Trail Mix Cookies

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We are heading to the beach for a week...yea! So just a short post for now. Anyway, I wanted to bring along some hearty and hopefully somewhat healthier, cookies for us to snack on during the week. I came across quite a few recipes for trail mix cookies that seemed to fit the bill. I took some elements from a several recipes and came up with these cookies. This recipe is open to endless interpretation, so use whatever combo of dried fruits and nuts that you want.

Trail Mix Cookies
(printable recipe)
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour or a mix of white and wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips or chunks
1 1/2 cups total of any mixture of dried fruits and nuts. (I used cranberries, almond slivers, and raisins)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla.Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Mix into butter mixture. Add rolled oats, chocolate chunks, and dried fruits and nuts. Roll into balls ( I made mine 2" because I wanted a big cookie), place on an ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet, and flatten slightly. Bake 10 to 15 ( depending on how big you made your cookies) minutes or until bottoms are golden, not browned. Cool on pan for
5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about two dozen cookies

Other great recipes for trail mix cookies:

Healthy Trail Mix Cookies

Trail Mix Energy Cookies/Breakfast Cookies

Celebrate World Nutella day with Nutella Truffles

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We all have our favorite days of the year, be it Christmas, Thanksgiving, your birthday, whatever. Well February 5th would have to be would have to high on my list. Want to know why? It just so happens to be World Nutella Day! Yes that's right an entire day set aside to celebrate Nutella and all the wonderful ways you can use it. I usually just stick a spoon in the jar and eat it straight from the spoon, but in honor of World Nutella day, I thought I'd put in a little more effort. Although these are a little more effort that just licking Nutella from a spoon, these truffles are super easy and sooo delicious.

Two of my favorite bloggers Sara of Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle of Bleeding Espresso came up with the idea for World Nutella Day 5 years ago. Check out their blogs for more mouthwatering Nutella recipes. Happy World Nutella Day!!

Nutella Truffles
Printable recipe


1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup Nutella
3/4 cup finely chopped, toasted hazelnuts
Wax paper or parchment paper
Method: 
Microwave first 3 ingredients in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Let cool 10 minutes.
Beat chocolate mixture at medium speed with an electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes or until whipped and smooth. Cover and chill 2 hours or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread chopped hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in oven for about 5 minutes or until the nuts start to turn a golden brown. Keep a close eye on the nuts because they will burn quickly. Remove from oven and allow them to cool completely.
Shape chocolate mixture into 1-inch balls, using a small ice-cream scoop. Roll in chopped toasted hazelnuts. If chocolate mixture becomes too soft to shape, refrigerate until firm. Place on wax/parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Chill 1 hour before serving. Truffles can be stored up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Rosemary Spiced Nuts.

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 These are the best spiced nuts I've ever made. I've made them for parties for a couple of years now and they are always devoured. I served them for a gathering I had at my house earlier this week, and one of my guests dubbed them crack nuts She swore she was addicted after one hit. Okay maybe they aren't quite that addictive but I dare you to stop with just one handful. These nuts are great for parties or to put them in cello bags tied with ribbons and give them as hostess gifts, either way your recipients will think you're amazing. (just reaffirming what you already know! ha ha) 

I had a hard time finding unsalted nuts the first time I made these so I used salted mixed nuts and left out the salt and they worked just fine. Any nuts will work in this recipe except Brazil nuts, they contain a lot of oil and the spice mixture can't stick to them. I just pick them out and use the regular mixed nuts.

Rosemary Spiced Mixed Nuts 
(printable recipe)

source: Fine Cooking

1 lb. (4 cups) mixed unsalted nuts (if using salted nuts omit adding salt in recipe)
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. dark brown sugar
2 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt (omit if using salted nuts)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Scatter the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake, shaking the sheet a couple of times during baking, until the nuts are nicely toasted, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, set a small heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in the coriander and cumin and toast until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter, brown sugar, rosemary, and cayenne. Return the skillet to low heat and stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, 2 to 2-1/2 minutes. Keep warm.
Put the nuts into a large bowl, pour the warm spiced butter over the nuts, and add the salt (omit salt if using salted nuts. Stir until the nuts are well coated. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Let the nuts cool completely.