Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

You know what time it is...it's Oatmeal Cookie time! This month (just under the wire!), my dad's oatmeal cookie of the month is a Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie.


These cookies are lighter than you might think, even though they're pretty large in size. Quick-1 Minute Oats make these less craggy and more evenly textured than oatmeal cookies made with regular rolled oats. A little chewy, slightly crispy on the edges...these are perfect with a glass of milk...or sandwiched around some ice cream.

I hesitate to tell you how many cookies this recipe makes because then my dad will know how many we ate before shipping them. ;) Ok...you'll get about 3 dozen cookies from one batch. (If you aren't tempted by cookie dough like I am, maybe more.)

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

{makes approximately 36 cookies}

1 cup salted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
2 cups creamy peanut butter (I used Simply Jif)
2 cups quick-cook oats
1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in the corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of bowl as needed. Mix in the peanut butter until well incorporated.

Stir in the oats and flours, making sure to distribute throughout the dough.


Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to dollop onto the prepared sheets. Bake for 17 minutes, or until done. Remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.



Here are the other oatmeal cookies so far in Dad's year of oatmeal cookies:

• January: Oatmeal Bourbon Raisin Cookies
• February: Crunchy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Peanut butter & oatmeal...why didn't I think of this earlier?  

Sweet on Trader Joe's: Greek Yogurt Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

This week, our "sweet" is breakfast...Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.


The kiddo and I are big fans of lemon-poppy seed anything, and who can resist a muffin for breakfast? Certainly not this girl.

These are sold in a package of 4 for $3.99. Our Trader Joe's has them over by the breads, rather than by the baked goods.


A mom's (my) take: At first glance, what I love about these muffins is that they look homemade. They're not perfectly the same size, and the muffin tops vary in color from deep golden to pale yellow. I've been to many a buffet breakfast where muffins were purchase at a warehouse store, and they look like they were made by a robot (and they taste that way). In contrast, you could totally take these muffins out of the package and pass them off as homemade...not that we would ever do something like that. Taste-wise? Spot on. The muffins are nice and lemony with just the right amount of crunch from the poppy seeds. They're substantial, but not dense, and moist without falling apart. Paired with some of TJ's fresh cut fruit, these make a super easy breakfast for busy mornings!
Overall rating: 5 of 5 stars

A teenager's (kiddo's) take: I absolutely love the texture of the dough: it's moist, but not overly so. The taste makes it very obvious very quickly that they are lemon flavored, but it doesn't leave a weird aftertaste, and, as a bonus, the poppy seeds from these muffins never seem to get stuck in my teeth! Maybe that's just me. :)
Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Trader Joe's Greek Yogurt Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins: A+ breakfast! 

Read all of our Trader Joe's sweet treats and dessert reviews!

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Real Sweet: Iced Muscovado Caramel-Nut Blondies

Oh, Sugar! You guys are going to love this recipe...and this book!

You might know Shauna Sever from her blog, or maybe from her first two books: Marshmallow Madness and Pure Vanilla.


Get ready to fall in love all over again with her latest book Real Sweet: More than 80 Crave-Worthy Treats Made with Natural Sugars. It's a keeper.

First, the book is written in Shauna's signature style...she's funny, down-to-earth, and relate-able. I really enjoy just reading every bit of her cookbooks, not just the recipes. Second, Shauna KNOWS HER STUFF. I have no doubt that every recipe in this book is a winner.


Real Sweet demystifies working with natural sugar. Whether it's coconut sugar, turbinado, honey, or muscocado sugar, the book walks you through exactly what you're dealing with and the best recipes for each type of sugar.


For my first recipe from the book, I chose the Iced Muscovado Caramel-Nut Blondies. Oh. My. Gosh. These guys are so good. Between the muscovado sugar, the brown butter, the toasted nuts, and the caramel icing...there is SO much flavor packed into these little squares. You hear the term "depth of flavor" on cooking shows a lot. Well, this has it.


The recipe actually calls for dark muscovado sugar, but I happened to have light on hand and used that. I can only imagine that the dark would add just another layer of flavor. I can't wait to make them again.


Iced Muscovado Caramel-Nut Blondies
{with permission from Real Sweet, makes 16 squares}

for the bars:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, spooned and leveled
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, browned* and slightly cooled
3/4 cup firmly packed dark muscovado sugar (I used light)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

for the icing:
1/2 cup firmly packed dark muscovado sugar (I used light)
3 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 TBSP milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup organic confectioner's sugar

*To brown butter: Place the butter in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. Melt the butter. Once the butter is completely melted, it will bubble and sizzle. Keep swirling the pan occasionally, and listen and watch carefully–when the foam begins to subside and the sizzling suddenly, the butter will quickly turn brown and smell nutty, about 5 minutes total. Pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool.

Position rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350. Lightly grease an 8x8" pan and line with a strip of parchment, long enough to leave an overhang on 2 opposite sides of the pan.

Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, energetically whisk together the butter and sugar until the butter has begun to absorb the sugar and dissolve, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract. Switch to a spatula and fold in the flour mixture until well blended. Fold in the pecans. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.


Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 22 minutes. Don't overbake, or they'll dry out. Let cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.

Make the icing: Combine the sugar, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Melt together over medium heat, stirring often with a heatproof spatula. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir in the milk. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Dump in the confectioner's sugar and stir the icing energetically for about 3 minutes, or until the icing is thickened and smooth, is beginning to lose some gloss, and is a touch lighter in color - more of a thin icing than a pourable glaze.

Top the blondies with the icing and spread it evenly with a spatula. Let the icing set in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before cutting and serving the blondies. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Real Sweet by Shauna Sever: a must-have for your cookbook library!

Sweet on Trader Joe's Saturday: cash register temptations

Hey guys! We missed last week! I got one tweet asking where our review was and we loved that one person noticed. ;)

Our spring break started last week and although we stayed home, we've been on college tours, to the rodeo, to the movies (McFarland, USA), and to the symphony. (Actually, kiddo and his friends went to the symphony...I stayed home and watched Netflix in my pjs. I'm not sure what this means.)

Two more days until it's time to start thinking about packing lunches and setting the alarm for 5:45 again.


So, we're back this week with a three-for-one. We've noticed these little bags of mini chocolates at the registers before and have always resisted. This week kiddo suggested we review all three. Yes, he's definitely my child.


This week, we review: Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Tahitian Vanilla Caramels, Dark Chocolate Almond Toffee, and Dark Chocolate Mints. You'll find all of them near the registers. The bags contain 2 ounces of chocolates and cost $1.49 each.


A mom's (my) take: Let's start with the caramels...soft, creamy center, thick chocolate coating. They remind me a lot of these. I'd definitely pick these up when in need of a chocolate fix. The toffees...crunchy, rich centers with a thick chocolate coating. A nice mix of almond and butter flavors made even more delicious by the chocolate. The mints...soft peppermint center with a thin chocolate coating, surrounded by a crunchy, chalky candy shell. Do you love those pastel "butter mints?" You'll love these. I, on the other hand, do not.
Overall rating:
Dark Chocolate Tahitian Vanilla Caramels: 5 of 5 stars
Dark Chocolate Almond Toffee: 4.5 of 5 stars
Dark Chocolate Mints: 2 of 5 stars

A teenager's (kiddo's) take: Mints: Nice, peppermint-y start, but that's basically the entirety of it as well. I can taste a little chocolate, but not enough -- peppermint overload! Caramels: Cool, thick outer coating of chocolate, which you cannot really taste until you get into the caramel itself. The caramel has a sophisticated, delicious flavor. I can definitely detect vanilla, and a wonderful saltiness appears after several seconds. Finally, the toffee: The chocolate coating has a fantastic taste, which caves nicely into the brittle center of toffee. Its flavor has a very nice, almost burnt quality to it, which (to me) makes it all the more appealing.
Overall rating:
Dark Chocolate Tahitian Vanilla Caramels: 5 out of 5 stars
Dark Chocolate Almond Toffee: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Dark Chocolate Mints: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Trader Joe's Cash Register Goodies: Stick with the caramels and toffees. 

Read all of our Trader Joe's sweet treats and dessert reviews!

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Sugar Cookie Bars with Strawberry Glaze and Sugared Flowers

Spring is in the air...and in these cookie bars!


These thick, soft, lemony sugar cookie bars are topped with a generous layer of strawberry glaze and decorated with sugared flowers. I mean, do those look like spring, or what?

Of course, the bars are made with my favorite, Land O Lakes® butter. Want to know the secret to that gorgeous glaze? Fresh strawberries...and more butter.

I used Land O Lakes® unsalted half sticks for both the cookie batter and glaze.


As the cookie bars were baking, I was swooning over the heavenly scent of lemon, butter, and sugar and wondering how I could bottle it. You know how fall smells like pumpkin, and December like gingerbread, and Valentine's Day like chocolate (and summer like 3 months of bad hair days)? Well, these bars smell like springtime.


Once again, I'm thrilled to be partnering with Land O' Lakes for the Pin a Meal. Give a Meal. benefiting Feeding America. For every recipe pinned, such as these Sugar Cookie Bars, 10 meals will be donated to Feeding America.

You can pin more meals from Land O' Lakes to contribute more meals. Visit www.landolakes.com/Pinameal to learn more.


Let's talk about this recipe.  First, you'll make the sugared flowers. I guarantee you, you'll be seeing these atop some cookies soon.  You'll only need three things: edible flowers (check your produce section near the herbs or online), superfine sugar, and powdered egg whites. (You can also use pasteurized egg whites.) You'll want to make these at least a day ahead of making the cookie bars.

Be sure to avoid flowers with pesticides...in other words, look for flowers labeled "edible," don't go plucking flowers from your neighbor's garden.


The sugar cookie bars come together in a snap! Lemon and vanilla flavor a thick, buttery sugar cookie base. The glaze is full of fresh strawberry flavor and has added richness with the addition of butter.

Sugar Cookie Bars with Strawberry Glaze and Sugared Flowers
{makes 24 bars}

for the sugared flowers:
2 teaspoons powdered egg whites
2 tablespoon water
24 edible flowers, such as violas
superfine sugar

for the sugar cookie bars:
2 &1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (3 half sticks) Land O' Lakes unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the glaze:
1 & 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
5 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
4 tablespoons (1 half stick) Land O'Lakes® unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

make the flowers:
With a fork, whisk the powdered egg whites and water in a small bowl until foamy. Using a small, clean paintbrush, brush the mixture onto the edible flowers, coating the back first. Do this over a small plate, letting the front of the flower rest on the plate as you're coating.

Sprinkle the superfine sugar over the entire flower, and shake off the excess. Place the flowers on a wire cooling rack to dry. (Or, place the flowers in a food dehydrator set on the lowest setting for a few hours.) They're dry when the flowers are stiff.

make the sugar cookie bars:
Grease a 9x13" pan. Preheat oven to 375.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs, sour cream, zest, and extracts, beating until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of bowl as needed.

Add the flour mixture in two additions, beating on low just until combined. Spread evenly with an offset spatula in the prepared pan.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until done. Let cool completely.

make the strawberry glaze:
Process the strawberries and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Drain the blended strawberries through a fine sieve, using a rubber spatula to press through. Discard the seeds.

Sift the sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the strawberry puree and mix on low. Add in the corn syrup and butter, beating until completely incorporated. Add in the vanilla.

assembly:
Pour two cups of the strawberry glaze over the cooled cookie bars. Let the glaze set up for at least 2 hours. Score the bars using a bench scraper or knife into 24 bars. Place on edible flower on each bar.


The Land O’Lakes Foundation will donate $1 to Feeding America® for every recipe pinned or repinned between March 2, 2015 and April 30, 2015. (Pin any Land O’Lakes recipe or submit any recipe pin at LandOLakes.com/pinameal). $1 helps provide 10 meals secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local member food banks. Land O’Lakes guarantees a minimum of 3.5 million meals (monetary equivalent of $350,000).

*Disclosure: Bake at 350 has partnered with Land O’Lakes for an exclusive endorsement of Land O Lakes® Butter for their Kitchen Conversations blogger program. This blog post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes.

YOU'LL WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS:
This year, Land O’Lakes is offering another fun way to support Pin A Meal. Give a Meal. — A live online cooking event with Ree, The Pioneer Woman, and Becky from the Land O’Lakes Test Kitchen. The event takes place on Wednesday, April 1 at 1 p.m. ET. Ree and Becky will be cooking their signature Feeding America® recipes live through an online video stream from Ree’s ranch and answering your spring cooking and baking questions.

The best part? All day on April 1, for each recipe pinned from the Land O’Lakes Pin A Meal. Give A Meal board Land O’Lakes will double their Feeding America® donation from 10 meals per pin to 20 meals per pin.  

Participating in the event is simple!

 RSVP by clicking the link here: landolakes.com/livecookingevent. A reminder will be automatically added to your calendar and you’ll be sent a confirmation email recapping all the event details.

 At noon on April 1, return to the same link where you RSVP’d and tune in for the live cooking event.

 Share your questions for Ree and Becky on Twitter using #PinAMeal and they may answer them live during the event.

 All day on April 1, pin recipes included in the Land O’Lakes Pin A Meal. Give a Meal program to help double the amount of meal donations.

I’ll be participating along with fellow bloggers: Two Peas and their Pod, A Spicy Perspective, a farmgirl’s dabbles, The Little Kitchen, and Fifteen Spatulas. We hope you will join us!


More Recipes for Spring from the other Land O’Lakes Bloggers: 
Joanne's Leek Gratin 
Sommer’s White Chocolate Citrus Chick Cookies 
Julie’s Brown Butter Pasta with Asparagus & Bacon
Maria’s Spring Panzanella Salad
Brenda’s Cheesy Hash Brown Cups

Coconut Cream Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Yep. You must make it. I don't care if it's for Easter, Mother's Day, or a regular ol' weekday like I did...you MUST make this cake.


You know how Bundt cakes can sometimes be heavy or too dense? Not this one. It's soft and moist, with a crispy edge, and just full of lovely coconut flavor. It's topped with a cream cheese icing, and well, cream cheese icing is the cat's meow.


The secret is Cream of Coconut. You'll find this in the drink mixer section of the store...usually near the tonics, etc. Don't substitute coconut milk or coconut water here. Just don't.


So, yeah. I'm sharing this recipe over at Imperial Sugar today. I'm making it again for Easter...and kind of hoping the boys make for me again for Mother's Day.
(If you need me, I'll be doing ab crunches in preparation. Not really.)


OK...go get the recipe.

Brownies for Three ::: from Dessert for Two

I had a revelation recently. It started with this book. Dessert for Two by Christina Lane.

See, I've been a fan of Christina's blog of the same name for years. I would think, man...I wish her blog had been around when I was a newlywed.

(I should also add that Christina is a displaced Texan, so I like to eat a Whataburger every now and again for her. I'm a good internet friend like that.)


Once Christina's book arrived on my doorstep, it occurred to me: THIS is how I should be baking for my family of three! I don't have to be a newlywed to enjoy "Desserts for Two!" These portions are perfect for our little family!

(Don't even remind me that in 2.5 years, we will be empty nesters. Don't.)


Besides scrumptious recipes, Dessert for Two is filled with ideas for small batch baking that had never dawned on me. Bake brownies in a loaf pan? Mini pies in mason jar lids? Hello....GENIUS!!!

Here's a peek of a few more goodies from inside the book to give you an idea:


I decided my first recipe would be Brownies for Two. I mean, it is Lent and all...we're not eating meat on Fridays, so how about a brownie for lunch? Sounds about right to me.

Brownies for Two (or Three)

{from Dessert for Two}

4 TBSP unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup + 1 TBSP sugar
1/4 cup + 2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 and position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Line a 9x3x3" loaf pan with parchment paper.

In a medium-size, microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir, and microwave for another 30 seconds.

Stir the mixture very well, then add the salt and vanilla. Stir for 1 minutes to let the mixture cool down. Add the egg, and stir until it's incorporated.

Sprinkle in the flour, and then give the batter about 50 brisk strokes with a wooden spoon.


Spread the batter evenly in the prepared loaf pan. Bake for 23 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should have moist crumbs. The surface of the brownies is shiny and dry when done, and will crack as it cools.

Let cool completely in the pan, then use the parchment to remove the brownies from the pan. Slice in half...or thirds...and serve.

Makes 2-3 generously-sized brownies.


I highly, highly recommend Dessert for Two...whether you're newlyweds, single, empty nesters, a small family like ours, or just watching your portion sizes. You'll love it!

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These aren't your mama's blueberry pancakes...

You guys, I just couldn't title this blog post the title of the recipe. It's too long. It's also probably bordering on obnoxiously long, BUT...you need the full description.


I present to you:

Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes with Healthy Grain Clusters and a Cinnamon Greek Yogurt Drizzle

See?


Here's what you need to know. These are NOT your mama's (or your local diner's or your grocery store's) blueberry pancakes. THESE pancakes are flat-out scrumptious and worthy of a 14-word name. Golden, fluffy, sweet, crunchy, tangy...*sigh*

I'd say 5 mornings out of 7, my breakfast is a KIND Bar. If you've never had a KIND bar, stock up when you're at the store. I'm partial to (obsessed with) the Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew Bars.

I do try to make a more substantial breakfast for kiddo, though. I'll make pancakes, waffles,...bacon quesadillas (yes, you can put anything in a quesadilla).


When KIND contacted me, I was so thrilled since we're such huge fans of their products, and I was also excited to try their Healthy Grains Clusters.

The clusters are a better kind of granola. I usually find granola heavy and overcooked for my taste. KIND Healthy Grains Clusters are light and toasty...totally addicting. Made not just with oats, but with millet, quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat. I'm sold.


For this recipe, I used the Vanilla Blueberry Clusters with Flax Seeds. I couldn't stop eating it straight from the bag. I can see this being my go-to afternoon snack from now on...and one I can feel good about.

Will you promise me that you'll make these pancakes?
They're like a taste explosion. The warm blueberries, the buttermilk, the hearty grains are topped with a simple and delicious cinnamon Greek yogurt drizzle that just makes for a dreamy breakfast. (Keep the maple syrup for another day...you don't need it.)



Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes with Healthy Grain Clusters and a Cinnamon Greek Yogurt Drizzle
{makes 8-9 pancakes}

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 TBSP packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 TBSP salted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh blueberries, plus more for topping
1/2 cup KIND Vanilla Blueberry Clusters with Flax, plus more for topping

For the drizzle:
7 ounces plain 2% Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 TBSP agave

Whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg until fluffy, about 1 minute. Whisk in the buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla until combined. Stir in the flour mixture, just until combined. Fold in the blueberries.


Let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes. Heat a non-stick griddle to 350.

In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, cinnamon, and agave to make the drizzle. Place in a piping bag or large zip-top bag.

Pour the batter onto the hot griddle by the 1/4 cup. Add 1 TBSP Vanilla Blueberry Clusters to the top of each pancake. Add just a spoonful more of batter on top. (Don't worry about covering all of the clusters.)

Cook a few minutes, until the edges look done, then flip to cook the other side. Cook for a couple more minutes, until done.

Transfer to a plate. Snip the tip of the drizzle bag and drizzle generously over the pancakes. (Alternately, serve the pancakes with a small bowl of the drizzle on the side.) Sprinkle on more Vanilla Blueberry Clusters and fresh blueberries.

Good morning, good morning to YOU!

*This post was sponsored by KIND Snacks. I created this recipe using their Healthy Grains Clusters and truly love both the product and the recipe. Opinions and recipe are my own.