Peanut Butter Oat Bites

October 19, 2011 by

A recipe from the April 2011 issue of All You (original here). The note with the recipe explains, “These delicious treats are best served with a tall glass of milk.” That’s true of most cookies though.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped lightly salted dry-roasted peanuts

Directions

  1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Remove pan from heat and stir in peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, honey and vanilla.
  3. Stir in Rice Krispies and oats and allow mixture to cool.
  4. Stir in raisins and chocolate chips.
  5. Form mixture into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball in chopped peanuts, pressing to coat.
  6. Makes 24 cookies.
  7. Store in refrigerator.

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Monster Cookies

December 25, 2010 by

For Christmas day, there’s nothing like Monster Cookies, the best in over-indulgent cookies. I found the recipe five years ago in Paula Deen & Friends: Living It Up, Southern Style. I made them for the cookie exchange at work that year, and have returned to the recipe whenever I want the perfect treat. Monster Cookies are the twenty-fifth of my 25 Cookies of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 1¼ cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • ½ cup M&M’s
  • ½ cup chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup raisins
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 4½ cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  3. Mix eggs and sugars in large mixing bowl.
  4. Add salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix thoroughly.
  5. Add baking soda and oatmeal, combining well.
  6. Stir in M&M’s, chocolate chips, and raisins.
  7. Drop cookies onto prepared cookie sheets.
  8. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.
  9. Let cool 3 minutes before moving to wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Store in tightly covered container.

Time Required: 45 minutes

Servings: about 3 dozen

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Oatmeal Carmelitas

December 24, 2010 by

This recipe comes from someone I worked with at NCTE, Sharon. She brought them to a cookie exchange we had at the office, and I became thoroughly addicted. Oatmeal Carmelitas are the twenty-fourth of my 25 Cookies of Christmas.

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 cups all-purpose or unbleached flour
  • 2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
  • 1½ cups brown sugar, firmly packed
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1¼ cups margarine or butter, softened

Filling

  • 6 oz. pkg (about 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup chopped nuts
  • 12 oz jar caramel ice cream topping
  • 3 tbsp flour

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease 13" x 9" pan.
  3. Measure flour by dip-level method into large mixing bowl.
  4. Blend in remaining crust ingredients with electric mixer at low speed until crumbly.
  5. Press half of crumb mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Set remainder aside for topping.
  6. Bake for 10 minutes
  7. Sprinkle warm crust with chocolate chips and nuts.
  8. In small bowl, combeing caramel topping and 3 tbsp flour.
  9. Drizzle caramel mixture evenly over chocolate chips and nuts.
  10. Sprinkle with remaining crust mixture.
  11. Bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown.
  12. Cool completely. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set.
  13. Cut into bars.

Time Required: 45 minutes plus cooling time

Servings: about 3 dozen

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Blueberry Oat Bars

December 5, 2010 by

My mother loves blueberries. She starts nearly every day with a blueberry bagel smothered in blueberry preserves. When I found this simple recipe for blueberry cookies, I was pretty sure I found a new cookie she’d love. Blueberry Oat Bars are the fifth of my 25 Cookies of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg blueberry muffin mix
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • 5 tbsp butter
  • ½ cup blueberry preserves

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Grease 8" square pan.
  3. Rinse and drain blueberries from muffin mix.
  4. Combine: dry muffin mix, oats, and sugar.
  5. Cut in butter.
  6. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of crumb mixture.
  7. Press the rest on bottom of greased 8 inch square pan.
  8. Gently fold blueberries into jam, and spoon over crumb mixture in pan.
  9. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over jam and press lightly into berry mixture.
  10. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
  11. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Variations

  • Create Cranberry Orange Oat Bars by substituting cranberry-orange muffin mix and orange marmalade.

Time Required: 35 minutes

Servings: 9–12 cookie bars

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