Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (with a hint of coconut)

Although my picture didn't come out quite as great as the one in Daphne's cookbook, these cookies are AMAZING! I have never thought to put coconut flakes in oatmeal cookies, but it adds such a great burst of flavor (without being too much). More flavorful then any oatmeal cookie I have eaten. Make sure you read her note at the bottom of the recipe, and take them out just when the edges start to brown.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe adapted from Daphne Oz

2 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

2/3 cups whole-wheat flour

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

8 Tbsp/1 stick cold dairy free margarine, cut into pieces (or unsalted butter)

½ cup coconut oil, softened

2/3 cup sugar

½ cup packed light brown sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

½ cup chopped pecans 

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup dairy free chocolate chips (or milk or semi sweet)

In a food processor, pulse 1 cup of the rolled oats to a grainy powder. Add the processed oats to a large bowl along with both flours, baking soda, and salt and combine.

In a standing mixer or hand mixer, cream together the butter, oil, and both sugars. Then beat in the vanilla, eggs (one at a time) and beat. Add a third of the dry mixture to the wet mixture, beating to incorporate after each addition. Fold in the remaining oats, nuts, coconut, and chocolate chips. Roll into 2 inch balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375for 12-15 minutes or until the rims are golden brown and the center is still slightly moist (they will continue baking as they cool).

*Daphne says to always freeze the cookie dough balls before baking to help them cook evenly and limit spread. To do this, just line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, add the cookie balls, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 2 hours or overnight. Don’t use the frozen pan to bake! Transfer them to another cookie sheet and into the preheated oven. You can also save the frozen dough balls in a freezer bag in the freezer. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These really are the best oatmeal cookies ever! Just make sure you don't cook them too long....like as in take them out when they still look a bit undercooked rather than getting brown or you will end up with the traditional super thin crunchy oatmeal cookie. Mine take exactly 12 minutes at which point the edges are just barely starting to look golden. After they sit on the cooling rack for a few minutes on the baking sheet they are perfect. These are soft and DELICIOUS! My favorite is that the dough keeps in the fridge for a week, so I can make some each day during the week fresh- yum :)

Another note- I have been experimenting with coconut oil and have been using it exclusively in these chocolate chip cookies although I haven't tried it with this recipe yet. I will update it when I do, but definately comment if you do try that!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from Sept 2011 Family Circle Magazine

2 sticks dairy free margarine (or butter), at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light-brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned rolled oats (I use old fashioned)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2-2 cups diary free chocolate chips (or milk chocolate or semi-sweet)

Heat oven to 325. Place margarine and sugars in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla, one at a time, beating well between additions.

Place flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a seperate bowl; mix well and add to the butter mixture. Beat until everything is well incorprated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the chocolate chips and beat again. You can cover and refrigerate up to one week.

Form the dough into about tablespoon size round balls and place them about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Transfer to 325 degree oven and bake until the cookies begin to brown at the edges, around 12 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet.

Stained Glass Cookies

(The plan was to have these up for Valentine's Day, sorry! You can use them for anything though, so here it goes.)

The original recipe I found this from was on Kraft, but I thought the cookies were yucky...so now I just use my favorite sugar cookie recipe and follow these directions. You can use any sugar cookie recipe, or I listed my favorite one too. Super fun for any occasion and the kids love em.

For the Cookies:

2/3 cup dairy free margarine, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 Tbsp soy milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

In a large bowl beat margarine on high 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder and salt and beat until combined, scraping sides occasionally. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla. Beat in the flour. Chill for at least 1 hour so it's not too sticky.

For the Cutouts:

2-3 rolls of lifesavers candy

Preheat oven to 350. On a lightly floured surface roll out to about 1/4-1/2 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes and then trace smaller versions of each cookie shape on the dough (or use tiny cookie cutters or pie cutter shapes) leaving at least a 1/2 inch border of dough from the inside shape. Cut out and remove dough from the center of each shape; set aside. Place all the cookie cutouts on baking sheets covered with tinfoil. Now crush each color of candy seperately between 2 layers of wax paper with a mallet (you can use a plastic baggie but it will most likely rip from the sharp candy pieces). Spoon crushed candy inside centers of cutouts. Bake 6-8 minutes or until candy is melted and cookies are lightly browned. Cool cookies completely before removing from foil.

*Note: This last time I made them they didn't have the "stained glass" look because I overfilled the candy thinking that would be better, but it wasn't because the candies were all gummy. When you fill the holes in the centers of your cookies just fill to the same thickness as your cookies. They will shrink down when they melt but that's okay!

No-Bake Energy Bites

My sister posted these on our other blog we have and I tried them today. They are super yummy and quite addicting I might say! I thought they would also be a nice healthy snack for the kids since I'm trying to sugar-detox the whole family after the holidays :) Perfect for allergies since there's no dairy and no egg. The Enjoy Life dairy free chocolate chips are perfect for this because they are already mini.

No Bake Energy Bites
Recipe from Brooke Salcido @ Four Sisters' Kitchens

1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup mini dairy free chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla

Mix everything together really well. Let chill for about 30 minutes. Roll into balls and enjoy! Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container (they'll keep about a week)

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

 Repost with new pictures

These cookies are so delicious and such a refreshing change if you are in a cookie rut. These cookies are delicious and chewy and you can always add a few chocolate chips, carab chips, or even a Hershey kiss on top of each cookie (if you can tolerate them) 2 minutes before you finish the cooking time. My son loves to use my potato masher to smash a design on the cookies when we don't do chocolate chips. Kids always love to help! (he looks so small 2 years ago!)

Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe by Julie Griggs- (the home economics teacher I student taught for)

1 1/3 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c shortening

1/3 c peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1 egg

extra sugar for rolling

chocolate chips, carob chips or Hershey kisses (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl sift flour, soda and salt- set aside. In a large bowl or mixer, cream shortening and peanut butter on medium speed. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add flour until well combined. Make tablespoon size balls, roll each into granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes, put chocolate on top and then bake an additional 1-2 minutes. If you aren't adding chocolate, bake for 8-10 minutes or until they start to brown. 

Sugar Cookies

I love making sugar cookies! I don't mean to brag, but my neighbors know me for my really moist sugar cookies. My tried and true recipe uses butter and sour cream (if you are interested in that recipe you can email me and I'll be happy to share), so I've been on a long search for a good dairy free sugar cookie recipe. As most of you who have experimented already know, you just don't get the same results when you substitute dairy free margarine for butter with baking. That's why I'm happy to share this recipe I just tried. I couldn't find any reason anyone would ever suspect these to be dairy free-they turned out great! I'm excited I found a recipe before the big holiday season hits!

A few good things to know:

When you substitute margarine for butter you will get a stickier product, so chill the dough in the fridge as long as you can- at least an hour (I did mine about 3) just to make them easier to work with. I always use Nucoa margarine when I bake, but I'm sure there are a ton of great products out there.

Also take them out of the oven BEFORE they start to brown on top. They can still be white on top and starting to get golden on the bottoms. Otherwise they won't be chewy.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

Makes around 28 (2 1/2 inch) cookies

2/3 cup dairy free margarine, softened (I use Nucoa)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 Tbsp regular soy milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

In a large bowl beat margarine on high for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder and salt and beat until combined, scraping sides occasionally. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla. Beat in the flour. Divide dough in half, cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

On a lightly floured surface roll half the dough at a time to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. Cut dough into shapes and place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake @ 375 for 7-8 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Cool before frosting.

Frost with dairy free frosting- you can substitute soy milk and dairy free margarine for any frosting recipe, or do like I do and add some fun food coloring to Duncan Hines Vanilla Frosting

"Mock" Krispie Treats

"Mock" Krispie Treats

I love making traditional Rice Krispie treats, but this is a fun version that uses Cheerios instead of Rice Krispies. I don't have a source on this recipe, but I know it was given to me when I was expecting my first baby from a nutritionist for a healthy treat. I was suprised at how many great things Cheerios has to offer compared to Rice Krispies. (Plain Cheerios pack in more potassium, protein and fiber than Rice Krispies, plus they have calcium and less sugar.) Even if this recipe calls for chocolate chips, at least you are giving your kids calcium, fiber and protein along with it!

Cheerio-Marshmellow Treats

3 Tablespoons dairy free margarine
4 packed cups mini marshmellows
1 Tablespoon water
4 cups regular Cheerios
1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Dairy Free Chips)

In a large pot melt the margarine and rub with a spatula against the sides. Throw in the marshmellows and water and cook on low heat until all the marshmellows are melted. Remove from heat, add the Cheerios and mix. Carefully stir in the chocolate chips. Tranfer into a lightly oiled 8 by 8, or 9 by 9 dish. Spray your hands or wax paper and press down into the dish. After they set up cut into squares and serve.

No Bake Cookies

Okay so we grew up eating these no bake cookies, which I found out a lot of people refer to them as preacher cookies. When I moved to the same town as my Grandma for college, she brought me over her famous recipe along with all of the ingredients for a housewarming gift. Since I met my husband in college and this was one of the only things I knew how to make, it brings back a lot of really fun memories. I've always wanted to try making them dairy free, but I was always too scared. Well now that it's behind me, I am so mad at myself for not trying it earlier! Even my husband says they taste exactly like the original. Here's both the recipes!

No Bake Cookies (dairy free)

Recipe adapted from Grandma Lill

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoons dairy free Cocoa 

1/4 cup rice or soy milk (I used rice-vanilla flavored)

2 Tablespoons dairy free margarine

1 1/4 cup oats

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

Put margarine, milk, sugar, and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring occassionally. Add the oats, peanut butter and vanilla and stir to combine. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper until they set up.

Original Recipe

Recipe from Grandma Lill

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons Cocoa
1/2 cup dry milk
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cup oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

Boil the sugar, cocoa, milk, water and butter for 1 minute, stirring occassionally. Add oats, peanut butter and vanilla and stir to combine. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.

Snicker Doodle- Type Cookies

These ARE the easiest cookies to make in the entire world. No measuring out flour, baking soda and all of that, just through in a yellow cake mix. I've been making these cookies since high school and I must say that you can't eat just one or two- they are definately addicting! I use Duncan Hines brand of mix because it's dairy free. I have also tried lemon cake mix (without the cinnamon and sugar) and they are really yummy and fun. You can try with any cake mix flavor you like and of course, it's easy for kids to help because of the little measuring.

Snicker Doodles

1 yellow cake mix

1/3 c vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

sugar and cinnamon

Mix the cake mix, eggs, veggie oil and vanilla together. Take scoops and roll into cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes

My Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Well... everyone thinks they are famous, but really I just revamped the back of the Toll house chocolate chip recipe with shortening, less salt, and my favorite chocolate chips. I also use dairy free carob chips for my son's cookies, and milk chocolate chips for everyone else. If you are wanting to impress someone, I SWEAR by Ghirardelli brand milk chocolate jumbo chips. I hate using any other kind- they are divine and well worth the price. Here's a trick that we do in my home so that we don't eat them all at once. Bake up as many as you want for that night, then roll the rest into individual balls, stick them on a baking sheet or a casserole dish and stick them in the freezer for 30 minutes. Once the 30 minutes is up, you can then dump all of the balls into a freezer ziplock and store them in your freezer without them clumping together. I will usually make a whole batch without chocolate chips, or with carob chips and then just label the ziplock "Scott's cookies". Then anytime we are eating a cookie he can't have, I'll pop a few of his into the oven. Sidenote: You might laugh at the 7/8 cup of shortening, but I learned in my food science class from college that technically if you are substituting shortening or margarine for 1 cup of true butter, you are suppose to use 7/8 cup. And it works, trust me!

My Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes about 2-3 dozen depending on the size

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt (I usually tap off a little less)

1 cup minus a big spoonful of shortening (about 7/8 cup) or try coconut oil!

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 package of carob or milk chocolate chips

Combine flour, soda and salt in a separate bowl

Beat shortening, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Gradually beat in the flour mixture.

Stir in morsels and drop onto tablespoon fulls onto ungreased cookie sheets

Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes