yummmyyyy… cant cant get enough of these.. these are really the best to die for no bake cookies i have ever had!

This recipe is copied from How sweet it is but u can also find another version of this in Smitten Kitchen where the recipe calls for cream cheese. I didnt have cream cheese at home when i decided to make these so i thought i without cheese.

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 + 1 tablespoon cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup brown rice syrup (you can sub corn or maple syrup)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of ginger

any chocolate (i used nutela)

Combine all ingredients except chocolate in a bowl and mix together. Dough will be very crumbly, but continue to mix. Form 1 inch balls with hands – if dough is too crumbly to stick together, add a bit more peanut butter or syrup until it comes together a bit more. Just continue to work with it.  Melt chocolate in a double boiler and dip the balls in. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

The best muff ever! Blindly adapted from How Sweet it is I saw this today morning and i right aay went to the kitchen to bake these. Thankfully Reem was sleeping and gave me enought time to mix these and bake. i think it might have taken half n hour to mix and another 20-30 minuts to bake these. yes they are fast and yummy!

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup milk (any kind will do)

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Add oats to a bowl and add 1/2 cup of milk. Let soak for 5-10 minutes, while you prepare the first few steps of the muffins.

In a large bowl, combine egg and brown sugar and whisk until smooth and caramel in color. Add in vanilla and butter, whisking well. Try to smooth the batter as much as possible – there still may be some small butter chunks. Add flour, oat mixture, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix. Add remaining milk and combine until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.

Line a muffin tin with lines and pour about 1/4 cup batter into each line. Sprinkle the tops with raw turbinado sugar. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve with butter!

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature (1/2 cup or 2 sticks)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
• about 4 very ripe banana, mashed (1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cups)
• 1 cup plain yogurt (or a combination of the two) or 1 cup sour cream (or a combination of the two)

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350°F Generously butter a 9- to 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan. (If you use a silicone pan there’s no need to butter it.) Don’t place the pan on a baking sheet – you want the oven’s heat to circulate through the Bundt’s inner tube.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together.
3. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes inches Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half the dry ingredients (don’t be disturbed when the batter curdles), all the sour cream and then the rest of the flour mixture. Scrape the batter into the pan, rap the pan on the counter to debubble the batter and smooth the top.
4. Bake for 65-75 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 30 minutes – if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature. If you have time, wrap the cooled cake in plastic and allow it to sit overnight before serving – it’s even better the next day.
5. OPTIONAL LEMONY WHITE ICING: Sift 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar into a bowl and squeeze in enough fresh lemon juice (start with 2 teaspoons and add more by drops) to make an icing thin enough to drizzle down the Bundt’s curves.
6. 6 MUFFIN OPTION: Halve the recipe. You can add nuts or chocolate chips. Bake 28-32 minutes. Yields 12 muffins.

Baked, cut, served and clicked by my kids! Forgot to add , they finished it off in one shot!

This is a very easy cake just mix the ingredients and you are done! and its ready in half n hour! The ecipe is blindly adapted from Smitten Kitchen one of my favorite site

Blondies
Adapted from How to Cook Everything

8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch salt
1 cup all-purpose flour (i used wholemeal)

i added 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips to the batter.

1. Butter an 8×8 pan
2. Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
3. Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in any additions (below).
4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. I always err on the side of caution with baking times — nobody ever complained about a gooey-middled cookie. Cool on rack before cutting them.

Further additions, use one or a combination of:

• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts, toasting them first for even better flavor
• 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon mint extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla
• 1/2 cup mashed bananas
• 2 tablespoons of espresso powder with the vanilla
• Stir 1/2 cup dried fruit, especially dried cherries, into the prepared batter
• Top with a vanilla butter cream or chocolate peanut butter cream frostin

Soft, moist, flavored cant think of more words to describe this cake! This is the first time im trying this kind of cake and after searching a lot I got this wonderful recipe from here. I halved the recipe, used half wholemeal and half all purpose flour, forgot the vanilla, added a little bit more milk because i thought the batter was thick – still it turned out great.

Here is the original recipe.

3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

4 eggs

2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl, and stir with a fork to mix well.  Combine the milk and vanilla in a small bowl.  Set aside the milk and flour mixtures.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together with a mixer at high speed until light and well combined, stopping once or twice to scrape down the bowl.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well each time.  Add the mashed sweet potatoes and mix at low speed for 1 minute, or until the batter is evenly mixed.

Add about half the flour mixture and beat gently, using a wooden spoon or a mixer at low speed, only until the flour disappears into the batter.  Add half the milk and mix gently to combine everything well.  Mix in the remaining flour and then the remaining milk, beating gently only until you have a thick, smooth batter.

Scrape the batter into the prepared tube pan, and bake at 350 degrees for between 60 and 75 minutes, or until the cake is evenly browned, springs back when touched gently in the centre, and a wooden skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Baked these today Its fresh and hot, just out of the oven!

They are moist soft cookies even with wholemeal flour. I was really surprised with the texture of the cookies, i thought it might be dry and rough but it turned out to be the opposite! we loved them. It makes a good breakfast cookie and one is enough for your snacky cravings!

This is from another of my favorite site Taste Spotting

1 stick butter (½ cup), softened
¾ brown sugar i cut it down to 1/2 cup
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
½ cup coconut
½ cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup white chocolate chips i used semi sweet dark choco chips
1 cup flour i used wholemeal flour
1 cup oats i coarse grinded rolled oats
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

Cream together softened butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla, beat with an electric mixer until fluffy (approximately 1-2 minutes).

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in separate bowl. Mix together with a wire whisk. Add to the butter, brown sugar, egg mixture. Stir until just combined.

Add oats, coconut, white chocolate chips, walnuts, carrots. When everything is well-integrated into the batter, refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes. Batter will be sticky.

While refrigerating, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon out golf ball-size scoops onto a cookie sheet and bake for 12 – 15 minutes depending on temperature of oven and how cool the dough is from the fridge. They will be golden brown on top when done. If they appear moist in the middle they aren’t quite there yet! Cool completely on a wire rack before enjoying.

This is one of my favorite cakes. The main reason it did well with wholemeal flour, the new fav choco-orange flavoring, and not the least from one of my favorite baking blog Smitten Kitchen My kids didnt give me time to make the ganache.. they wanted to cut it right away so i thought ok may be next time. It was delish even without it!

You can also find this choco-orange combo in my  Chocolate Orange marble Cake

This cake tastes better the next day!

Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa Parties!

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar – i reduced to 1 cup
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup grated orange zest (from 4 large oranges)
3 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons – changed to wholemeal flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups good semisweet chocolate chunks

Syrup:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Ganache:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.

2. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the orange zest.

3. Sift together 3 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately in thirds to the creamed butter, beginning and ending with the flour. Toss the chocolate chunks with 2 tablespoons flour and add to the batter. Pour into the pan, smooth the top, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the syrup. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the sugar with the orange juice until the sugar dissolves. Remove the cake from the pan, set it on a rack over a tray, and spoon the orange syrup over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely.

5. For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

1 C currants or raisins

In a medium bowl, combine oats and buttermilk. Let soak for an hour.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 210° C (400° F). Generously grease a loaf pan with butter or margarine. Stir brown sugar and eggs into oat mixture. In a large bowl, stir together flour, wheat germ, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

3. Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. Add oat mixture to dry ingredients. Stir in currants, cranberries (if using) and melted butter, and mix until well combined.

4. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake until loaf has risen and is well browned or until the skewer inserted comes out clean, about 40-45 mins.

Note: Let it cool the bread completely before you cut it, or it will crumble. It can be stored up to 4-5 days in refrigerator. It tastes best when microwave it for 10 seconds.

Oatmeal Bread

Now im changing everything from white to brown.. Well not everything in my home at least all the flours im using now.  If you see me last few posts all my baking has been done with wholemeal flour. My breads, cookies,  cakes -  everything i changed to wholemeal. I didn’t find much difference with the change of flour and all including the kids loved it!

The Pasta i used here is Barilla Whole Grain Pasta and the sauce is copied from  Smitten Kitchen

I halved the recipe and added wheatgrem and flaxseeds to it still no taste difference!

4 pounds sad, unloved tomatoes (some swear by romas, I’ve had success with all varieties)
1/4 cup olive oil
Small onion
2 to 3 small cloves of garlic
1/2 medium carrot
1/2 stalk of celery
1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
Slivers of fresh basil, to finish

Peel your tomatoes:

Bring a pot of water to boil. Cut a small X at the bottom of each tomato. Blanche the tomatoes in the boiling water for 10 to 30 seconds, then either rinse under cold water or shock in an ice water bath. Peeling the tomatoes should now be a cinch. If one gives you trouble, toss it back in the boiling water for another 10 seconds until the skin loosens up. Discard the skins (or get crafty with them).

Finish preparing your tomatoes:

If using plum tomatoes, halve each lengthwise. If using beefsteak or another round variety, quarter them. Squeeze the seeds out over a strainer over a bowl and reserve the juices. (You can discard the seeds, or get crafty with them.) Either coarsely chop you tomatoes on a cutting board or use a potato masher to do so in your pot, as you cook them in a bit.

Prepare your vegetables:

I finely chop my onion, and mince my carrot, celery and garlic, as does Bastianich. Batali grates his carrots. Burell pulses all four on the food processor to form a paste. All of these methods work.

Cook your sauce:

Heat your olive oil in a large pot over meduim. Cook your onions, carrots, celery and garlic, if you’re using them, until they just start to take on a little color, about 10 minutes. I really like to concentrate their flavor as much as possible. Add your tomatoes and bring to a simmer, lowering the heat to medium-low to keep it at a gentle simmer. If you haven’t chopped them yet, use a potato masher to break them up as you cook them. Simmer your sauce, stirring occasionally. At 30 minutes, you’ll have a fine pot of tomato sauce, but at 45 minutes, you might just find tomato sauce nirvana: more caramelized flavors, more harmonized texture.

If your sauce seems to be getting thicker than you want it to be, add back the reserved tomato juice as need. If your sauce is too lumpy for your taste, use an immersion blender to break it down to your desired texture. (“Blasphemy!” some will say, but they’re not in the kitchen with you. So there.) Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and more to taste. I like somewhere between 1/2 and 1 teaspoon for 4 pounds of tomatoes. Scatter fresh basil over the pot before serving. Taste once more. Swear you’ll never buy jarred sauce again.

More ways to play around:

There are innumerable ways to tweak your tomato sauce. Some like a pinch of red pepper flakes cooked with the carrots/celery/garlic and onion in the beginning. Some add them at the end. Some swear by a glug of red wine added with the tomatoes. Others insist that a tablespoon of tomato paste will give your relatively quick-cooked sauce a longer-cooked flavor. Have fun with it.

To play around as little as possible:

Skip the onion, carrot and celery. Just cook your tomatoes for 30 to 45 minutes and at the end, drizzle in some olive oil or melted butter. If you have time, you can infuse that oil or butter with garlic and basil. Season to taste with salt. Wonder why you ever added so many ingredients to something so obviously perfect without them