My Valentine baby turned four years old today. His only request in regards to cake was that it be chocolate. He gets it honest. Normally, I just go with chocolate or vanilla buttercream frosting since we avoid artificial food coloring, then I remembered a suggestion from a fellow Feingold mom. Freeze-dried fruit. You can find it at most grocery stores or order it online. I like this organic brand (affiliate).

As it is Valentine's Day and red is M2's favorite color, I chose strawberry. My guys loved it! They said it's the best strawberry frosting they have ever tasted. No cloying fake strawberry flavor here. Sweetness with just a bit of tang. Naturally.

"It's better than anything you can buy, Mom." - Son, age 6

 "Just have to say that those cupcakes with that frosting were crazy good." - Text from Papa Bear

This is super easy to make and you have a variety of flavors to choose from. Mango. Blueberry. Banana. Raspberry. Peach. Strawberry. If you have a love affair with blueberries, check out these blueberry cupcakes with blueberry cream cheese frosting.

Make the Fruit Powder

1. Add about an ounce of freeze-dried fruit into your blender or food processor. 
2. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until it has all turned to powder. 

I used a 1.5 oz package and had enough left over for at least another batch of frosting or maybe cake batter. You can store the remaining powder in a recycled spice jar and it should keep for quite a while in a cool, dry place.

Make the Frosting

I'm going to cheat a bit here and not actually give you a recipe for frosting. {gasp} If you already have a favorite vanilla buttercream recipe, you can use that. If not, try this one. They are all fairly the same and any good cookbook will have a recipe for basic buttercream. I used organic cultured butter, organic powdered sugar, and unsweetened almond milk. After creaming the butter, simply add a teaspoon of the fruit powder in with the powdered sugar, increasing gradually until you reach the desired color and flavor intensity. Omit vanilla, if it calls for it. That's it. Easy Peasy.

What else can we add this fruit powder to?

• Plain organic yogurt
• Cake batter
• Oatmeal
• Smoothies
• Homemade fruit chews candy??

This post contains affiliate links.

Linked to Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Super Saturday Link Party, Homemaking Link-Up, Welcome Home Wednesday

Mexican Rice & Taco Bowls

No Mexican fiesta is complete without rice. This makes a fairly regular appearance on our menu, especially in one of our favorite meals - taco bowls. Of course, it makes a great side to tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc. It qualifies as comfort food in my book.



Mexican Rice

3-5 Tbl olive oil
2 c uncooked rice (I use organic brown or Basmati)
1/2 c onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed (1 1/2 tsp of jarred)
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cumin
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
4 c chicken broth

Heat oil in large deep skillet over medium heat, then saute garlic and onion until tender. Add rice to skillet, stirring constantly, until golden. Stir in salt, cumin, tomato sauce and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Brown rice may take longer.

Taco Bowls

Layer in a bowl:

• Mexican rice
• Seasoned ground beef (I use Laura's Lean or grass-fed)
• Black or dark red kidney beans (rinsed)
• Shredded cheese (we love Kerrygold Dubliner)
• Chopped Romaine lettuce
• Homemade salsa
• Diced avocado or guacamole
• Plain organic yogurt

Serve with tortilla chips (preferrable organic/GMO-free).

Linked to Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Super Saturday Link Party, Fight Back Friday

Homemade Yogurt Ranch Dressing

Near the beginning of our journey to healthier eating, I stopped buying ranch dressing. The primary reason was because we were avoiding dairy but also to avoid the preservatives and MSG. When we were ready to try dairy again, we tried a few natural and organic brands, but none of them passed our taste tests.

Currently, we are consuming dairy mostly in the form of butter, yogurt and, occasionally, cheese. I adapted this recipe from Linda's Lunacy by replacing the sour cream with yogurt and leaving out the buttermilk. If you need it thicker for dipping vegetables, use Greek yogurt or strain your regular yogurt through cheesecloth for a couple hours first. You can adjust the herbs to suit your preferences.



Yogurt Ranch Dressing

1 c mayonaisse (homemade or store-bought)

1 c plain whole milk yogurt

3/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp onion powder

3/4 tsp dried dill

3/4 tsp dried parsley

3/4 tsp sea salt

3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Whisk together in medium bowl, then transfer to glass jar with lid. Refrigerate for at least an hour to let flavors combine before serving. Keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Makes just over two cups and fits in a pint jar.



Linked to Super Saturday Link Party

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Just look at those chocolate-studded muffins. Don't you just want to pluck one right from your screen? While I would love to take full credit for them, I can only say that I know how to follow a recipe. The recipe for these little gems comes from Maryea at Happy Healthy Mama. I followed her recipe almost exactly, using honey instead of agave and choosing mini chips over regular. They are delicious! Now, when I'm in the mood for banana muffins, I'll have to choose between these and my other favorite recipe, Banana Nut Flax Muffins. Decisions, decisions...

*Tip: Suitable for Feingold Stage 1, if you replace applesauce with pear sauce.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

My family was deprived of biscuits for nearly a decade once I stopped buying canned supermarket biscuits. Well, except when we went to Cracker Barrel or my mom's. I tried a couple of whole wheat biscuit recipes, but they were usually dense and a little dry.

That is, until I found a recipe in Joy of Cooking - there's a reason that cookbook has been around for decades. This is my slightly adapted version. The biscuits turn out light and fluffy with the mild tang of buttermilk. Slather on some real butter and a smear of sorghum or jam and you will experience a little bit of Southern heaven.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits
(makes about 20-24)

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or white whole wheat)
1 cup unbleached AP flour
4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, coconut oil, or non-hydrogenated shortening (I use 1/2 butter, 1/2 coconut oil)
2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix first six ingredients in bowl or food processor. Cut in butter/coconut oil/shortening until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in buttermilk. If dough is too sticky, add one tablespoon of flour at a time until you are able to handle the dough. Knead it gently on a well-floured surface. Pat the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with two-inch biscuit cutter or juice glass and place on ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Handling dough scraps gently, you may pat out and cut again. Bake until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes.

Soaked option: Stir flour into buttermilk, cover, and soak for 12-24 hours before making. Then, cut butter into chunks and work into the flour mixture, along with the remaining ingredients. Knead and cut dough as directed above.

Tip: For soft sides and slightly higher rise, place dough rounds touching each other. For lightly crispy sides, space 1 inch apart on sheet.

Linked to Better Mom Monday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Titus 2 Tuesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Wonderful Food Wednesday, Welcome Home Wednesday, Natural Living Link-up.

Egg Sauce {Grandma's Recipe}

When I was little, my grandmother would fix egg sauce over toast for me when I spent the night. I had forgotten all about it until I ran across a recipe for a simple white sauce in Joy of Cooking several years ago. That sparked my memory and, now, my boys also love egg sauce over toast.

The recipe is simple and made from pantry staples. Milk. Butter. Flour. Eggs. Nothing fancy here. It is a just simple white sauce with chopped hard-boiled eggs stirred in. You could use the plain white sauce to cream vegetables too, although I've never tried that.

Egg Sauce

2 Tbs unsalted butter
2 Tbs unbleached AP flour
1 cup milk (I use whole, but you can adapt to your preferences)
2-3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled & chopped

Place butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until melted. Whisk in flour until smooth; stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and slowly whisk in milk. Return to heat and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Continue cooking and whisking until sauce is smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in chopped eggs.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over toast. (My favorite is sourdough.)

Linked to Better Mom Monday, Titus 2 Tuesday, What's Cooking Wednesday.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread {Homemade Holidays}

Over the years, I've given many different types of food gifts for the holidays. Hot cocoa mix. Cookie platters. Homemade candy. Fruit baskets. Themed food baskets. Restaurant gift cards (that counts, right?).

photo credit

My all-time favorite food gifts are quick breads, whether in the form of loaves or muffins. For gift-giving, you can put them in decorative pastry boxes or wrap them in cellophane, tied with a ribbon, and place them in a cute basket. They are versatile too. They can be eaten immediately or frozen for later. Quick breads can be breakfast, snack, or dessert. Sweet or savory. Healthy or indulgent. But almost always, they are quick and easy to make. To be honest, quick breads are my favorite holiday gifts because they are my favorite baked goods and it's just an excuse to make several different kinds at once. One for you, one for me...

Banana nut muffins and blueberry muffins are favorites with most people. Even people who claim to hate pumpkin have enjoyed my pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. If I remembered to put some zucchini in the freezer during the summer, then you can bet someone will be getting zucchini bread. During the holidays, I also like to make recipes that include the traditional ingredients: cranberries, orange, lemon, dried fruits, and nuts. Cranberry orange bread. Lemon poppy seed bread with a sugary lemon glaze. Oh.my.goodness.

Of course, coffee cakes make good gifts too. My favorite is chocolate chip coffee cake. Actually, it's the only coffee cake I ever make and I save it for special occasions. Nothing says special occasion like a cake made with butter, cream cheese, and chocolate chips, topped with cinnamon-sugar and pecans. If you lack self-control, do not make this. Consider yourself warned. If you would prefer something that is a little less rich, the following recipe may fit the bill.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread
(slightly adapted from Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking magazine)

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup rapadura (or sweetener of choice)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp, plus 1 1/2  tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 lg. egg
1 cup (8 oz) plain whole milk yogurt
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk egg, yogurt, oil, and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients only until moistened. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Spoon a third of the batter into a greased 8"x4" loaf pan. Top with a third of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Repeat layers twice. Using a butter knife, swirl the batter.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Do you give food gifts during the holidays? Or would you rather receive food? What is your favorite holiday food gift?


Linked to 4 Moms Link Up, Tasty Tuesday, Delicious Dish Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, Titus 2 Tuesday, Homemaking Link-Up, Better Mom Monday, Wonderful Food Wednesday.

The Easiest Summer Fruit Salads

Why eat only one sweet, ripe, summer fruit at a time when you can combine them for a taste sensation that will have you licking the bowl?

This is going to be a super short post since the recipe could not get any easier. Choose your combination of fruits (preferrable organic), wash them well, dice them and toss them in a bowl, then drizzle with a bit of honey, and stir gently.

That's it.  Enjoy! 

What is your favorite fruit salad combination? All berries? Citrus fruits? Every fruit you can find?

Sweet & Simple Fruit Dip

Did you know that there are a lot of ways to make fruit dip? I just wanted a healthier recipe that included Neufchatel cheese and Greek yogurt that was sweetened with maple syrup (and didn't include marshmallow fluff). Since I couldn't find any recipes that fit my requirements, I came up with my own. With just four whole food ingredients, it is sweet and simple.

Sweet & Simple Fruit Dip

8 oz Neufchatel or regular cream cheese, softened
8 oz (1 cup) plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
maple syrup, to taste

Using whisk or mixer, blend all ingredients until smooth. Start with 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup and add more as needed, until you reach desired sweetness. Cover and chill until needed or eat immediately.

Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake

This past Easter, my niece contributed a wonderfully moist strawberry yogurt cake.The tangy lemon glaze complements the sweet strawberries for a delicious treat. I never got around to asking for the recipe, but luckily I ran across it on Pinterest recently and traced the pin back to A Spicy Perspective. 

If you have been around here long, you have probably figured out that I like to tweak recipes to make them healthier, if possible. The only thing I altered was to reduce the sugar to 1 1/2 cups instead of 2. Trust me, you won't miss the extra 1/2 cup of sugar! You may even be able to reduce it a little more, either in the cake or the glaze. I also recommend using organic lemons and strawberries because you will be using the zest of the lemon (you'll avoid the waxes and fungicides used on conventional lemons) and strawberries are on the dirty dozen list. Of course, the next time I make this, I will try whole wheat pastry or whole white wheat flour and I may even use blueberries instead of strawberries. Click HERE for the recipe.

Green Awesomeness {AKA Pasta, Pesto and Peas}

Ina Garten's Pasta, Pesto and Peas

"Green Awesomeness" is the name given to this dish by our 10 year old neighbor. It is Ina Garten's Pasta, Pesto and Peas. Although her name is an accurate description of the dish, I like his name better, don't you?

This is the perfect summer picnic or potluck dish, as it's a nice change from the usual pasta salads. We had it for a simple dinner and the boys weren't complaining, that's for sure. Even my pea-hater ate it and just quietly pushed the peas to the side. It's not lacking in flavor (or calories, I'm sure) due to the pesto, Parmesan, spinach, lemon juice, and mayo. 

Needless to say, this one will be added to the recipe box. The changes I made were to use a 16 oz. box of mini bow tie pasta, fresh baby spinach instead of frozen, jarred pesto instead of homemade (the original recipe includes a pesto recipe), less than half of the mayonnaise, and omit the pine nuts. Oh, and I totally forgot to toss the pasta with extra virgin olive oil. If you wanted to make a more substantial meal with it, you could easily add cooked chicken.

With two of my big guys gone right now, we had plenty left over. I suppose you know what I'll be having for lunch tomorrow.  

Free eBooks

I never understood what all the hoopla over smart phones was about...until I got one. One of my favorite things is being able to download free ebooks from Amazon.com directly to my Android phone. Here are several free ebooks, but I don't how long they will be free, so be quick!

Fresh Fruit Pies, Tarts, and Galettes - Every Recipe has a Gluten Free Alternative

Grandma's Best Muffin Recipes (Grandma's Best Recipes)

Healthy Whole Grains, Easy and Delicious Soup Recipes

The Organized Kitchen: Keep Your Kitchen Clean, Organized, and Full of Good Food-and Save Time, Money, (and Your Sanity) Every Day!

Amazon's collection of free Classics eBooks are perfect for homeschoolers or anyone interested in good literature. Download Treasure Island or Gulliver's Travels for the next time you have to wait in the car for soccer practice to finish or while you are waiting to see the dentist.

Marinated Cucumbers

When we are eating away from home and my husband reveals another of his favorite foods, I try to find a recipe to replicate it at home. I found a simple recipe for one of my husband's favorite summer dishes in Joy of Cooking. I have only altered the amounts and omitted the onion to suit our family.

Marinated Cucumbers

4-5 cups peeled, sliced cucumbers (about 3 large cucumbers)

Sea salt

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tb sugar, dissolved in 2 TB water

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Chopped dill, garnish

In a large bowl, layer cucumber slices, sprinkling lightly with sea salt. Place a weighted plate or heavy bowl on top, cover large bowl, and refrigerate for two hours. Rinse the cucumbers in colander under cold water, drain, and pat dry. Return to bowl and toss with apple cider vinegar and sugar solution. Season with salt and pepper. Chill at least an hour before serving. Garnish with chopped dill, if desired.

Linked to Homemaking Link-Up.

Hearty Lentil Soup

Finally! I have found a lentil recipe that my family will eat. I started with Marie's lentil soup recipe and combed through the comments to discover the best ways to tweak it. The result is a hearty, flavorful thick lentil soup with lots of veggies. I finely chopped the veggies, letting my Vitamix do the work on the carrots, to get a more uniform texture and to disguise them for my picky eater, who has issues with food textures. Next time, I will probably use crushed tomatoes, like the original recipe calls for, or petite diced tomatoes. If you are going to save some for later, remove that amount and do not add the kale or spinach to it until you are ready to serve it.

Hearty Lentil Soup

3-4 Tb olive oil

1 onion, chopped

5 medium carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 bay leaf

2 tsp ground cumin

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

2 Tb tomato paste

2 cups dried lentils

8 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or half water)

1 cup ditalini or other small pasta

1/2 cup kale or spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced

2 Tb apple cider vinegar

Sea salt and cracked pepper, to taste

Parmesan, optional

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until veggies are tender.

Stir in garlic, oregano, basil, cumin, and bay leaf; cook for a couple of minutes.

Stir in lentils, water, chicken broth, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour, adding the pasta about 15 minutes before serving.

Just before serving, stir in kale or spinach and cook until it wilts. Add vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top each serving with grated Parmesan, if desired.

Linked to Tuesdays at the Table, Domestically Divine Tuesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Homemaking Link-Up, and Full Plate Thursday.

Applesauce Muffins

Applesauce isn't just a kid's snack. It makes delicious, moist muffins. The original recipe for these applesauce muffins came from Marilyn at The Urban Homemaker. The only adjustments I made, other than doubling the recipe, were to use organic virgin coconut oil, half honey/half maple syrup, and add a handful of unsweetened coconut, along with the walnuts and raisins. These muffins have a great texture and are springy, not crumbly at all. Everyone in my house loves them.

Applesauce Muffins
Makes 24 muffins

2 lg. eggs
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 cup honey (or 1/2 honey, 1/2 maple syrup or other sweetener)
3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix egg, oil, applesauce, and honey in medium bowl; set aside. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder & soda, and spices. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients, stirring only until moistened. Gently fold in nuts, raisins, and coconut, being careful not to overmix. Fill oiled or lined muffin tins 2/3 full. (I ran out of liners, so I used coconut oil to grease the cups and it worked perfectly.) Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden and springs back when touched. Let sit in pan for just a minute before removing to wire rack to cool.

Linked to Tuesdays at the Table, Tasty Tuesday, Titus 2 Tuesday, Domestically Divine Tuesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, and Homemaking Link-Up.

Homemade Pasta Sauce

I seriously thought about titling this post "I Left Paul Newman" but I was a wee bit concerned about the tabloid paparazzi showing up at my house. Up until recently, my pasta sauce of choice was Newman's Own Sockarooni. One night, I started boiling my spaghetti and discovered that I did not have Sockarooni in my pantry like I had thought. Ugh!

Since my options for a quick dinner were limited, I decided to forge ahead and make my own sauce using the giant can of whole tomatoes that I had purchased at Sam's Club. After all, that's why I had bought the can to begin with. That over-sized can that sat on the floor next to my pantry, sheltering dust bunnies for the past few months. {Ahem} I did a quick glance at the pasta sauce recipes in my trusty Joy of Cooking cookbook and got started.

My first attempt was pretty good, but since then, I've made our pasta sauce from scratch several times, tweaking and getting familiar with it. Now, I'm ready to share with my readers. Just in case there is someone else out there who is brave enough to leave Paul Newman (or whoever else may make your pasta sauce). I suggest looking at the ingredient list of your favorite pasta sauce and adjusting whatever recipe you use to reflect that. This is a great large family or once-a-month recipe.

Pasta Sauce (makes about 12-14 servings)

 

1 (102 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste (you could probably use two cans)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, minced (or 1-2 tsp. jarred minced garlic)
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. oregano
1-2 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
honey, to taste (I use about 1 tsp. to balance out the acidity)

Pour the undrained tomatoes into a large, shallow dutch oven or deep skillet. Heat over medium.

Using a potato masher, crush tomatoes until no large chunks remain. Add remaining ingredients.

Bring to a simmer. Simmer on low for several hours or until sauce is reduced and thickened, stirring occasionally. Taste and add more seasoning, if desired.

At this point, I remove half of it and put it in a large jar or gallon-size freezer bag to freeze for another meal later. If you use a jar, fill it leaving a few inches for expansion. With a freezer bag, make sure it's sealed (double-bag, if you're skeered), lay it flat on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid. Then remove cookie sheet and store the sauce horizontal or vertical, your choice. You don't have to use the cookie sheet, but it keeps the bottom of the bag flat instead of sagging through the gaps in the wire racks and making it a little more difficult to remove from the freezer.

We like a meat sauce, so I use ground beef that I pre-cooked with onions and garlic and froze. I add it about 15-20 minutes before serving and simmer until the sauce and meat are heated through. Serve over your favorite pasta and add a salad.

Linked to: Homemaking Link-Up, Tasty Tuesday, Healthy 2Day, Simple Lives Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday

Healthy Homemade Hamburger Helper

This is kid-friendly comfort food. Savory. Creamy. Hidden vegetables. While searching for a ground beef stroganoff recipe, I found Eating Well's Hamburger Buddy recipe {which is much prettier than mine}. I haven't had Hamburger Helper for... I don't even know how long. I can't honestly remember what it tastes like, but this is supposed to be just like it, only healthier. Then, as I was reading the comments to see how everyone made adjustments, I clicked through to Amelia's version. Armed with all of those suggestions for adjusting the original recipe, I began whipping up my own, also increasing the amount to feed my small army, of course. The results were delicious! All of us had seconds, even Miles. It's definitely going into the regular meal rotation, along with salad.

Here are the changes I made:

• I used a 32 oz. carton of organic beef broth and added about 1-2 cups of water with the pasta.
• I used 3 carrots {probably 4 next time} and a 16 oz. box of farfalle pasta.
• I added extra garlic, 1 tsp. thyme/1 tsp. oregano instead of all thyme, and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
• The original recipe recommends using a food processor to chop the veggies, but the commentors said that it pureed them instead. So I used the mince grid on my handy dandy Vidalia Chop Wizard for the onions and mushrooms. I diced the carrots by hand and used jarred minced organic garlic.

Linked to Homemaking Link-Up and  Better Mom Mondays.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Many years ago, I received this chocolate chip cookie recipe in some kind of recipe club mailing. I didn't join the club, but I held onto the recipe because it's the best one I've tried so far. It's fairly standard as far as chocolate chip cookie recipes go, except for a couple of tweaks that make all the difference. The oats and lemon juice are the special ingredients, so do not omit them unless you want plain ole' chocolate chip cookies.

Be advised that these are not healthy cookies. But when you just have to have chocolate chip cookies, they are a much better choice than store-bought or refrigerated rolls. My boys love them but I don't double the recipe because one or two of these big cookies is definitely enough for each of us. Be sure you have your favorite white beverage on hand before making these. You're going to need it!

 

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 18-20 large cookies

1/2 cup regular rolled oats, plus 1/4 cup
2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry or unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 cup lt. brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon juice (do not omit)
2 eggs
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (mini give the best texture, IMHO)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1/2 cup rolled oats in blender or food processor and process until finely ground. Combine oat flour, extra 1/4 cup oats, pastry flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in medium bowl. In mixer bowl, cream together butter, sugars, vanilla, and lemon juice. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, blending well. Add the chocolate chips and nuts to the dough and mix well by hand.

You may use a cookie scoop for regular-size cookies or an ice-cream scoop for large cookies. I use an ice-cream scoop, filling it about 3/4 full and placing the rounded mounds of dough about 2 1/2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. This way, you'll get about six on the sheet at a time. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until lightly browned around bottom edge and just set on top. Remove and let sit for a minute before transferring cookies to wire rack to finish cooling. Store in sealed container.

Personally, I like them better after they have cooled completely or sat overnight, but feel free to consume while warm. :)

Linked to Homemaking Link-Up and Tasty Tuesday.