Month: February 2020

Basic B Oatmeal Cookies

Snicky snackys are my downfall.  Pub mix. Cheez-Its. Chex mix.  Trail mix (though the fact that nuts aren’t my favorite save me a little here).  I love it all.

This is why I never have them in our house.  It’s also why I know better than to go to Target on a busy Saturday afternoon when I’m hungry.

But, I did and I was and so a Handful of Everything  trail mix ended up in my cart.

There I was, trying not to lose my mind in our local “newly redesigned” Target (which is code for they want to sell more stuff so they’ve narrowed each aisle just enough that the carts can’t pass one another achieving what is effectively a very subtle but no less psychologically hostile Thunderdome).  While I had a list, I didn’t completely know my way around the new layout and so accidentally ended up in the snicky snaky aisle.  Oops.

I spied the Handful of Everything trail mix and suddenly Meredith Brooks was belting out “I don’t envy you, I’m a little bit of everything, All rolled into one, I’m a bitch, I’m a lover, I’m a child, I’m a mother…”

This happens to me all the time, Allie McBeal style.  I’m not kidding.

So, in order to not eat the entire container, I made cookies and the Basic B cookie was born.  Because we all know, there is no such thing as a Basic B.

You get it right?  I’m using it ironically, hipster style.  Please don’t call anyone a Basic B.

Basic B Oatmeal Cookies

inspired by a basic recipe from All Recipes

Ingredients

  • 3 C all-purpose flour
  • 1 TBS baking powder
  • 1 TBS baking soda
  • 1 TBS ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 C, 3/4 pound/ 1 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 C granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 C packed golden brown sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temp
  • 1 TBS vanilla
  • 3 C old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking/ 1 minute)
  • 7 C assorted goodies. I used all but about an ounce of the 27 ounce container of Archer Farms Handful of Everything trail mix.  If you go for the trail mix, chop mango and break-up banana chip pieces. Could could also use any combination of chocolate chips, coconut, dried fruit, nuts, M&Ms etc.

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Set aside.
  2. In bowl of a larger stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, cream butter until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.  Gradually beat-in both sugars.  Cream another 3-4 minutes.
  3. Beat-in eggs one-at-a-time, beating in between.  Beat in vanilla.
  4. Fold-in flour mixture until just combined.
  5. Fold in your goodies.
  6. Depending on the size of cookie you want, roll 1/4 scoops (bigger) into balls or, my preference, 2 TBS scoops (smaller).  Roll all dough and allow to rest in the fridge for a couple of hours to over night.  Once very cold, these will also freeze well to be baked-off at a later time.
  7. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment.
  8. For large cookies, bake 15-17 minutes (10-11 for smaller) until the edges are lightly browned.  Don’t forget to rotate pans halfway through.
  9. Allow to cool completely before picking up.

Honey, please do!

These are a take on the honey cake often served at Rosh Hashanah.  I am cognizant that from a timing perspective, I’m off by not just the Rosh Hashanah holiday, but also the Western calendar and the Lunar New Year.  Since I’ve missed a hat trick of New Years and the fiscal new year is still a couple quarters off, how about we celebrate the start of February?

Speaking of new years and February, I had a little bit of a revelation this early 2020.  Each year I ride the struggle bus through January.    It’s dark, I’m tired from the holidays and generally not in a ‘let’s get this party started’ mood come January 1st through, well, let’s be honest, 20th.  I’m tired of beating myself up over it.  So, going forward, I’m declaring January as the transition month to the new year.  I’ve decided it’s just fine to spend the first couple of weeks focused on putting one foot in front of the next as I shake off the holiday indulgence and stress.  I’ve also decided it’s great to gently nudge and nurture my ideas for goals on the next trip around the sun rather attempting to do it in the hectic lead up to the first day of the year.

So my friends, happy new year.

The apple butter (or apple sauce) helps to keep these moist. And, the spice profile is just sassy enough to make things interesting.

I’ve made muffins for this post but also give the bundt instructions below.  These would be really nice served for a new year’s (you pick) brunch to be topped with additional apple butter, cream cheese or maybe just a little good butter.

Honey Cake Muffins

Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 C (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 C water
  • 6 TBS unsweetened apple sauce or apple butter
  • 1/4 C (2 ounces) vegetable oil (I used grape seed)
  • 1/4 C ( 2 ounces) orange juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 C (20 ounces) honey
  • 1/2 C Trader Joes honey almonds (optional).

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees.  If making muffins, line 24 cups with liners (I got 23 muffins from this recipe–you could squeeze to 24 I think).  If making a cake, heavily spray a 12-cup non-stick Bundt pan with baking spray, then flour or, get some Bak Clean–it’s worth the sticker shock.
  2. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, water, applesauce or apple butter, oil, orange juice and vanilla.
  4. Whisk wet mixture into dry mixture until fully incorporated.
  5. Evenly portion  batter into cups or pour batter into Bundt pan. Top with slivered almonds if desired.
  6. For muffins, bake 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.  Bake 45-60 minutes if doing Bundt.
  7. Let cool in tins for 10 muffins, then gently remove and allow to cool completely on rack.