/8 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda is a small bowl. Set aside.

Cream together the margarine and brown sugar. Add egg and mix. Stir in the mashed banana. Mix in walnuts and mini chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into a loaf pan or 8x8 baking pan.

Bake for 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the pan.

Yields 12 bars.

Trail Mix Cookies

These easy-to-make cookies were a hit at the birthday party I took them to. They loved the chewy texture mixed with the crunch of nuts and flavor of dried fruit and chocolate pieces. I like how flexible I can be with the mix-ins. I just poured in a store bought, pre-made trail mix with almonds, peanuts, raisins, oats, and M&Ms, but you can use any trail mix ingredients you like.

I did have a bit of a disaster making these, though. I have decided I am finished using dark pans for baking! No matter what I do (change oven temperature, move oven racks, decrease baking time), I end up with burned cookie bottoms. Do you have any tips for baking with dark pans? I love my giant baking sheet and want to be able to use it...

Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2  cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup trail mix

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat sugars, peanut butter, butter, shortening, vanilla and eggs until creamy. Stir in flour, oats, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in trail mix.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.
Bake 10 minutes or until light brown.
Yields 2 dozen.

Paradise Perks

Paradise Perks is a great new coffee house in Irvine (15475 Jeffrey Road, corner of Jeffrey and Irvine Center Drive). Like any respectable coffe shop, they have tasty pastries to go along with their coffee beverages, so of course I am required to try them!

I sampled the chocolate chunk cookie and the peanut butter cookie. Both were very large for the $1.50 price tag. Both were also delicious! Soft and chewy, the chocolate chunk cookie was filled with TONS of chocolate chips and chunks. The peanut butter cookie was very chewy and did not have that chalky taste that peanut butter cookies sometimes have. I wish I could get my peanut butter cookies to be so chewy! The full-size Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in the middle was an added bonus. I have only made cookies with fun-size, mini peanut butter cups, but the thinner regular size peanut butter cup melted into the cookie better. I will be sure to try this in my future peanut butter cookies!

I like my cookies with milk, but Paradise Perks (visit www.paradiseperks.com for more details) has a number of beverages available to go with your cookies. What do you like to drink with your cookies?

M&M Walnut Drops

A while back I made some M&M cookies and wanted to try a new version with the fall M&Ms. I found this recipe in a free M&Ms recipe booklet I got about seven or eight years ago. Cookies never go out of style!

Overall, I like the first M&M cookies I made better due to the chewier texture and chocolate punches from the M&Ms. If you are looking for a more brownie-like and chocolaty version with the added flavor and crunch of walnuts, this is definitely the cookie for you! I will say, I was craving these the next day.

Halloween is just about here! Are you dressing up? I just have a Halloween T-shirt and socks. Maybe I'll wear a cape, too...


Ingredients
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup M&Ms
1 cup chopped walnuts


Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. 
In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. 
In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. 
Stir in M&Ms and nuts. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. 
Bake 15 minutes.
Yields 18 cookies.

Candy Corn Rice Krispies Treats

I know what you are thinking... Candy corn mixed in with Rice Krispies treats? Sugar overload, right? Wrong!

This is a delicious treat perfect use for all of the candy corn available at this time of year. Oddly, I find candy corn too sugary to eat on its own, but mixed in with the cereal treats, it is a great way to enjoy this seasonal candy icon. Fearing I had become immune to sugar, I brought these for some skeptical coworkers to try. They were pleasantly surprised as well and have requested another batch!

A few months ago, I made another twist on Rice Krispies treats. Do you have any favorite variations?


Ingredients
3 Tbsp margarine

4 cups miniature marshmallows

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

1 1/2 cups candy corn

Instructions

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. 
Add cereal and stir. Add candy corn and stir.
Press mixture into a 13x9 inch pan.

Allow to cool before cutting into squares.
Yields 30 squares. 

Chocolate Rolo Cookies

As promised, here is a homemade version of the Nestle Toll House Filled cookies. Plus the candy theme continues! This has a brownie-like flavor and texture and will make a great base for future chocolate cookie recipes. I made some cookies larger than others, and the smaller ones turned out much better (more flavor, better Rolo to cookie ratio).

Have you tried any filled cookies?

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

24 rolos (2 rolls)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Add egg and mix. Gradually add in cocoa powder, flour, and baking soda.

Take one Rolo and press the dough around it to make a small ball. 

Bake for 12 minutes.

Yields 24 cookies.

Oatmeal Raisinette Cookies

This is a delightful twist on a classic, and I will certainly be making these throughout the year, not just at Halloween when there is a ton of candy around. These cookies are not overly sweet, and they have a chewy texture. As you know, I'm not in love with raisins, so having chocolate covered raisin is just the right mix of chocolate and raisins in this cookie.

What's your favorite twist on a classic?

Ingredients

1/4 cup margarine

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 egg whites

2 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup raisinettes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg whites and mix. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. When it is fully incorporated, mix in the rolled oats and raisinettes. Drop by rounded tablespoon-fulls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. 

Makes 18 cookies.