Banana Oatmeal Cookies: 4 Ways

Banana Oatmeal Cookies: 4 Ways

Hi everybody : )

A few weeks ago, I won this lovely Quaker Oatmeal Gift package from Baker Street. It had these Banana Nut Bread Bars chock–full of almonds that was sooooo good I was craving more. So when I saw these cookies on Pinterest, I was hoping I can recreate those delicious bars.

Then I decided to try out some different flavors... so here we go.

From Baking Bites
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter, very soft
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup mashed banana (1 small/medium)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the sugars. Beat in egg and banana, followed by the vanilla extract. Gradually, on low speed or by hand, add in the flour mixture. Stir in the oats (either whole rolled oats or “quick cooking”) and chocolate chips.

 
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 11-14 minutes at 350F, until set and lightly browned.
Let cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 2 dozen cookies.

What I Did:
I doubled this recipe, divided the dough into 4 parts and added  1/4 cup of the add-ins as follow: 
1/4 cup almonds - 1st. part
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips - 2nd. part
1/4 cup butterscotch chip - 3rd. part
1/4 cup mixed walnut, coconut, and craisins - 4th. part


I used my medium OXO Good Grips Cookie Scoop, pressed them down a little and baked them for about 14 minutes. Tip: Wet hands with water before pressing; dough is sticky. I also sprinkled extra almond on top of the almond ones before baking.

What I Think:
These were DELICIOUS!! I'm soooo glad I tried this recipe, so there will be a repeat! You can really taste the banana in these. I'm going BANANAS over these cookies!!! BTW, the cookies tasted BETTER than the Quaker Oatmeal Banana Bread Bars... sorry, Quaker...I still love you :)

ENJOY! Come again....

Linked to: 
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This Week Cravings: Mom's Crazy Cooking 

Pizza-Stuffed Potatoes: Pizza In A Spud

Pizza-Stuffed Potatoes: Pizza In A Spud

Hi everybody :)

Still working on my cookbook mission I mentioned in my earlier post here; I bring you another recipe from my collection, Pizza-Stuffed Potatoes. Similar to a pizza dough made using cooked potatoes in its crust, in this recipe, the potato itself served as the crust. Therefore, eliminating the dough out of pizza :)  hee..hee... When I saw this, I thought it was such a great idea I had to share it. So here we go...

Pizza-Stuffed Potatoes From: CREATIVE COOKS' KITCHEN COOKBOOK

You Will Need

FOR THE POTATOES
4 large baking potatoes
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced pepperoni, divided
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small green pepper, cut in thin strips (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese ( I also added about 1/4 cup cheddar cheese)
2 tablespoons grated
Parmesan cheese

SERVES 4

PREPARING THE POTATOES
1. Preheat oven to 450°F Scrub the potatoes; pierce with a fork and rub with vegetable oil. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until fork tender, about 45 minutes.

 

 
2. Halve potatoes lengthwise and scoop out flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch-thick shell with skin. Set flesh aside.

Hallowed -Out Potato

3. Chop 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni. Cut remaining slices in half; set aside.
4. In a large bowl, mash together the potato flesh, sour cream, salt and pepper; add chopped pepperoni.( I add about 1/4 cup cooked ground beef to this)

Potato Filling

5. Spoon potato mixture back into shells and arrange on baking sheet.

Potato Halves with Filling

6. Top potatoes with tomato sauce, mushrooms, green pepper snips, remaining pepperoni, mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes. (It took me about 8-10 minutes)

Potato Halve Toppings

Variations:
Just as on a traditional pizza, you can vary the toppings on these stuffed potatoes for a whole new taste sensation.Try one of the following combinations:

TACO PIZZA: Browned ground beef, taco seasoning mix, salsa, diced green chilies, shredded Monterey Jack cheese

POLYNESIAN PIZZA: Pineapple chunks, ham or prosciutto, coconut 

VEGGIE PIZZA: Chopped roasted red peppers, eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes, grated Parmesan cheese

GOURMET PIZZA: Arugula, sliced artichoke hearts, sliced portabella mushrooms, sliced fontina cheese

GREEK PIZZA: Mini-shrimp, sliced Greek olives, crushed rosemary, crumbled feta cheese

PESTO PIZZA: Pesto, chopped fresh garlic, crumbled chevre cheese


What I think:
THESE WERE DELICIOUS!!! So glad I made them. I did add some ground beef to the potato filling and sprinkled a little cheddar cheese on top with the other cheeses. So this is definitely a repeat! You can also use this method and make Pizza-Stuffed Potato Skins!!!

UPDATE: These were soooo good I made them again, later tonight.

 


ENJOY! Come again...

Linked to:
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Zesty Buffalo Wings - Wings & Things

Zesty Buffalo Wings with Orange Dipping Sauce

Hi everybody :)

I winging out today. Buffalo wings, hot wings, chicken wings... while the name may change, these spicy tidbits remain a traditional favorite. They are often served with celery stalks and a cool, creamy blue-cheese dressing, but I decided to mix things up a little. When I saw this recipe for zesty wings with a orange glaze in my Creative Cook's Kitchen cookbook, I knew I had to give it a try.

You Will Need:

FOR THE GLAZE
3/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2  cup orange marmalade

FOR THE BUFFALO WINGS
24 buffalo wings (about 4 pounds)

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2  tablespoons honey mustard
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
SERVES 8

MAKING THE GLAZE

In a medium bowl, combine orange juice concentrate, vinegar, mustard, oil, hot sauce and pepper. Measure 1/2 cup of this orange mixture and combine with orange marmalade; set aside.

The Marinade

1/4 cup of Marinade + Orange Marmalade =

The Pasting Sauce

MAKING THE BUFFALO WINGS
Pour remaining glaze into a large resealable plastic bag. Add buffalo wings; shake to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

Wings + Marinade

Preheat oven to 450°F. Remove buffalo wings from glaze and place in a shallow roasting pan; discard glaze.

Brushing with Marmalade Mixture

Bake until chicken is almost cooked, 20-25 minutes. Brush with marmalade mixture; return to oven and bake until chicken is browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes longer.

Wings after cooking 7 minutes longer

Dipping  Sauce

MAKING THE DIPPING SAUCE
In a small serving bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, honey mustard and orange juice concentrate. Serve with hot buffalo wings.

If your a stickler for tradition here a great blue cheese dressing you can try :)
CLASSIC BLUE-CHEESE DRESSING
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3  cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/3 cup coarsely crumbled blue cheese

In a small serving bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream and hot pepper sauce. Add crumbled blue cheese and stir just to combine.

Tip: For easier cleanup, bake buffalo wings or other sticky finger foods on a wire rack inside the roasting pan.

Variations
Grilling 
This citrus-flavored glaze is great for dressing up chicken. For a simple summer dinner, use as a baste on skinless breasts while grilling.
 Other Meats
Try this recipe with a different type of meat. The glaze gives grilled braised pork ribs an incredible burst of flavor.

From:  CREATIVE COOK'S KITCHENS

What I Think:
If you like wings with a milder flavor, this recipe is for you. I think it needed a little more pop. The next time I make these, I would add some lemon zest to the mix (about 1 tablespoon), use lemon pepper in the place of plain, and up the hot sauce to 2 teaspoons. I had to admit, I was kind of skeptical about the dipping sauce after reading the ingredients, mayonnaise, sour cream, ....what??? But to my surprise, it turned out GREAT! It had a nice sweet creamy tangy flavor and added an extra boost to the wings. So, with the minor changes, I' d definitely make this again.

ENJOY! Come again...

Linking to:  
Showcase Your Talents Thursday # 20