Peppermint Patties

So, sorry I didn't get a chance to post this recipe before Christmas.  We enjoyed these cookies so much we made them a few times.  My cravings are returning this very moment just thinking about them!  Thanks to my friend who gave some to me for a Christmas treat, so I can now pass the recipe on to you.  Enjoy!

The ingredients are pretty simple:

1 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 sleeve of Ritz (or Ritz type) crackers
1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil
parchment paper

I should mention that all these ingredients are approximate.  When we made them we kept melting more chocolate and adding more oil to use up all the crackers we had.  I should mention that a mini crock pot is a very handy appliance to have when melting chocolate for something like this.

Begin by melting the chocolate with peppermint oil.  Dip one cracker at a time in the chocolate.  I found these small tongs worked great for dripping the excess chocolate off.

After you dip the cracker, place it on a parchment lined cooking sheet.  When the sheet is full, place in the freezer for about 10 minutes.  The cookies will pop right off when they are done.

Breakfast Cookies

I always relied on my granola bar recipe to fall back on for an easy grab breakfast or snack.  While I still love that recipe, my friend gave me this one that I really am enjoying.  I love it that it makes 60 cookies and that they can be frozen then thawed easily to be kept on hand for a filling breakfast enjoyed with a cup of tea.  It is extremely easy to customize to your liking.  They also are packed with very healthy ingredients.  These somewhat remind me of the Kashi cookies if you have ever tried them.  You may not have readily available all of these ingredients, but if you have any resolve to start eating healthier, you should make it a point to have them in your pantry anyway!  Speaking of customizing, the way I was given the recipe it called for using orange juice instead of apple cider and orange extract along with the vanilla extract.  My family likes the apple cider better, but be creative and let me know some of your ideas.

What you need:
1 cup dry, uncooked oat bran
3/4 cup apple cider
1 heaping cup of apple sauce, unsweetened
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup honey
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
3 cups wheat flour (or white or a combination)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup nonfat dry milk
2 1/2 cups oats (instant or old-fashioned)
1 cup nuts
1 cup raisins (or fruit of your choice)
1 cup ground flax seed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray or oil.  They will stick if you do not.  I thought it might be a good idea to tell you if you live near a Gordon Food Service they sell sheet pan liners that can be used by cutting in half to line a typical cookie sheet.  One sheet can be used over again a few times before having to replace.

Mix 1 cup of oat bran and 3/4 cup apple cider in a small bowl and let soak for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 1 heaping cup applesauce, 2 tablespoons canola oil, 1 cup honey, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract in a mixing bowl.  Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.

Measure 3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and whisk them together.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the honey mixture.

Add the soaked oat bran, 1 cup dry milk, 2 1/2 cups oats, 1 cup nuts, 1 cup raisins (or your choice of fruit), 1 cup ground flax seed.

Mix until well combined.

Drop my heaping tablespoons on your prepared cookie sheets.

Bake until lightly brown 12-14 minutes.

Enjoy with a tall cold glass of milk or a nice warm cup of coffee or tea!