Cranberry & Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

I have been so sleep deprived this week. Having worked six days in a row did not do much good to my energy level either. I wish I am one of those people who can sleep in for as many hours as they want. I was craving some sweet treats so I ended up making these cookies.
I love oatmeal cookies for their chewiness. These have dried fruits in them, giving them a lighter and fruity sweetness. I suspect they would taste really good with choc chips in them too~

Cranberry and Raisin Oatmeal Cookies, adopted from Baking Bites

1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wholemeal plain flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/4 cup rolled oats

1) Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2) In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Stir in vanilla extract.
3) In a separate bowl, mix together flour, wheat germ, baking soda and baking powder. Add in dried fruits.
4) Slowly incorporate the dry mixture into the butter mixture. Add in the rolled oats and stir well.
5) Drop 2.5cm balls on the lined baking sheet, about 2cm apart. Slightly flatten the balls. Baking for approx 11-12 minutes or until the edges start to turn brown. Leave cookies on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before putting them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Wholemeal oatmeal muffins with mixed dried fruits

After making all those sugary cakes and sweets I feel like baking something healthy. Something I can snack on during the week and not feel bad about it. Something that can help me through a eight-hour day and stop me from reaching for more jelly beans.
These muffins are exactly what I need. They are made with mainly wholemeal flour and rolled oats so they are really filling. They are quite light in texture but have a lot of bite in them. The muffins themselves are not sweet at all but the dried fruits make them really flavoursome. I used raisins, dried cranberries and dried goji berries but any other dried fruits, chopped toasted nuts and seeds should work well too.

Wholemeal oatmeal muffins with mixed dried fruits
(from Baking Bites)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup pack brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda pinch salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup mixture of raisins, dried cranberries and dried goji berry
1 cup rolled oats, slightly chopped
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup water

1) Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Line a muffin tin with baking cups.
2) In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in dried fruits and oats. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and water.
3) Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredient and pour in the milk mixture. Stir until just combined. Let stand for 20 minutes.
4) Spoon batter into prepared tins using a 1/4 C measuring cup.
5) Bake for 15-20 minutes, until muffins are golden brown and spring back when gently pressed.

These muffins smell absolutely amazing !!

According to my dad and many websites, goji berries are meant to be packed with antioxidants and really good for you. They are a bit dry and hard to bite into so probably not the best thing as snacks on their own. But they are great with porridge or muesli.
Plus they have an orangey-red colour that is so pretty!

PS As suggested by the original recipe, I divided the batter into halves and store one half in the fridge. It has kept very well over an entire week. It is still very moist and lumpy and easy to scoop out. And the muffins turned out to be equally delicious. I ended up adding three more minutes to cooking time.

Low fat choc chip almond cookies

These are probably the healthier cookies I have ever made and eaten. Low in fat, high in fibre, they can probably lower cholesterol level, I think. Don't be put off by how unphotogenic they are. They are chewy, moist, chocolatey and very satisfying. I brought them to work and people loved them. And you don't have to feel guilty while enjoying them. They are Low fat oatmeal choc chip almond cookies.
This is a really versatile recipe base that can turn into many variations. Skip the choc chips, add other dried fruits such as raisins, dried cranberries, dried strawberries, chopped walnuts, etc, to create your own version of low fat cookies :)

Adopted from Baking Bites

1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup wholemeal plain flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 2 tbsp wheat germ
1 tbsp cocoa powder (Should have used more - the dough did not turn out as dark as I wanted it)
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
1/2 brown sugar 1 egg
1/4 cup applesauce 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
toasted almond, chopped

1) Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2) In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, wheat germ and cocoa powder.
3) In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in egg, followed by applesauce and vanilla extract. Working by hand, stir in the flour mixture, oats, choc chips and chopped almonds until all ingredients is combined well.
4) Drop tablespoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking tray, flatten each cookie slightly. Bake for about 10 minutes. Cookies will be light brown at the edges when done. Let cool on the tray for 3-4 minutes to allow them to continue cooking. Then transfer to a wire rack to coll completely.

5) Store in air-tight container.

Before they went into the oven

After they are cooked

Only 2 tbsp of butter in ALL these cookies (plus one that I sampled after baking)
- didn't think that would be possible!

Homemade Muesli Bars

I've gone through phases with muesli bars. For a while it was a must-have in my emergency snack cupboard. I almost lived on it during WYD in 2008. But in the past 8 months I don't think I've had a single muesli bar. All of a sudden I find them dry, bland, unsatisfying. Lately I have started looking for baking recipes for healthier snacks. It wasn't until I came across some granola bars recipe I was reminded my previous liking for them. After stocking up on some seeds and nuts, I had my first attempt at home-made muesli bars.

These bars are really delicious and chewy and full of flavours. So simple to make and a thousand times tastier than the commercial ones. Ingredients that you can try include: chopped dried apples/dried apricot/dried dates, blueberries, peanut butter, almond extract, ground flax seed, choc chips, walnuts, sesame seeds, Rice Crispy, 1/4 all spice, choc chips etc. The list is endless. They can be kept well in the freezer. Wrap them individually in baking paper/foil to prevent them from sticking to each other.

2 cups rolled oats
1/5 pack brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup wholemeal flour
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup mixed dried fruits and nuts
1/4 cup mixed seeds
flaked almond
1/2 cup honey
110g apple sauce
1 egg, beaten
1/3 olive oil
2 tsp vanilla extract

1) Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees C. Line and grease baking square.
2) In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients evenly. Make a well in the centre and pour in egg, vanilla extract, oil, honey and apple sauce. Mix well and press mixture into the prepared pan.
3) Bake in the oven until bars begin to turn golden at the edges and slightly undone in the centre, about 20-30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and cut into bars while still warm.