Season's Greetings!!

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Waldorf Wheat Berry Salad

The classic Waldorf Salad recipe is very, very old... I would like to live this long :)  Oscar Tschirky, the maître d'hôtel of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in NYC, is credited with the creation of this dish in the late 1800s.  Born in Switzerland, Tschirky moved to the United States while still a teen.  He began his  career as a busboy, and though had no culinary training, his passion for food is evidenced in where he chose to work, the recipes he collected, and the restaurant dishes he inspired.

Though there are many variations, one of which you will discover with today's post, the classic Waldorf uses apples, grapes, and walnuts, dressed with mayonnaise and served on a bed of lettuce.  The Hellman's Mayonnaise website adds the option of raisins.

I have never been a big fan of Waldorf Salad, mainly because mayonnaise is not a spread that I like/use that often.  So for this riff, I substituted sour cream as the base for the dressing.  In addition, using wheat berries added a protein and dietary fiber load that makes this side a winner.  Finally, this is a salad that  accommodates easily to other grains, vegetables, and dried and fresh fruits, so feel free to make your own kind of Waldorf Salad.  Mr. Tschirky would be impressed with your creation!

Waldorf Wheatberry Salad
Yield: Serves 4 as a small side

1/2 cup dry wheat berries
1 rib celery, diced small with leaves
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of that 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup raisins or cranberries
1/2 cup apple, chopped small
1/4 cup sour cream (fat content is your choice)

Directions

1.  Cook the wheat berries according to package directions, until softened but still chewy.  Drain if necessary.
2.  Place wheat berries into a medium-sized bowl.

3.  Add all other ingredients, mixing until sour cream is totally combined.

4.  Serve alongside your protein source (i.e., poached fish, chicken, or veggie burger)
5.  Cover and chill any leftovers.

DIY Vegetarian Chili

Once in a while, I pull out a 'recipe' that's no-fail, nourishing and guest-worthy, and whose only requirement is to get creative.  Do you have some of those?  They are golden on stressful days or when your head's not in the game.  You don't have to dig deep...they're right there within you and for you...waiting for these very moments.

This is such a simple recipe.  For one, much of the time it is cooking away in a large covered pot, dutch oven, or even a slow cooker.  Secondly, it needs ingredients that you likely have hanging around.  And it's okay that those same ingredients have seen better days (head nod to the limp and blanched-out celery and dried-out carrots in your refrig crisper) or have yet to make an appearance in your culinary adventures (always wondered what I was going to do with that can of Little Pink Beans I got at Shoprite's Can Can Sale).

Spotlight your imaginative side as you put this recipe together.  After gathering your vegetable medley, showcase your knife skills as you chop!  Then it's everything-into-the-pot: veggies, spices, beans, tomatoes, and broth.  In less than an hour you will have a splendidly thickened stew we call chili. Yes!  Topped with sour cream, sliced avocado, or shredded cheese, this is one riffed recipe that you can repeat again and again and it will never be quite the same.  Yay! That's your good news for today :)

Notes

1.  I used a Dutch oven but any large pot with a lid will do.

2.  Use what you have around for the vegetable medley:  Fennel, zucchini, yellow squash, frying peppers, on-their-way-out-tomatoes, etc.  Throw some chopped spinach in at the end!

3.  The blend of spices and herbs is your decision.  Hot and spicy demands more smoked paprika or maybe some chipotle pepper or red pepper flakes.  Are you a cilantro fan?  Go ahead, add a bit :)  If your taste profile is more bland, dial down the spice amounts.

4.  I used a can of Black beans and a can of Little Pink beans.  Use what you have.

DIY Vegetarian Chili
(mentor recipe here)
Yield: 4 substantial servings

Ingredients and Directions

One or two carrots
One or two celery ribs,
One bell pepper (your color)
One onion (any kind or color; or a couple scallions, shallots, big bunch of chives)

Set the burner heat to medium.  Chop above ingredients into small pieces and with a swirl of olive oil (or coconut oil) in a dutch oven or large pot (with a lid), add these pieces.  Stir to combine, adding a bit of salt to taste, if you'd like.  Continue cooking with an occasional stir until the vegetables are fragrant and slightly softened, about 10 minutes.  Turn down heat if ingredients are charring.

Add in the following herbs and spices and stir until well combined:

a couple cloves of garlic (or use garlic powder)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano

Add in the following:

1 large can (28 ounces) of diced tomatoes with juices
1 can (15 oz.) of black beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) of another type of bean (red, kidney, cannellini, etc.), rinsed
1 bay leaf or two
2 cups or vegetable broth or water

Cook your chili over medium heat, covered, for approximately 30 minutes.  Adjust the heat, if necessary, so that the chili is simmering to allow the vegetables to soften and flavors to blend.
Remove chili from the heat.  Uncover and take out a heaping cup or so of the chili and transfer to a blender.  Blend until smooth and then return it to the pot.  This step gives the chili the texture you expect...that this recipe has been cooking all day long!  (Alternatively, use a potato masher right in the pot to achieve the same results.)  Add extra broth if necessary.

Serve garnished with cilantro, lime juice, or place over rice, or in my case, alongside roasted sweet potato rounds and avocado.

Voila!

ANZAC Puffs

Recently, my husband and I were on a getaway out west, and like many vacationers we look for learning experiences in unfamiliar areas that expand our understandings of the world.  Nowadays where upheaval and unrest seem to be the norm, where civility and positivity are overshadowed by name-calling and knee-jerk, it's a blessing to find a place, if only for a week, where peace and beauty prevail.  This vacation spot drew us in a few years back, and we return when we can to the small house that we built on an island in the Puget Sound.

In our new community, there is a Saturday Market during spring and summer where talented craftspeople display and sell what they've created, baked, sewn, hammered and nailed, written, thrown, painted, and grown.  Whether you come to socialize or to purchase, no one leaves the marketplace disappointed.  Whether you buy from the potter, chat up the weaver, or ogle the bakers' scrumptious layouts, it's a few hours of sharing updates, greeting newcomers, or browsing the many adorned tables, looking for a way to spend those few dollars you brought.

One of the vendors at this Saturday Market has been selling ANZAC cookies since 2009, and believe it or not, has sold over 30,000!  Imagine how organized and efficient his kitchen must be as he prepares for each Saturday's visitors.  In simple terms, he sells around 4000 cookies each market season.  Awesome!

His ANZAC (the acronym stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) cookies are a staple on Saturdays. They have an interesting backstory, are reliably delicious, and are coveted by many.  I have had this cookie on other occasions while at the market, and they always taste the same, look the same, and can shoulder the journey from west coast to east coast with little wear and tear.  The price tag is also reasonable...a quart ziplock bag with 7 ANZAC cookies for $5.00.  A good and yummy deal any way you look at it.

One historical claim shared by the Saturday Market vendor is that these cookies (or biscuits) were sent to ANZAC soldiers fighting in Europe during WWI.  They were travel-proof and had a long shelf life.  But another theory is that the biscuits were made and sold at public events 'Down Under' and the money used to support the soldiers abroad.  Today these biscuits are still popular and are used as a fundraising tool for various military-related groups.  ANZAC Day is observed each year on April 25, and is similar to the our Labor Day in that it honors those that have served Australia and New Zealand in all wars and peacekeeping efforts.

When we returned from our trip, I found a recipe for ANZAC cookies from an internet search.  The traditional recipe includes few ingredients (oats, flour, sugar, butter, golden syrup, baking soda, and boiling water) with an option to add desiccated coconut, and I'm so glad I did.  Desiccated coconut helps to bind the dough and provides an additional flavor layer.  Externally, the cookie is cracked and crunchy while inside it's soft and chewy.  The coconut bits provide a softening effect over time.  The puffs pack up and travel well, and even if bumped around a bit, they are still good-looking :)  This recipe does not require a mixer...only a bowl and small saucepan.  No wonder this is my new favorite cookie!!!

Notes

1.  I made these with all-purpose flour and baking soda and again with self-rising flour only.  You know what I'm going to say, right?  My preference is to use self-rising flour because it eliminates one step and frankly, there are times when the essence of baking soda lingers in the background of an otherwise fabulous recipe.  This is one of those times.

2.  Rather than flattening the dough, I rolled mine into balls.  The result was a bite-size ANZAC Puff!  So cute!

3.  The mentor recipe asked for caster sugar (super fine sugar).  Though it would be easy to just process white sugar to make it super fine, I used regular granulated sugar.  Lazy?  You decide.

4.  Each cookie ball had a mass of 20 grams (see photo below).

5.  Since the mentor recipe was British, the ingredients were listed in grams (g).  I have a food scale that could handle this.  Maybe you don't, so I have put the approximate U.S. equivalents in parentheses.  Remember that there is not a straightforward conversion for dry ingredients used in baking since different ingredients have different weights.  The US Standard of measuring dry ingredients relies on volume whereas the Metric System uses weight.  There are quite a few conversion charts that can assist.  Here's one.

6.  I used quick oats.

7.  No eggs are used in the preparation of these cookies, so they will last a while...but that'll never happen in my house :)

ANZAC Puffs
(mentor recipe here)
Yield: 25 puffs

85 g quick oats (1 cup)
85 g desiccated coconut (1 cup)
100 g self-rising flour ( 3/4 cup)
100 g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
100 g butter (7 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon golden syrup (I used Lyle's brand)
2 tablespoons boiling water

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350º F.  Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment (or use a silpat or grease the pan).

2.  Combine the oats, coconut, flour, and sugar into a large bowl.  Make a well in the middle of these dry ingredients.  Set aside.

3.  In a small pan, melt the butter.  Stir in the golden syrup and the boiling water.

4.  Pour the butter mixture into the well of the dry ingredients.  Stir until all ingredients are combined.

5.  Using a spoon, scoop out a small amount and roll into a ball with a diameter of about 1.5 inches.  See Notes above for more specifics.

6.  Place on baking sheet, leaving about an inch between each puff.

7.  Place the baking sheet into oven.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until tops are golden brown.

8.  Remove from oven to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes to allow puffs to crisp up.  Remove puffs from cookie sheet.

9.  Repeat steps #5-#8 if there is more cookie dough to bake.

10. These cookies are yummy out of the oven... and still yummy with a bit of

age!

Almond Joy Bites (with a chocolate foot)

In need of a gluten and dairy-free cookie?  Need it asap?  Don't have a lot of time for detail and fuss?  I have you covered!  These little almond-y tasting bites are sweet and tender, chewy and delicious.  They are a bit more exotic with a chocolate foot, sprinkled with a bit of hemp seed hearts <3  You know those "keeper recipes" that you bring out when you need some oohs and ahhs?  Trust me, this little cookie should be a part of that treasured collection.

August has been pretty busy for me (and you too, I'm guessing).  It's a pleasure to eat cleanly with so many fresh options, especially vegetables and fruit grown locally.  Whether you cook light (i.e., steaming, sauteing) or prepare raw, summer produce is out of this world.  Crispy salads or grain bowls with charred vegetables, colorful roasted fruits, lean protein, and a sweep of whatever herbs you are growing are my ideas of daily happiness.

"But what about dessert?" you ask.  Great question!  What is better than stone fruits over bowls of
oh-so refreshing sorbet or ice cream after a frazzled day?  And the crumbles, crisps, and shortbreads covering dark berries finished with whipped cream dollop?  So yummy!  See?  I do understand the resistance to turning on your oven, but maybe you can deal with a 300º F temperature for just 20 minutes?  If so, keep on reading.  Almond Joy Bites to the rescue.  They are perfect scoopers for that vanilla frozen yogurt that's on your mind and in your frig.

Notes

1.  Before rolling the cookie dough between my hands, I gave the edge of the dough a dip in confectioner's sugar.  The rolling is a breeze, and the sticky-factor gone.

2.  I have made these a few times this month and decided to add the chocolate foot.  I microwaved dark chocolate chips in a glass bowl in small intervals (10-15 seconds), stirring after each interval to melt.  When the chips were mostly melted, I just stirred to melt the rest of the chocolate.

3.  Holding onto each cookie, I dipped halfway into the melted chocolate, let the excess drip off (helping it with a fork), and then placed it back on the baking tray to solidify.  If you need them sooner, place into the refrigerator to speed up the process.

Almond Joy Bites
(mentor recipe here)
Yield:  approx. 36

2 cups almond meal
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup icing sugar

1 cup dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet, milk, etc.)
Hemp seed hearts (or other chopped nuts) for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 300ºF.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
2.  Place the confectioner's sugar into a small bowl and set aside.
2.  In a large bowl, place the almond meal, sugar, and corn starch.
3.  In a second bowl, whisk the egg whites and salt until they are just shy of forming peaks but are quite foamy.  This took me less than 5 minutes.
4.  Whisk in the almond extract.
5.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until everything comes together.  Feel free to use your hands to knead the ingredients into a sticky dough.  Before proceeding, you may want to rinse your hands.
6.  With a spoon, grab about a tablespoon of the dough.  Before rolling into a ball, dip the edge into the confectioner's sugar.  Then start rolling.  Smooth and easy!
7.  Place rolled cookie onto tray and repeat with the rest of the dough.  I was able to make about 3 dozen and used only one large baking sheet.  They do not spread.

8.  Bake for 20 minutes until the tops are cracked and dry.  Remove from oven.
9.  Cool on baking sheet.

10. Remove from baking sheet and enjoy.  Store leftovers in an airtight container or in ziplock bags.
11. If adding a chocolate foot, see notes above.

12.  Layer leftovers in an airtight container between sheets of parchment.

13.  Now that's how to make a hot summer a bit more bearable :)

Tweed Bars

I know that it's scorching outside and you have every right to avert your eyes after you skim this posting and see that I've turned on my oven for this (boo).   I completely understand if you want to move onto a blog that posts a chilly, no-bake appetizer, dinner, and dessert.  I kinda want to do that too!

There's someone in my kitchen that continues to roast vegetables, cook grains, and bake.  There's someone here that tries mightily to use the oven for many recipes or parts thereof with just one turn-on.  This someone's efforts are to produce meals for a few days with minimal oven usage subsidizing with those easy throw-together crispy fruit and veggie salads, quick stovetop heating (if necessary), and microwave assistance.  We could go out to eat, you say?  Yes, but... I really like being in the kitchen and I do really resist overuse of the oven in summer's prime.

So in the crushing heat of the summer, I bake and roast at the same time.  I plan for this in the morning.  Cookies or bars, corn or beets, potatoes or eggplant, peppers or garlic. They.all.go.in.simultaneously.  Yes, the cookies likely come out first, and yes, the oven temperature might have to be adjusted for the veggies, but I think overall oven time is reduced.  Rest assured that this little number above was not alone, but nestled in with other oven food friends, providing parts of future meals yet to be assembled.

Why tweed???  Well, the bars have that speckled look that is a hallmark of some tweed fabric like this one.  The speckles are due to Heath Bar bits, but you could achieve a similar look using mini chocolate chips (or a combo of both).

So very easy to put together, this shortbread can be baked in a pie pan as you see above, an
8 X 8 square pan, or round cake pans. The key to serving shortbread is to score while still warm. Once cooled your portion shapes will abide by your wishes.  If you wait until the shortbread is completely cooled, your pieces may shatter and crumble into their own shapes.

Notes

1.  I usually cut the mentor recipe in half to yield only one tweed bar cake.

2.  Because of the look, I used a glass pie pan.  It travels well too.

3.  The photo below illustrates the light scoring of the warm shortbread.  The resulting triangular pieces were perfect.

4.  I cut the butter down to one-half stick for ease.

5.  How do I measure 3/8 cup sugar?  Measure 1/4 cup first, place it in with the butter, and then fill the 1/4 cup up halfway (as best you can).  That's 1/4 + 1/8 = 3/8 cups

6.  How do I measure 1 and 1/6 cup flour?  Well, measure the one cup, and fill your 1/3 cup up halfway.  That's 1 + 1/6 = 1 and 1/6 cups

7.  I used the Heath brand of toffee pieces.  They did not need any additional chopping.

8.  During the month of July, I made this recipe a few times.  On one occasion, I was short on toffee pieces and so modified with mini chocolate chips to accommodate.  You will see these chips in some photos.  Still good!

Tweed Bars
Yield from a pie pan: 12
Mentor recipe

4 Tablespoons salted butter (1/2 stick), room temperature
3/8 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/6 cups ap flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
3/4 cups of chopped pieces of chocolate covered toffee

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 300ºF.  Grease your pan of choice (or line with parchment paper).

2.  In your mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and mix.

3.  Add in the flour and salt, if using.  Mix until dough comes together.

4.  Add in toffee bits.  Mix.

5.  Pick up the dough from the bowl and press it into the pan, leveling and smoothing with your fingers.

6.  Using a fork and spoon, prick the dough and add visual touches.  For example, crimp the edge as if this were a pie, press the spoon's tip into the dough to make pretty indentations, or use your fingers to push the dough into small ridges.  You decide what looks nice!

7.  Bake the Tweed Bars for about 40 minutes until golden.

8.  Remove and set on a wire rack to cool.  After 5 minutes, lightly score your pieces with a knife.

9.  When completely cool, a sharp knife cutting through the scored lines will give you the pieces you want.

These were made with mini chocolate chips and toffee bits!

Walnut and Date Brownie Bites

And the healthy keeps on coming!  Do I have a treat to share with you.  Gluten-free? Check.  Vegan? Check. Five ingredients or less?  Check.  Have people asked for the recipe?  Check.  And this tastes like a brownie? Well, let's just say you will not be disappointed.

There was minor collateral damage to the making of these goodies...but I was able to dodge a microwave fire and only had to deal with the stench from BURNT Walnut and Date Brownie Bites for a day...more about this later.

The mentor recipe named this treat Two Minute Baked Brownie Balls.  I'll admit that the Two Minute lead-in interested me, and I was also attracted to the healthy ingredient profile, especially the absence of white sugar. Though maybe not Public Enemy #1, sugar is scorned as unhealthy.   It encourages inflammation, tooth decay, weight gain, unstable insulin levels, and on and on and on.  There is not much good press on white sugar.  You know this, and I know this.  We do what we can to make small changes in our ingestion of this ingredient, right? I could probably try more...

So how can one bake-off brownies in two minutes?  Using the microwave of course!  I don't know about you, but my use of the microwave is relegated to warming up already cooked food or heating water to boiling.  On occasion, my husband poaches eggs in the microwave and they are spot-on in their taste and texture, but beyond this, our microwave sits idle.  Conclusion?  I should have known better.

Honestly, I did ponder that 1 minute, 40 second bake time.  But I decided to bake off just a couple and save the others for the oven.  What happened was that I set the microwave to bake two brownie bites for 1 minute.  But by about 37 seconds, smoke was rushing (no racing) out of every crevice in the machine.  One of my first thoughts was, "We've selected a new Pope!"  The white smoke was thick and twirling, headed towards the ceiling, and I was sure the smoke detectors were going to wail at any moment...
Opening the microwave and pulling out two sizzling and charred 'stones', I tossed them into the kitchen sink where (luckily) the soaking mixing bowl put an end to the mother load of smoke.  "So that's what molten metal sounds like when it's submerged in water," I thought.  Continuing, I opened the kitchen door and turned on the fan above the range... and smoke alarms were silent (thank you lord).

Having done the dirty work for you, know that I only want you to bake these in the oven.  And you wanna know a secret?  You really do not have to bake them at all.  They can be eaten raw!
Easy peasy just got better :)

Notes

1.  Bake these (ahem...in the oven) or don't bake them at all.  Either way is fine.

2.  I used a silpat mini-cupcake pan to bake these, greasing each spot first with a bit of coconut oil.

3.  I used a scale to weigh out each brownie bite (only the best for you!).  So my yield was 17... well, subtract two due to the untimely death due to frying...

Walnut and Date Brownie Bites
Yield: 17, each weighing 20 grams

1 and 1/2 cup walnuts
12 Medjool dates, seeds removed
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350ºF.

2.  Place all ingredients into food processor and blend until mixture resembles a small, fine, sticky crumb.

3.  Use hands to shape and press the mixture into balls.  Place on baking tray lined with parchment or onto a silpat.  Remember, I used a greased, silicone mini-muffin tray.

4.  Place into the oven and bake for 8 minutes, or decide not to bake.

5.  Remove from oven and cool on rack.

6.  These are best delivered straight to your mouth, but with a bit of restraint, they also look sassy in a mini-muffin paper liner.

7.  These are chocolate-forward, soft, brownie yum-yums.  And you've done all you can to tend to everyone's dietary needs.  Yay!

8.  Hmmm... I am wondering how these would taste covered in chocolate...as in Walnut Date Truffle?

Tahini Cookies with Sesame Seeds

I admit to spending more and more time reading about how to change-up vintage dessert recipes to embrace a more healthy intake of fats and sugars (which is to say that I am open to the prospect of learning and growing). While grocery shopping, I never stress about what type of cookie/bar/cake/pastries to purchase as I rarely (no lie) buy those items.  That's because I am often in my kitchen making cookies, bars, cakes, and pastries often (so true).  And typically all of those lovelies will use butter, all-purpose flour, and sugar...together...Yes!

But I am aware of a whole new world to explore (You're already there, aren't you?) where the value of using, for example, nut butters, plant-based oils, and gluten-free flours is adding lots to your baking repertoire.  And this is great news.  None of us will move our nutritive journey forward without researching and testing, right? Though I am not gluten-sensitive or vegan, I can appreciate the search for and preparation of food that is nutritional, tasteful, healing, cost-effective, and ___________ (fill-in with your own need) as we all try to live as healthful a life as possible.  I don't know about you, but I am someone who is a heavy plant-eater supported by a fair amount of carbohydrates and the occasional animal/fish protein.  But, I bake.  And I really like to bake, and I see nothing wrong with having dessert everyday!

It's no wonder that dessert riffs are so popular nowadays.  Everything old is refashioned to something modern! New flours, new oils, vegan-inspired substitutes (one egg = 1 T. flaxseed meal and 2.5 T water! Who knew?), and blow-your-mind sugar variety have joined forces to re-imagine what once was just a simple oatmeal cookie.  I think I am ok with this.

Can you imagine me on the tahini and almond flour bandwagon?  A short time ago (a few months maybe? I know...where have I been?), I would not have given this recipe one second of my time.  I would have passed it over for my go-to trinity (see paragraph 1).  And now?  Read my lips:  It is one beautiful and tasteful addition to my "tried and trues."  Do you think I'm ready for Chocolate Chia Pudding with a Hemp Sprinkle? 😉

Food and Wine recently published this interesting cookie, and because my food intake is maturing to accommodate new essentials, I decided to go for it. These little vegetarian sweetnesses use no butter or white sugar, and except for the use of honey as the sweetener, they would be vegan (big step for me).

Notes

1.  I used both black and white sesame seeds (did you also know that there are also brown sesame seeds?), but the choice is yours.  I thought the black/white blend was attractive.

2.  I used an Italian Rhododendron honey because I had it.  Use what you have.

3.  I rolled the dough into 1-inch balls before rolling in the sesame seeds.  Then I transferred these to the baking sheet and flattened.

Tahini Cookies with Sesame Seeds
(Yield: approx. 2 1/2 dozen, depending on size)

1/2 cup sesame seeds (single color or mixed colors)
1 and 1/2 cup almond flour (can use almond meal)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (I used kosher salt)
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup tahini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Place sesame seeds into a bowl for rolling.

3.  In a small bowl, whisk the almond flour, baking soda, and salt.

4.  In a larger bowl, mix the honey, tahini, and vanilla extract.

5.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until all is incorporated.

6.  Using a spoon, scoop a small amount of dough into your hand and roll into a sphere.  Add more or take some away, depending on the size of cookie you want.  This dough is very manageable!

7.  Place the dough ball into the sesame seeds and roll around until it is completely covered.

8.  Transfer to baking sheet and flatten a bit.  Leaving about 2 inches between cookies, continue until the baking sheet is filled.

9.  Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes, keeping an eye on them, until the bottoms are golden.

10. Remove from the oven and place on cooling rack for 5 minutes or so.

11. After removing the cookies, reuse the baking sheet if necessary, for the remainder of the dough.

12. Serve whenever you want and for whatever reason.  This cookie is there for you!

13. Keep at room temperature or chilled for a couple days (let me know if they last that long), or freeze (wrapped well) for an extended period of time.

14.  Give this one a try.  Flavor is sesame forward spread across a soft crunchy cookie.

Chewy Brown Sugar Bites

I have made this batch of cookies 4 times in the last month (not kidding), tweeking the mentor recipe which never worked for me.  So I guess you could say that this blog is the primary source for these little dessert gems. Just like its paler sibling, this golden treat is easy to roll, keeps its shape, and likes to be dressed up!  But it's chewier and the only rolling needed is between your two hands.  So put your rolling pin (and your cookie cutters) back where they belong.

After rolling the dough into 3/4" spheres, I dipped the tops into sugar pearls, cocoa nibs, neon sprinkles, chocolate jimmies, and minced nuts.  I even stuck a pecan half on some as you see above.

Chilling the dough and using less butter was the magic fix for cookies that always spread too much and were too greasy before I decided to change up this recipe.

Drum roll please... May I present to you a one-bowl wonder (no electric mixer needed) with an easy method, visual appeal, and a rich, sweet taste to accompany your drink of choice :)

Chewy Brown Sugar Bites
Yield: 50 bite-sized cookies (approximately 1.5 inches in diameter)

6 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup self-rising flour
Toppings of your choice (sprinkles, jimmies, coarse sugar, etc.)

Directions

1.  Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper.
2.  Place melted butter, brown sugar, and salt (if using) into a large bowl and stir (I used a fork) until combined.
3.  Stir in egg and vanilla until mixed and then add flour.  Stir again until well-combined.
4.  Using a spatula, scoop batter onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap up tightly.  Refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight).
5.  Remove dough from refrigerator.
6.  Preheat oven to 350ºF.
7.  Gather your toppings.  Place a small amount of each topping into its own shallow bowl.
8.  Take small amounts of dough and roll into balls.  In my photos, the balls were about 3/4" in diameter.

9.  Dunk the top half of each ball into a topping and place onto baking sheet, decorated side up.
10. Cookies should be about 2 inches apart.  I was able to get 35 cookies on one baking sheet.
11. Bake for about 10 minutes until golden.
12. Remove and cool on rack.  They crisp up as they cool.
13. If you are using one baking sheet, remove the cookies to a platter after about 5 minutes.  Allow sheet to completely cool.
14. Repeat steps 8-12 with remaining dough, using the same sheet of parchment paper.

15.  These cookies keep well.  I usually stash about a dozen in a zip-lock bags and place in the refrigerator (for a momentary sweet) or the freezer (for longer storage).
16.  Enjoy this keeper :)

Slightly Healthy Salted Oat Fudge

I thought about naming this post Almost Healthy Salted Oat Fudge.  But these chocolate-y, nutty, and no-need-candy-thermometer pieces of delight are indeed a step up from that label.  There is not so much sugar (and it's honey), not so much butter (and it can be coconut oil), and an abundance of oats, chocolate, and nuts.  A miracle candy?  I would not go that far, but these are very, very tasty.  They are simple to prepare, easy to cut and transport, and liked (perhaps more than liked) by those who know me (p.s. thank you bridge club :)

With that said, they could also be called Fudgy Cookie Bars.  But if you had the option of tasting fudge or a cookie bar which would you pick?  Right!  And that's why they are called fudge.  Seriously, this sweet has some heft and some cookie-ish-ness to its profile (thought I'd be up front with this news).  Hereafter though, I am going to refer to this recipe's end product as fudge...because it looks like fudge, tastes a lot like fudge, and your enthusiasm will go a long way to convince others that it is fudge.

Notes:

1.  I used butter rather than coconut oil, but I plan on remaking again soon to see the difference.  I did not add any extra salt because the butter was salted.
2.  I used natural ground peanut butter which is not so smooth.  I thought the finished product had a more granular appearance.  The taste was not affected, however.  I would like to try the almond butter next time since really smooth peanut butter has more than peanuts on the ingredient list.
3.  To toast the pecans, I used a cast iron skillet and my stove top (no need to turn on the oven).  With the pecans in the skillet, using medium heat, I had toasted nuts in about 7 minutes.  Remember to give the nuts a stir or two and keep your eye on their progress.  Depending on your heat, they can go from fragrant to burnt quickly :(

3.  I used honey rather than maple syrup this time around.  So many reasons to make this again!!
4.  The heated mixture goes into the prepared pan easily and was fairly easy to spread with an offset spatula.
5.  I used a 9-inch square pan.  After spreading the fudge into the pan, I refrigerated for about 3-4 hours before lifting out and slicing.

Slightly Healthy Salted Oat Fudge
(mentor recipe here)
Yield: 3 dozen, but dependent upon size of cut

3/4 cup natural ground peanut butter
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey
4 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 and 3/4 cups of oats, ground into flour
1 cup pecans or other nuts, chopped up a bit or whole
Flaky sea salt for sprinkling on the top (optional)

Directions

1.  Toast your pecans, using either the method noted above or in the mentor recipe.
2.  After toasting, spread the nuts on a cutting board and allow to cool.  Then chop into small pieces.

3.  Prepare your square baking pan.  Cut two strips of parchment paper to fit across the bottom of the pan with enough extra length to be able to fold the strips up the sides.  These will help lift the fudge out of the pan.

4.  Prepare your oat flour, if necessary.  Place the oats into a processor and blend until you have a fine flour.

5.  Prepare the fudge.  In a medium-sized sauce pan, combine the peanut butter, chocolate chips, honey, butter, and cinnamon.  Stir until the mixture is melted and thoroughly combined.  Remove pot from heat.

6.  Stir the vanilla extract into the pot.
7.  Then add the oat flour and stir.
8.  Add in the toasted and chopped nuts.  Stir.  The mixture will be thick by now.

9.  Drop the fudge into your prepared baking pan.  Use an offset spatula to move the fudge across the pan to level it.  If you wish, sprinkle the top with some flakes of sea salt.

10. Cover with saran and chill a couple hours or longer.
11. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator, lift fudge out of pan, and place on a cutting board.
12. Use a chef's knife (or one with some blade length) to slice the fudge into rows and columns according to your size needs.  Mine were about 1" x 1.5" rectangles.
13.  Leftovers keep nicely in the refrigerator for a week (or longer).  They can be eaten cold or allowed to come to room temperature.  Either way, they are a keeper!