Peanut Butter Date Cookies

This non-bake cookie combines the pleasant flavors of pecans and dates.  Children love to make these cookies and to eat them.

 

INGREDIENTS

1-1/2 cups natural salted peanut butter             1 cup raisins

1/2 cup honey                                                              1-1/2 cups finely chopped pecans

1 teaspoon vanilla extract                                      1 cup chopped dates

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Mix the peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and salt in a medium-size bowl.
  2. Add the raisins, finely chopped pecans, and dates to the liquid ingredients and mix well. Pecans should be chopped in a food processor so they resemble crumbs or coarse meal.
  3. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours to stiffen. Remove dough from the refrigerator and break off pieces of dough, making balls 1” in diameter.  Roll the balls in shredded coconut, sesame seeds, or chopped pecans.  Cookies may be a bit oily depending on the consistency of the peanut butter.    Makes 50 cookies.

Coconut Orange Muffins

James had a sidekick named Joe, and they lived in an apartment above a storefront a few blocks from the bakery.  Joe did not come to the bakery to sit around or work, but he and James would stop in for a while or he would come looking for James at the bakery.  Joe often appeared to have business or other concerns on his mind.  After visiting a few minutes, he and James would take off, strolling down Clark Street to do whatever they needed to do.  I never knew Joe’s profession, and I didn’t ask.

INGREDIENTS

2-1/3 cups whole wheat flour                                     1/2 cup honey

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda                                       1/3 cup oil

1/2 teaspoon salt                                                             3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg                                                    2/3 cup orange juice (from 2 medium                                                                                                              oranges)

2/3 cup shredded coconut                                          2 tablespoons orange peel

1 large egg, beaten

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Mix the flour, soda, salt, nutmeg, and coconut in a bowl.
  2. In a separate large bowl, mix the honey, oil, yogurt, orange juice, peel, and beaten egg.
  1. Pre-heat the oven to 400o Lightly oil 12 muffin cups.
  2. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients so the dry ingredients are moistened and the batter is homogeneous. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups so they are ¾ full.

Bake the muffins for 25-27 minutes until firm and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Remove the pan from the oven and take the muffins out of the cups to cool on a wire rack

Sweet Potato Muffins

       This is a spice muffin with nuts and raisins where the sweet potato provides moisture, a pleasant texture, and an attractive reddish hue.

 

INGREDIENTS

1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour                                   1/2 cup honey

1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda                                    1 tablespoon dark molasses

3/4 teaspoon salt                                                       3/8 cup oil or butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon                                                3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 teaspoon nutmeg                                                   1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato

1/3 cup raisins                                                            1 large egg, beaten

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a bowl mix the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
  2. In a separate large bowl, mix the honey, molasses, oil, yogurt, sweet potato, and beaten egg.
  3. Pre-heat the oven to 400o Lightly oil 12 muffin cups.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients so that the dry ingredients are moistened and the batter is homogeneous. Mix in the raisins and chopped walnuts and spoon the batter into the muffin cups so they are 3/4 full.
  5. Bake the muffins for 25-27 minutes until firm and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and take the muffins out of the pan and put them on a wire rack to cool.