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Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies

February 6, 2012 · by Ari ·

You guys. You don’t even understand. I think this might be my favorite thing I have ever made. Ever. I would rather eat 1 of these than 10 full fat Paradise Bakery cookies. I took one bite and between the perfectly crunchy outside, softy doughy inside, and warm sweet jelly, I was pretty much in cookie heaven. I think this honey apple butter is pretty much the best butter substitute I have ever used. Thanks Carolyn!

I also made these start to finish in about half an hour. They were so easy. It was one of those rare baking times where everything just turns out the way you want it. Happy birthday to me!

Adapted from Pip & Ebby

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies

yield approx 16 cookies

  • 1/4 cup apple butter
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp turbinado sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbs unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • dash salt
  • 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
  • approx 8 tbsp jelly/jam of choice (I used reduced sugar grape, no sugar added blackberry, and fig butter and I loved all 3)
  • 2-3 tbs whole wheat graham cracker crumbs

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat apple butter, peanut butter, sugars, almond milk and vanilla.
  3. Beat in baking soda and salt. Beat in flour until combined.
  4. Use a cookie scoop or sprayed tablespoon to drop cookies onto a large baking sheet.
  5. Using your thumb, press down into the center of each cookie dough ball. Fill each center with jelly of choice. Sprinkle all cookies with graham cracker crumbs
  6. Bake for 10 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.

 

Filed Under: Cookies, Dessert · Tagged: baking, cookie, dessert, jelly, peanut butter, recipe, whole grain

Skinnified Sunday: Samoa Cookie Bars

February 4, 2012 · by Ari ·

You know what? I have not bought a single box of girl scout cookies this year. I mean, I won’t pretend that no matter how many copy cats I make, I don’t still want to eat an entire sleeve of thin mints, but I have to say I have really been enjoying the flavors I love + the freshly baked at home taste that no cookie in a box can ever duplicate. I have a confession. I might actually like these better than real samoas! Sometimes the real ones are just a tad too sweet (if that’s even possible) for my taste, and I felt like these don’t taste healthy at all, just more natural in flavors. I taste real coconut and dark chocolate and I love that.

Original recipe:

My swaps:

  • 1/2 recipe
  • Pumpkin and light whipped butter for butter (-fat, -saturated fat, -calories, -cholesterol)
  • Sugar/Splenda combo for sugar (-sugar, -calories)
  • Egg substitute for egg (-fat, -calories, -cholesterol)
  • Extra vanilla (+yum)
  • Unsweetened coconut (It didn’t specify, but it was hard to find just plain ole coconut. -calories, -sugar)
  • Low fat caramel sauce for chewy caramels (-fat, -calories)
  • Grain sweetened chocolate chips for regular, and less of them (-calories, -sugar)

Skinnified Somoa Cookie Bars

yield 16 bars

for the cookie layer

  • 2 tbs turbinado sugar
  • 2 tbs Splenda
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin
  • 2 tbs light whipped butter, softened
  • 2 tbs egg substitute
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cups white whole wheat flour
  • dash salt

for the topping

  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened flake coconut, toasted**
  • 3/4 cup low fat caramel sauce
  • 1/3 cup grain sweetened chocolate chips
  • 1-2 tbs unsweetened coconut almond milk (or any milk)
  • dash coconut extract (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8×8 pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter, pumpkin, Splenda and sugar together. Beat in vanilla and egg substitute.
  3. Add salt and flour and mix until combined. Dough will be slightly crumbly and may not all come together.
  4. Press dough into greased pan, smoothing with a spatula.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes, then place on wire rack to cool completely.
  6. Spread caramel sauce on top, followed by coconut flake.
  7. In a small microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate chips, milk, and coconut extract in increments of 15 seconds, mixing after each increment until melted. Carefully, spread on top of caramel/coconut layer using a spatula.
  8. Freeze for 2 hours for caramel sauce to set, then transfer to refrigerator, or keep frozen if desired.

**I toasted my own coconut by placing it in a nonstick pan over medium-low heat until golden. Careful to stir constantly and do not burn.

 

Filed Under: Brownies & Bars, Dessert · Tagged: baking, cookies, girl scout cookies, recipe, samoas, skinnified

Cinnamon Toast Graham Cracker Cookies

January 31, 2012 · by Ari ·

I have a lot of ideas. Sometimes they turn out okay, sometimes they turn out terrible, and sometimes I want to bring cookies to absolutely everyone I know so that they can enjoy the deliciousness. Sometimes I even surprise myself with how delicious something can be, while still being moderately healthy. I mean, these aren’t a great source of nutrients. They are dessert. However, with only 1/4 cup of light butter and 1/2 cup of sugar in the entire batch + being whole grain, I’d say they’re not too shabby on the health scale.

What's that you say? Each of those big gooey cookies only has 75 calories? Oh okay, then I feel less bad about the 3 I demolished today 😉

My very favorite thing about the way these came out is the texture. Slightly crunchy on the outside, while gooey and doughy on the inside with the crunch of graham cracker throughout and an extra crunch of cinnamon cereal on top. Happy birth week to me!!!! Yes, I like to celebrate my birth for months weeks at a time. What can I say? I love my life, and I feel like it’s something to celebrate. To celebrate you wonderful people who are in my life, the goal is to do lots of baking this week. My way of saying you all make my life feel worth celebrating!

Cinnamon Toast Graham Cracker Cookies

yield about 2 dozen cookies

inspired by this recipe

  • 1/4 cup light whipped butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup fat free cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup honey apple butter (I was out of apple sauce and I ended up LOVING this substitution!)
  • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup Splenda
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup cinnamon whole wheat graham cracker crumbs
  • 1-2 tsp cinnamon
  • dash salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • approx 48 pieces organic whole grain copy cat of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (my fav is Cascade Farm Cinnamon Crunch)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Beat butter, cream cheese and apple butter together in a large bowl.
  3. Add brown sugar and Splenda, and beat until fluffy.
  4. Beat in vanilla, egg substitute, cinnamon, and baking soda.
  5. Add flour and graham cracker crumbs and beat until just combined.
  6. Use a cookie scoop (or your hands) to drop dough onto a large baking sheet in about tablespoon amounts. This dough is not super sticky, so you could also just spray a wide tablespoon and use that.
  7. Flatten slightly and press 2 pieces of cinnamon cereal on top of each cookie.
  8. Bake 8-10 minutes until just set, then remove and let stand 5-10 minutes to finish baking themselves.
  9. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: baking, cereal, cinnamon, cookies, graham crackers, recipe

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies

January 18, 2012 · by Ari ·

Well, you know I just haaaaddd to make myself a special dessert to celebrate my half marathon 🙂 Recently, I stumbled across this recipe for Reese’s Cheesecake Brownies–ummm, yes please! Naturally, I couldn’t wait to make my own skinnified version! Let me tell you, these babies do not taste one bit skinny! Luckily, I gave half the pan to Kara, otherwise things would be dangerous in my house right now!

Take gooey, fudgey, rich brownie and top it with creamy, peanut buttery cheesecake goodness and you get one of the most delicious desserts that’s ever come out of this kitchen! I wish I could share some of them with you right now. The only thing I love more than making delicious food is sharing it! And did I mention that the prep time took me about 10 minutes? So unbelievably easy, and guaranteed to be a huge hit.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies

yield approx 30

For the brownie layer:

  • 1 box No Pudge brownie mix or TJ’s Reduced Guilt brownie mix
  • 1 6oz container Yoplait Light fat free red velvet yogurt

For the cheesecake layer:

  • 8oz fat free cream cheese
  • 1/4 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 box fat free, sugar free cheesecake pudding mix
  • 2/3 cup raw cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup PB & Co White Chocolate Wonderful
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cups Sunspire chips (I used 1/4 cup chocolate, 1/2 cup white chocolate, but any combo would be good and they even have ones that are like m&m’s now!)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13 baking pan well with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine brownie mix and yogurt. Spread in a thin layer to coat the bottom of your baking pan.
  3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, Greek yogurt, pudding mix, sugar, sugar, and peanut butter together. Add almond milk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy.
  4. Fold in chocolate chips.
  5. Spread cheesecake mixture evenly over brownie mixture.
  6. Bake for 50-60 minutes until cheesecake layer is set in the center.
  7. Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes, then transfer to refrigerator to cool completely.

Hellloooo, lover.

Is there any better nut butter for baking than White Chocolate Wonderful? If you find one, please send it this way.

Come closer, closer, like inside my stomach close.

Filed Under: Brownies & Bars, Cheesecake, Dessert · Tagged: baking, brownies, cheesecake, chocolate, food, pb&co, peanut butter, recipe, white chocolate wonderful

Sugar Cookies

December 22, 2011 · by Ari ·

There is something about the simplicity of the sugar cookie. People love it. It’s my brother’s very favorite. I wasn’t going to make any this year, but I could see the disappointment in Hermano’s face when I told him, so I made a batch up special just for him. Clearly, I am an awesome sister. I was so happy with how these sugar cookies turned out! Sometimes I’m nervous to modify more simple things because I’m worried that you’ll be able to taste the difference more, but these were fantastic and I definitely ate 2 before forcing myself to package them up for Hermano. Sorry Hermano, I couldn’t help it 😉

Sugar Cookies

yield approx 2 dozen

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup light whipped butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 3/4 cup raw cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup Splenda
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, Splenda and Greek yogurt together until combined. Beat in egg substitute and vanilla.
  4. Slowly add in dry ingredients until combined, scraping sides of bowl when necessary.
  5. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
  6. Spray hands with nonstick spray, and roll dough into 1-1 1/2″ balls. Drop onto lined baking sheet.
  7. Spray a piece of wax or parchment paper and use it to flatten cookies slightly.
  8. Bake for 10-14 minutes until golden and set, but be careful not to over bake.
  9. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Top with Royal Icing and sprinkles (you can totally halve the icing recipe)!

We still have so many candy canes from all the peppermint baking so Steve got all artsy and made a heart. He's cute. I like him 😉

We tried for red icing. It came out pink. I like pink, so it's all good. Hermano, I hope you like pink!

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: baking, christmas, holidays, sprinkles, sugar cookies

Busy Bee

December 22, 2011 · by Ari ·

You know, for mostly being off this week, I cannot believe how busy I’ve been. My reader has almost 100 blogs lined up waiting for me to read them. I just haven’t really been home, or if I have, people have been there and I’ve been really enjoying the time to do fun things. I’m not much of a sit at home type of person. But there are lots of work things I’ve been neglecting, so today I brought my lap top and to do list over to The Bux in order to get some things done.

This week has been pretty good about feeling like I’m back on track. I haven’t really talked about it,  but most of this month I just haven’t been feeling like I’ve been making the best choices for my body. Too many extra cookies and treats, too many skipped runs, and just a general lack of motivation. I know it’s normal, and especially now that I believe I am fully capable of completing this half marathon, and it’s now dark and cold at the time I used to run, it’s easy to justify hitting the snooze button. But this week has been better. There’s been some spinning.

Some running (well one day of running, but I also plan on running Friday and Sunday!)

And just in general more mindful eating. Don’t get me wrong, I still plan on enjoying the holiday treats, but I had been ignoring my tummy telling me when I was full and not stopping to think and decide if I actually really wanted something before eating it. If I really listen to my body and take my time to make decisions, I am 100x more likely to not feel guilty about what I eat because, honestly, sometimes I really do want to eat a cookie, and there is nothing wrong with that.

Yesterday was so exciting for me. You’re going to think I’m ridiculous, but whatev. I haven’t had a chance to really cook in what feels like forever. I’d been eating fast and easy and lots of TJ’s frozen enchiladas and Progresso light soups. Don’t judge me. But last night I invited my friend Ashley over for dinner which meant I had to actually cook. I had no idea what to make and no recipe, and I decided to throw something together and hope it turned out awesome. I’m really trying to get away from relying on recipes and take chances and try things that sound good to me. It’s okay if it doesn’t work every time, but last night was a huge success!

"Hey cute husband, make me look cute while I cook, ok?" Is that a slight double chin I see? Apparently Steve has forgotten the rules.

After dinner, Ashley and I baked some cookies. Yes, I’m crazy and actually have not quite hit my baking limit yet. I usually don’t like to bake with others because I’m a control freak a little particular, but Ashley was a great baking buddy and didn’t seem too put off by my bossiness. Sorry about that, Ashley. I hope you still want to be my friend after I spent the evening bossing you around like you were one of my students 😉

Look at us, baking together. It's as if I actually work well with others!

The dough was really yummy. I generally don't like the dough to healthier cookies (they always just taste so much better baked), but this dough was really good!

While we waited on the cookies to bake, Winston was working on his cuteness. He has to keep up with his sister 🙂

I've never met a dog that likes to be held as much as Winnie. Look at that face!

Finally our cookies were done and we got to decorate them!

Apparently when you buy your red food coloring at Walmart, what you actually get is pink frosting.

I can’t even tell you how nice it was to be able to spend the evening cooking and baking absolutely stress free. Happy holiday time to MEEEEE!!!!

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: baking, cooking, friends, running, spin

Salted Caramel Brownie Truffles

December 20, 2011 · by Ari ·

I had big plans for these. I heard that Starbucks had peppermint brownie cake pops and I was so ready to show them up with salted caramel brownie cake pops! I under cooked my brownies just slightly because cake pops are supposed to be soft and fluffy. Well, apparently they were a little too soft.

Fail. But some accidents can be happy accidents and I knew the brownies with the frosting I had created was too delicious to go to waste, so instead I give you truffles. They are so soft and gooey and fudgey and rich that you’d think they had a million calories, but in reality, you could probably have 2-3 and call it dessert 🙂

Salted Caramel Brownie Truffles

yield 18-24 truffles

  • 1 box either No Pudge brownie mix or TJ’s Reduced Guilt Brownie Mix (I’ve used both and they taste equally delicious)
  • 6 oz non fat vanilla yogurt
  • 4 oz fat free or reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1 tbs light whipped butter
  • 2 tbs caramel
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Fleur de Sel for sprinkling (Yes, I spent $10 on salt and it was worth it.)

Directions:

  1. Make brownies per package instructions baking until just slightly undercooked. You want the toothpick to come out mostly clean and make sure the brownies are set and don’t dent down when you press lightly on the top.
  2. Cool completely. Meanwhile, combine cream cheese, butter, caramel and vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar.
  3. The fun part! Spray your hands with cooking spray. Using your hands, literally dig into the brownies removing enough to make small 1″ balls.
  4. Dip rolled 1″ truffles into frosting coating the top (I learned this the hard way. Most of them I just rolled around in the frosting and they came out way less pretty than the one we dipped).
  5. Place unfrosted side down into mini muffin liners.
  6. Sprinkle tops with Fleur de Sel.

Filed Under: Brownies & Bars, Dessert, Snacks, Truffles & Cups · Tagged: baking, caramel, fleur de sel, happy accidents, recipe, truffle

Peanut Butter Pumpkin S’mores Cups

December 20, 2011 · by Ari ·

A few days ago, Kathleen posted a link to this recipe, and I just stared at it in awe. Ummm, yum. Yes please. I immediately mentally added it to my holiday baking list. I followed the concept with plans to only slightly modify, but ended up adding peanut butter at the very end, because what isn’t better with peanut butter? I was so excited when I tasted it that not only was the pumpkin butter a healthier replacement for actual butter, but the pb/chocolaye/pumpkin combo was so delicious!

Peanut Butter Pumpkin S’mores Cups

yield 24

  • 7  whole wheat graham crackers, finely crushed
  • 3 1/2 tbs pumpkin butter
  • 1/4 cup grain sweetened chocolate chips
  • 1 tbs peanut butter
  • dash vanilla
  • 12 large marshmallows, halved

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Combine crushed graham crackers and pumpkin butter. I just used my hands. Messy is fun 😉
  2. Line 24 mini muffin cups and spray liners.
  3. Drop 1 tsp of graham cracker mixture into each liner and press in with fingers to form cup base.
  4. Bake crust for 4-5 minutes until set. Place a marshmallow half in each cup, cut side down.
  5. Place back in oven for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Let stand for 5 minutes, then remove liners and transfer to cooling rack.
  7. Meanwhile, place chocolate chips and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in spurts of 30 seconds, stirring after each until melted. Add dash of vanilla.
  8. Drop approx 1-2 tsp chocolate/peanut butter mixture on each marshmallow, and cool completely.

Filed Under: Dessert, Holiday & Seasonal, Snacks, Truffles & Cups · Tagged: baking, peanut butter, pumpkin, recipe, s'mores

Holiday Baking 2011

December 19, 2011 · by Ari ·

You guys, I baked for 7 hours. Maybe 8. I packaged and wrote little cards while Steve photographed for an other hour or 2. This girl is t-i-r-e-d. But it’s so worth it. Every year I swear I am never doing this ever again, but I love baking for others and this year I did it the way I want. Everything is at least airing towards the side of healthier. Some things I did better than others. Like the S’mores Cups. You could probably eat like 4 and come out the same as a bowl of fro yo. Some things, like Puppy Chow, are hard to modify, but everything comes with slightly less guilt, but without being diet food. I like it. Here’s a little bit of what my day looked like and a sneak peak for the recipes that are coming your way this week!

I tried to make brownie cake pop and failed miserably. But don't worry, it was kind of a happy accident because I ended up with truffles. Truffles that will next time be prettier, but are to delicious not to share.

So.Much.Packaging.

Ta freaking da, yes?

"But mom, when do we get baked gifts?"

Alllll done 😀

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: baking, holidays

Pumpkin Fudge Crinkle Cookies

December 17, 2011 · by Ari ·

I wasn’t sure what to make for Friendmas dessert, so I asked Nacho if he had any requests and he replied saying something with pumpkin and cinnamon. I had been craving some chocolate crinkle cookies, so I put the two together. The result was gooey, fudgey and gone within 10 minutes 🙂

Pumpkin Fudge Crinkle Cookies

yield 16 cookies

  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 5 tbs raw cane sugar
  • 2 tbs Splenda
  • 1/4 cup egg substitute
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbs flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • dash salt
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
  2. Beat pumpkin, sugar and splenda until combined. Add egg substitute and vanilla.
  3. Beat in dry ingredients, then refrigerate covered for 1 hour.
  4. Preheat oven to 350. Combine powdered sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  5. Form dough into small balls, then drop and cover in powdered sugar.
  6. Place on greased baking sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.
  7. Transfer to wire rack or eat immediately when warm (that’s what we did).

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: baking, chocolate, cookies, pumpkin, recipe

Mint Chocolate Whoopie Pies

December 12, 2011 · by Ari ·

The time has finally come! The time to share my Food Blogger Cookie Swap creation! For those of you that don’t know, the way this swap worked is hundreds of bloggers signed up to take part of the giving that two fabulous bloggers organized. We were each sent the names, addresses and blog urls of 3 people who we would send a dozen cookies to each. I was so excited to get 3 people who were completely new to me! There are so many blogs out there, that it is always nice to be introduced to new ones.

The truth is, as soon as it came down to actually make the cookies, I started regretting my decision. I started to get a lot of anxiety about what to make and if other people would enjoy my baking or if they would think it was bad or if the cookies would stay fresh–this is still my biggest concern. The thing that I’ve noticed about my healthier baking is that if not stored perfectly, a lot of times things are likely to go stale a little bit faster. I feel like using less fat it is just a little easier for things to get dried out. Generally, however, if kept in air tight containers, I’m good. I was just nervous because this is a new recipe so I wasn’t sure about shelf life.

In true Ari fashion I waited until the day before send off day to bake my cookies. Also, the first day of tech week. Smart, Ari. So at 9pm after being at the theater all day, I got in the kitchen and was feeling less than thrilled. I had made pretty much this same cookie (I just had a few ideas to make it extra special 🙂 ) for my dad’s half birthday and it was such a huge hit that I changed my original cookie plan which involved chocolate, peanut butter and pretzels and went with this instead.

And everything seemed to be going well, and as planned.

Then they came out of the oven and looked like this.

Well, that looks different than before.

I still wasn’t sure what had happened, but I knew that they tasted good so I kept going for a bit, trying to get them together.

If you like cookies that are actually cake, you would have loved this first version.

Finally I admitted to myself that these were way too flimsy, and just not right. I couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong so I grumpily went to bed and decided I would get up and bake first thing the next morning. During my tossing and turning, it finally dawned on me!!! I had doubled the recipe (which when you are as bad at focusing as I am can be dangerous). Well, I had doubled everything….except the flour. I really thought I had doubled the flour, but going back through my steps, I realized I hadn’t. That’s why they turned out more like cake!

You can see the evidence in the dough

Batch 1:

Cake.

Batch 2:

Cookies!

Success.

Mint Chocolate Whoopie Pies

yield 40-50

Inspired by Can You Stay For Dinner‘s Vanilla Whoopie Pies with Chocolate Ganache

For the outside:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup light whipped butter, softened
  • 4 oz fat free cream cheese
  • 1 cup organic raw cane sugar
  • 2/3 cup Splenda
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup reduced fat buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 candy canes, crushed
  • green sprinkles (optional)

For the filling:

  • 12 oz grain sweetened chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup 2% milk
  • 1 1/2 tbs light whipped butter
  • 1 tsp peppermint extract

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, and spray with nonstick spray.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
  3. In a separate large bowl (I used my Kitchenaid), beat butter, cream cheese, Splenda and sugar together until light and fluffy.
  4. Add eggs one at a time. Add buttermilk and almond milk and beat until combined.
  5. Add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until just incorporated.
  6. Stir in vanilla extract.
  7. Using a sprayed tablespoon, drop cookies onto lined and sprayed sheet (for prettiest cookies, use your hands to roll after batter has been dropped).
  8. Sprinkle each cookie with crushed candy canes and green sprinkles (if it’s not the holiday season, you can omit the sprinkles).
  9. Bake for 10 minutes. The whoopie pies should spring back when you press them gently. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Begin the filling by placing butter, peppermint extract and chocolate chips in a medium-large bowl.
  11. Heat milk in microwave (or on stove if you’re more patient than me 🙂 ) until the top begins to bubble, but be careful not to heat too long.
  12. Pour in hot milk and mix well until chocolate is fully melted. Let cool and thicken(I put mine in the fridge for about 15 min).
  13. Spread a little chocolate on the flat side of one cookie, top with the flat side of a second and press together. Repeat with all cookies.

They look so much better this time around!

 

 

Happy holidays fellow food bloggers!!!

I really really loved the way these cookies came out. I hope that Emmamarie, Amy, and Monique enjoyed them!!! And thank you so much to Julie and Lindsay for putting this together!!

 

Filed Under: Cakes & Pies, Cookies, Dessert, Holiday & Seasonal · Tagged: baking, cookies, great food blogger cookie swap, holidays, recipe

Super Simple Pumpkin Brownies

November 13, 2011 · by Ari ·

Okay, I almost never do this, but sometimes it is just nice to bake something that take like 3 steps. Sometimes you can take a normal boxed baking good and make it your own and enjoy not having to spend hours preparing said delicious baked good. Every once in a while I do something like this

Oh my gosh! It's from a box! I know, you're horrified.

And of course, I don’t follow directions. I change it, and make it my own until it’s something more like this

Super Simple Pumpkin Brownies

yield 25 small brownies

  • 1 box TJ’s Reduced Guilt Brownie Mix or No Pudge Brownie Mix (or honestly, if you follow these directions, I bet you could use any brownie mix and still have it be at least healthier)
  • 1 cup pureed pumpkin
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 25 grain sweetened white chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease 8″ square baking pan.
2. Mix all ingredients except chips. It will take a few minutes and batter will be very thick.
3. Transfer to baking dish. If desired, top with chips.
4. Bake for approx 30 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Cut, plate and top with red fat pumpkin ice cream and sprinkles!

Taaaaddddaaaa!!!!

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: baking, brownies, pumpkin, recipe, trader joe's

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