Simple, Easy, Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Simple, Easy, Banana Oatmeal Cookies

My cousin made these and posted a picture of them on Instagram and I just had to try them. I'm trying to eat a little healthier and I always make such delicious, probably not so healthy treats. So when my cousin told me how easy this recipe was that only uses 2 ingredients, I got excited to try it.

Ingredients:

4 medium (7" to 7-7/8" long) Bananas 

2 cup Oats

dark chocolate chips (optional)

You can also use Craisins, raisins, milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, walnuts, almonds, etc.

My cousin also used honey in her recipe to add to the sweetness. This is of course optional.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix bananas, oats, and dark chocolate chips together. Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Enjoy! :)

S'mores Cookie Squares

S'mores...who doesn't like them? Found a recipe that inspired me to create these little treats.

Ingredients:
11 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (I used a little less)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (or whatever type of chocolate chips you prefer)
1 cup mini marshmallows
3 regular sized Hershey's bars, broken into pieces
1-2 packages of graham crackers, broken into squares

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing electric mixer (I used a hand electric mixer), cream butter with white and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixer and combine on low speed. Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour to overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking pans with parchment paper. Lay out graham crackers side by side on the pans as close as possible, almost touching. Place tablespoons of dough on graham crackers about 1 – 1 ½ inches apart. I averaged about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough per graham cracker square as seen in the picture above. Press down slightly with fingertips.

Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven to press Hershey’s bar pieces on to the top. You can place as many pieces or as little as you want depending how much chocolate flavor you want.

Bake for an additional 5 – 7 minutes or more if your cookies are thicker. They will be done when the edges begin to turn golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool. For clean cutting make sure cookies are completely cool and cut with a sharp knife.

Enjoy! :)

from http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/06/smores-cookies.html

Mint Oreo Cupcakes

For those of you who love mint, chocolate, and Oreos as much as I do, you will enjoy this treat!
I modified my Oreo Cupcake recipe, to create this Mint Oreo recipe. I just replaced regular Oreos with mint Oreos. I also didn't place a whole Oreo in the bottom of the cupcake liners this time. And finally, I used pure mint extract in the frosting.

Ingredients:

1 package Mint Oreo Cookies, regular size

1 package chocolate cake mix (and ingredients to make according to box)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
cupcake liners
Pure mint extract (I used about 1/2 tsp)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix the packaged chocolate cake mix according to the instructions given on the box. Take two sleeves (rows) of the package of regular sized Mint Oreos, chop them up coarsely, and add to cake batter. Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners. Fill the cupcake tins with Oreo cake batter mix. Bake for according to boxed cake directions or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. When cupcakes are finished, take them out and let them completely cool! If they are not completely cooled off before frosting them, they will melt the frosting.

For the frosting:

Cream together the butter and cream cheese. I did this using a hand electric mixer. Add powdered sugar slowly until blended well. Chop remaining regular-sized Mint Oreos very fine. I put the remaining Oreos in the food processor until finely crushed. Making sure they are finely crushed is important so that no Oreo chunks get stuck in the tip of your piping bag. Add finely crushed Oreos to cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar mix. When I tasted the frosting, it didn't taste as minty as I like it so I kept adding pure mint extract a few drops at a time, and mixing it up until it tasted minty enough for me. I use gallon Ziploc bags as piping bags. Put all the frosting in the Ziploc or piping bag, and cut a little bit off a corner of the bag. Push all the frosting in the bag towards that corner. After cupcakes have cooled off completely, frost them with your piping bag, starting on the outside of the cupcake, working your way in.

Keep cupcakes refrigerate. Let them thaw out before eating them out of the fridge so that the frosting is creamy.

Enjoy! :)

Oreo Cupcakes

I love chocolate and of course love Oreos, so I couldn't pass down making this recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients:

1 package Oreo Cookies, regular size
1 package Mini Oreo Cookies (optional)
1 package chocolate cake mix (and ingredients to make according to box)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cupcake liners

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Mix the packaged chocolate cake mix according to the instructions given on the box. Take half of the package of regular sized Oreos, chop them up coarsely, and add to cake batter. Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners and place a whole Oreo in the bottom of each liner. Fill the cupcake tins with Oreo cake batter mix. Bake for according to boxed cake directions or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. When cupcakes are finished, take them out and let them completely cool! If they are not completely cooled off before frosting them, they will melt the frosting.

For the frosting:
Cream together the butter and cream cheese. I did this using a hand electric mixer. Add vanilla, then add powdered sugar slowly until blended well. Chop remaining regular-sized Oreos very fine. I put the remaining Oreos in the food processor until finely crushed. Making sure they are finely crushed is important so that no Oreo chunks get stuck in the tip of your piping bag. Add finely crushed Oreos to cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla mix. I use gallon Ziploc bags as piping bags. Put all the frosting in the Ziploc or piping bag, and cut a little bit off a corner of the bag. Push all the frosting in the bag towards that corner. After cupcakes have cooled off completely, frost them with your piping bag, starting on the outside of the cupcake, working your way in. Once frosted, decorate with mini Oreos.

Keep cupcakes refrigerate. Let them thaw out before eating them out of the fridge so that the frosting is creamy.

Enjoy! :)








adapted from http://www.instructables.com/id/Death-By-Oreo-Cupcakes/