Flourless Chocolate-Almond Butter Cookies

A few months ago I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Two things really, reeeeaally irk me about this:

a. I have pretty much no risk factors for this condition. In fact, everyone who knows about it--including my doctors--are very much surprised by it. So there I was going along, living my happy, mostly healthy life, and then BAM! Gestational diabetes. So lame.

And b. I love sweets. Seriously, love them. However (going back to that mostly healthy life thing), I've worked hard at keeping them to a minimum. We almost never have sweets during the week. During the weekends, I'll make a batch of cookies or something, but other than that, sweets are for special occasions or when we have plenty of people over to help eat them. You can imagine how hard this has been.

This kid better worship me.

That being said, my diabetes isn't very severe. I can have the occasional treat and it doesn't seem to spike my blood sugar too high. Which brings me to the recipe. I based it off of this recipe. By taking out the flour, most of the carbohydrates are gone. I've also lessened the sugar a little bit. I am so pleased with the outcome! It's one of the best low-carb cookie recipes I've made so far. And the best part? You don't need to substitute with anything like Splenda--bleh!

Flourless Chocolate-Almond Butter Cookies
1 c. almond butter (or you could use all-natural peanut butter, but make sure the oil is all stirred in)
1 1/2 T. dark cocoa powder
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg, whisked
pinch of salt
capful of vanilla extract
handful of chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix together all ingredients except chocolate chips. The batter will be stiff. Toss in chocolate chips and stir.
3. Using a cookie scoop (or your hands to form into balls) place the cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a fork to press a criss-cross pattern into the top.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate. Bake 2 more minutes. Cookies should be firm in the middle. Let cool on pan for about 5 minutes then remove to cooling rack. 

Double Chocolate Killers

Okay, I'm warning you right now--don't do it.

Now that you're duly warned, here's the recipe:

• Chocolate Killers:
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Chocolate Ganache:

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

•  

• Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
  2. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until just barely cooked. 
  4. While killers cool a bit, make ganache.  Heat cream in heavy saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil around the edge (watch carefully).
  5. Put chocolate chips in bowl and pour hot cream over.  Let stand for about 1 minute.
  6. Stir in circular motion in a single direction for at least 1 minute until smooth.
  7. Let ganache cool until just warm.  Refrigerate to speed it up if desired.
  8. Pour ganache over warm chocolate killers spreading to the edge of pan.
  9. Let cool.  Cut into small squares. Keep in refrigerator.
  
  

S.C. Lemon Squares

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Confectioners' sugar
2 sticks margarine, softened
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice

Directions:
Mix 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Cut in margarine until crumbly. Press into well-greased 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake in 350-degree oven for 15 minutes. Combine eggs, sugar, and 1/4 cup flour in mixer bowl; mix well with electric mixer. Add lemon juice. Pour over crust. Bake 25 minutes longer or until light golden color. Sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar. Cool before cutting.

(from the 1980 National Grange Cookbook)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

These are so good, and yet so easy! You'll love them!

Ingredients:
1 c. peanut butter
6 T. butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
3 eggs
1 c. flour
chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Cream peanut butter, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla.
2. Beat in eggs.
3. Add flour and 1 3/4 c. chocolate chips. Spread in greased 9-by-14 in. pan.
4. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Take out, but before allowing to cool, sprinkle top with remaining chips - about 1/4 c.

No-Chill (!!!) Sugar Cookies & Cookie Canes

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 large egg
1 t. vanilla
2 t. baking powder
3 c. flour

1. Preheat oven to between 370-375.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. Add baking powder and flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix well.
4. Dough will be stiff. Divide in 1/2 and roll each about 1/8th of an inch thick.

*For Cookie Canes, die 1/2 the dough pink and add 1/2 t. peppermint extract to the other 1/2. Roll into 1-inch balls and then into snakes. Twist together and shape into a cane.

**Bake 8-12 minutes for either recipe.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

We ate over at a friend's house the other night and his new girlfriend made these cookies. They are so easy, and really good. We brought some vanilla ice cream which they go great with. The best part is, no matter how long you wait to eat them, they stay really moist.

1 box spice cake mix
1 can pumpkin
1/2 bag chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Blend cake mix and pumpkin together thoroughly. Add chocolate chips as desired. Bake 10-15 minutes. (Watch them closely for the last few minutes. They'll finish up nice and quick.)

That's it! Enjoy!

Hoot Owl Cookies

1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup cashew halves

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add baking powder and salt. Beat well. Add flour and mix until blended. Remove 2/3 of dough. Roll or pat dough out to form two 10 x 4 inch rectangles. Add cocoa to remaining 1/3 of dough. Mix until blended. (I use my hands to get it mixed enough. It's hard to do it with a spoon, of course I don't have a mixer.) Shape chocolate dough into two 10 inch long rolls. Place on rectangle and roll plain dough to cover chocolate dough completely, not including ends. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours.

Cut dough into 1/8 inch slices with a sharp knife. Place two slices side by side on a cookie sheet to resemble an owl's face. Pinch upper "corners" to resemble ears. Put chocolate chips in each dark circle for eyes and a cashew in the center for the beak.

Bake for 8 to 12 minutes in a 350-degree preheated oven, or until lightly browned.

Grammie Haskins' PeanutButter Cookies

I never even cared for peanutbutter cookies until I had these melt in my mouth.

Grammie Haskin's Peanutbutter Cookies

1 cup shortening (1/2 butter tastes good)
1 cup peanutbutter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients well. Shape into balls, press criss-cross with a fork. Bake at 350 until not quite done (8-10 minutes). After removing from oven, leave on baking sheet for a couple of minutes before putting on cooling rack.

GRAMMIE BOONE'S BLETHEN HOUSE MOLASSES COOKIES

My Grammie Boone always said that she was an "old-fashioned cook." She was the baker of choice for people all over my hometown. She baked for Collette's Restaurant and for the (lone) hotel, The Blethen House. She loved to bake and her family and friends loved to have her do it! These are the all-time cookie winners in my house--they taste like home. We nearly always double this recipe...

Grammie Boone's Blethen House Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup shortening
1 egg
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cassia (cinnamon)
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
Mix all ingredients well. Roll into balls and dip the tops in granulated sugar. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until tops are cracked.

Snickerdoodles

1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. stick margarine
1/2 c. shortening
2 large eggs
2 3/4 c. flour
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
orange zest

Mix sugar, margarine, shortening, and eggs until smooth. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until dough is stiff. Add orange zest. Roll dough into balls and dip in cinnamon sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Take out a little early and let them finish baking on the pan if you like them nice a soft.