Showing posts with label Cookies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cookies. Show all posts

5/19/25

Low Carb Keto No Bake Cookies (and a few other versions of vintage No Bake Cookies including those cooked in a saucepan)

 

 


 

I rarely post anymore and I've removed almost everything from my site except the bare minimum but once in a great while I still pop in to add a recipe as it makes it easy for me to find them myself.  And, at least for now I'm still keeping my site open to the public, so you get to enjoy all the collected recipes as well.  (I may start up again in the future and build the site back but life kicked me in the teeth (again) in 2024 and this site fell down on the priority list.)

The no-bake cookies my family (my Mother) has been making since the late 1970's and our family continues to make to this day are not the kind most people know as no-bake cookies as typically they make the ones you boil in a saucepan for 3 minutes.  I have that recipe, yes I make it sometimes, but the family favorite of our family is truly NO BAKE.

We make these without fail every single Christmas and various times through the year.  They have oatmeal, butter, cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla and powdered sugar, etc....  which a couple of which, are things we do not eat when we are eating low-carb and sugar free.  

Replacing the oats with flaked unsweetened coconut works well and I found a recipe that used a mixture of coconut, pecans and peanut butter; I found it to be pretty good - a 'keeper' anyway although it's not the keto low carb version I make when I do a copycat of my mother's version.  For now I'm keeping that one tucked away.

 

This version of a low carb, sugar free
No Bake Cookie

1 1/2 c crunchy peanut butter
1 1/2 c unsweetened coconut flakes
4 T butter
1/2 c powdered sweetener such as allulose/monk fruit
2 heaping T cocoa powder
1 heaping t good quality vanilla paste or extract
1/2 c chopped pecans

Mix all together in a large mixing bowl with a paddle attachment or by hand.  Scoop mounds with a 1 1/2" cookie scoop or use a large spoon and form into mounds on parchment or wax paper.  Smash each mound with the palm of your hand just a little bit to form a nice flat circle, but still quite thick.

Let stand until they harden a bit and form a bit of a crust (depending on the humidity and temperature of your house this can be in an hour or could be 4-5 hours.  You can also just leave them out overnight.)

 

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In May of 2012 I posted this version, which uses oats and are not low carb, but are sugar free. 

No Bake Cookies

1/2 c butter
1/2 c unsweetened almond milk (or regular milk, but milk does have sugar in it)
2 c sweetener substitute
4 T cocoa powder
3 c oatmeal
1 c natural, no sugar added peanut butter
1 t vanilla
*optional:  you can add unsweetened, shredded coconut or chopped nuts if you wish

In a saucepan, bring the sugar substitutes, cocoa, butter and milk to a boil.  Whisk quickly until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Add the oatmeal, peanut butter and vanilla.  Stir to blend.  Drop by tablespoons on parchment or foil and let set until hardened a bit so they don't fall apart!  After about 2 minutes or so you can shape them a little if you wish (I flattened mine a bit) or leave them in haystacks.  Let harden and cool completely.  



In February, 2016 I posted this version - which I think almost every housewife in America was making back in the 1970's and is still popular today.  This is the kind that is cooked in a sauce pan and then spooned out into mounds.  (In 2016 I started to make this version using natural sweeteners like erythritol, monkfruit, etc.  and used almond milk in place of dairy milk).

No Bake Cookies

1 c granulated sugar
4 T butter
1/2 c milk
1/3 c cocoa
1-2 t vanilla
3 c oats - quick or regular

Combine sugar, butter, milk and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Boil 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in oatmeal and vanilla.  Drop portions onto foil or parchment paper. Let stand until firm.


Low-carb and sugar free - no oats in this one. The unsweetened natural coconut flakes take the place of the oats.

 




 

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12/2/24

It's that time... the 2024 Christmas Cookie List

 


Briefly popping in to the mostly-neglected recipe blog to update my 2024 Christmas Cookie List.
I really should say 'idea' list though as I brainstormed a list a couple weeks ago, but more than likely will change and adapt it as I go along.  There are currently 17 recipes on the list but I usually end up making between 22-26 so I know I'll have more when I make up the trays and boxes.  



2024 Current Christmas Cookie Idea List

  1. Russian Tea Cakes (or sometimes called Mexican Wedding Cakes)
  2. Angel Bars
  3. Cream Wafers
  4. English Toffee (maybe)
  5. Harris Fruitcake
  6. Gateau Bonbons
  7. Pretzel Bites with Rolos, Kisses and M&M's
  8. Peppermint Meltaways
  9. No Bake Cookies
  10. Peanut Blossoms
  11. Peanut Butter Fudge
  12. Salted Nut Chews
  13. Sugar Cookies - Trees for sure, maybe Mittens and Hats too.
  14. A second style Tree shaped sugar cookie
  15. Molasses Cookies
  16. Macarons
  17. Chocolate Chip Cookies with Red and Green M&M's



Reposting an older blog post page because I already have links included on that year's list and I don't feel like taking all the time/work to link anything right now.  PAGE:  https://www.housewifebarbie.com/p/blog-page_2.html


 
Almond Macrons
  Mexican Wedding Cakes (or Russian Tea Cakes)
  Fruitcake Bars (no bake)
  Molasses Ginger Cookies
  Homemade Chocolate Truffles
  Cream Horns (easy with Puff Pastry!)
  Cut out Sugar Cookies with an easy Glaze
  Peppermint Meltaway Cookies with Crushed Candy Canes
  Homemade Girl Scout Style Thin Mints
  M&M Kiss Pretzels
  Cream Wafers
  Peppermint Pretzels
  Candy Striped Cookie Sticks
  Melted Snowman Cookies
  Stenciled Icing Sugar Cookies
  Peanut Blossoms
  Peanut Butter Fudge
  Sugar Cookies:  Snowflakes with Edible Glitter
  Red Velvet Cake Balls
  Gateau Bon Bons
  Swedish Rosettes
  Peppermint Teacakes
  Salted Nut Chews
Sugar Free, Low Carb Cinnamon Spice Cookies
Sugar Free Mexican Wedding Cakes
Mini Peanut Blossom Muffin Tin Cookies
Mittens and Winter Hat Sugar Cookies

 

 

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10/28/24

Knafeh Bars (the viral Dubai Bars with Pistachio Cream Centers)

 

So apparently there was a 'viral' recipe on social media this Fall.  I had no idea.  My personality is such that I don't pay attention to what people are doing - I rarely use social media and frankly, I'm too dang busy in my own life to bother.  I actually stumbled upon this fad honestly - and accidentally.

Two things.  First, I've been wanting to find a cheap 'candy bar' style silicone mold to have on hand.  Have wanted this for about 2 years.  Didn't want one bad enough to buy one, but I'm part of a product review group and after a year of waiting, searching, keeping my eye out and looking, I stumbled upon one!  Ordered it post haste.

Within a couple weeks I stumbled upon shredded phyllo dough.  Yes please!  I LOVE phyllo dough and had never heard of nor seen shredded.  But I had it, so I had to find something to do with it.  That is when I put those words into a search engine and realized there was something called a Knafeh Bar - or a Dubai Bar.  It used shredded phyllo AND it used a silicone candy bar mold.  BINGO.

I also happened to have pistachio's on hand (always) and cream and other ingredients (always).  It was meant to be.

 

 

 My pistachios were roasted and salted. I simply ran them under water to get rid of some of the salt.  Next time I probably won't bother - I'll just not put any salt in the rest of the filling to make up for it.

I thought this was pretty cool...  My stick of butter said it was 113 grams on the wrapper.  I wondered if it would really be exactly that?  I weighed it. 

IT WAS.  Exactly 113 grams in one stick of butter.  I didn't actually need exactly one stick, I'm just a geek and wanted to weigh it.
 
The shredded phyllo (fillo) has to be cooked with butter to make it brown and crisp.
 
This is the mixing of the pistachio cream with the crispy phyllo.
 Getting ready to mix the candy bar filling - the phyllo, pistachio cream, vanilla, peanut butter, extra chopped pistachios...
 The candy bar mold was already lined/filled with a thin chocolate layer.  This is the molds being filled.
 By this point I was over it... I sent this message to my family.
 But in the end... they turned out quite well!  Here I am un molding them... they were dusted with edible gold dusting powder and drizzled with a tiny bit of green as well.
 Taste test..
 Bagged up and ready for my family to enjoy.

Knafeh Bars

In a candy bar silicone mold, dust a little bit of edible gold luster dust and green if you have it or use white chocolate colored green and drizzle that.  Or just use luster dust and forget the green - not sure why people insist there should be green.  Gold is just fine and looks pretty.

Brush or pour/spread melted chocolate of choice.  I used what I had on hand and mixed a bunch different bits.
Chocolate almond bark, sugar free chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips and some chocolate bars from Turkey.

Pistachio Cream

2/3 c pistachios
1/3 c sugar
1/2 c chopped up white chocolate or white chocolate melts
1/3 c butter
1/2 c cream or half and half
vanilla
almond extract
salt

Put into a blender and blend smooth.    Chill until needed if you've made it ahead of time.

Crisp the Shredded Phyllo

In a pan on the stove, heat some butter.
Add the shredded phyllo (kataifi)
Cook and stir until it's golden brown and crispy.  Set aside.

Filling

1 c shredded phyllo (kataifi)
1/2 cup of the pistachio cream you made
1 T peanut butter
2 T extra chopped pistachios

Fill the chocolate lined bar molds with the filling, be sure to flatten and smooth the filling and leave enough room to top with more melted chocolate.  When the bars are topped and you can't see any filling - it's totally encased in the chocolate in the molds, place them in the refrigerator to harden.

When the molds are cold and the chocolate hard, pop them out of the molds.











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4/6/24

Cookies starting with a pancake mix... chocolate chip and raspberry macadamia nut


My kitchen lights turn everything yellow-tinted... and I don't feel like going through the time and hassle to edit them.


A couple weeks ago I posted this recipe I used to make chocolate chip cookies using a pancake mix I had in food storage.  Since then it's become a 'go to' recipe that I mess around with and make various different kinds.

Here was chocolate chip version.
 
Pancake Mix Cookies

2 cups pancake mix
1 egg
1/2 c butter
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
2 t vanilla
1 c chocolate chips and optional:  nuts, like Walnuts

Mix the soft butter and sugars in a bowl.  Add the vanilla and egg.  Blend.  Add the pancake mix and blend but don't over beat.  Stir in the chocolate chips and/or nuts.   Place by spoonfuls on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 about 15 minutes.  Cool on the baking sheet about 2-3 minutes, remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
 
 
Tonight was another batch of chocolate chip cookies and then I messed around with the recipe and made a batch of raspberry macadamia nut cookies since I had the ingredients on hand (freeze dried raspberries and macadamia nuts).

Using the same recipe, I added a small box of cheesecake flavored pudding, and 1 extra egg.
Stir in about 1/2 cup of freeze dried raspberries and 1/2 cup macadamia nuts.


I baked about 12-14 minutes.  Cool on pan for a couple minutes, then remove to cool on a wire rack.

 
Here's a couple random photos of the chocolate chip cookies.
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3/14/24

Chocolate Chip Cookies from a Pancake Mix

  
We currently have a #10 can of buttermilk pancake mix that needs to be used up because it's been opened, but we also have a huge bag of pancake mix from Sam's Club (10 pounds).  That's a lot of pancake mix.

Today while the little ones were napping I grabbed the buttermilk pancake mix and flipped it over to the backside to see if they had any 'other' recipes to make with it.  Outside of biscuits, no.  But I didn't want to make biscuits.  I wanted to make cookies.  Considering the buttermilk pancake mix was the same basic ingredients that are in well, almost any baked good, I figured it was a good time to do some trial and error baking.

The trial commenced, the errors were null and the end result was delicious cookies.



This can of Auguson Farms pancake mix is from long term storage, and is 10+ years old (the date is rubbed off the bottom).  Still making perfect pancakes... and cookies.

The butter I used was home canned 2020.  I used a fresh egg in this one instead of egg powder, since I still had 1 left from baking the birthday cakes for a family member.

Buttermilk Pancake Mix Cookies

2 cups pancake mix
1 egg
1/2 c butter
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
2 t vanilla
1 c chocolate chips and optional:  nuts, like Walnuts

Mix the soft butter and sugars in a bowl.  Add the vanilla and egg.  Blend.  Add the pancake mix and blend but don't over beat.  Stir in the chocolate chips and/or nuts.   Place by spoonfuls on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 about 15 minutes.  Cool on the baking sheet about 2-3 minutes, remove to a wire rack to cool completely.




Beating the home canned butter and sugars with the egg and vanilla

Adding in the pancake mix

Into the oven at 350 for 15 minutes


Chocolate Chip Cookies fresh from the oven

 

 

 

 

 

 

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2/10/24

Raspberry Macadamia Cheesecake Cookies

 

I made two sizes - these are the larger 3-4 inch size, warm with a fresh raspberry glaze


Valentines Day is coming up this week, so it seemed like a good time to make the family some cookies.  These are cheater cheater cookies - (cheater cheater, cookie eater) because they use a cake mix instead of having to come up with the flour, sugar, etc.

Raspberry Macadamia Nut Cheesecake Cookies

1 white cake mix
1 egg or equivalent egg powder/water to equal one egg
1-2 t vanilla
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese or powdered cream cheese with water to equal 8 oz.
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) (canned, or butter powder/liquid to equal)
1/3 c freeze dried raspberries
1/2 c macadamia nuts (you could use white chocolate chips if you wish)
optional:  sugar to roll the dough balls in

3/4 c powdered sugar
1 T corn syrup
1 t raspberry extract or emulsion (or use more freeze dried raspberries if you don't have this)
vanilla - dash
milk, cream, coffee creamer or anything similar, even water in order to thin the glaze


Mix the cake mix, egg, vanilla, soft cream cheese and butter.  It will be thick and sticky.  Stir in the nuts and raspberries.  Form balls or scoop to size, roll the dough into granulated sugar before placing it on a greased or parchment paper lined pan.

Bake at 350 for about 11 minutes.  Let the cookies on the cookie sheet for about 3 minutes, remove to a wire rack to cool.

Mix the glaze and spoon or drizzle over the cookies, either letting it drip, or smooth it out with the back of a spoon or butter knife, etc.  Let cool completely and let the glaze harden.




Just barely stir in the raspberry pieces - too much and they'll break down and turn your cookie pink.


Warm from the oven, with fresh glaze... I made 2 sizes.  These are the small 1 1/2 inch size.


A couple of the ingredients from the pantry







 

 

 

 

 

 

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12/20/23

A Cookie A Day Until Christmas: Graham Cracker Marshmallow Fruitcake Bars (No Bake)





I was 'gifted' these fruitcake bars on a plate with various other cookies and candies by a co-worker at my job, years and year (and years) ago.  I would have been about 21 years old at the time and although my husband and I enjoyed tasting the other goodies, neither of us wanted to taste the 'fruitcake' bars because neither of us liked fruitcake.  Finally, I relented and picked it up to smell it and then taste it.  Whoa!  This isn't fruitcake!  This isn't even remotely similar to fruitcake at all.  It was so good that I later had to ask my co-worker, (who became a dear, dear friend) for the recipe.

That was back around 1991 and I've been making this recipe ever since.  That dear friend passed away from breast cancer a few years ago and although I think of her a few times during the year for random reasons, it's without a doubt that she comes to mind every single year when I make these bars.

Not at ALL like fruitcake except they use candied fruit and nuts; it's a graham cracker and marshmallow base and once people get over the 'fruitcake' connotation, these bars fly off the serving plate.
 

No Bake Fruitcake Bars

1 lb. butter*
1 lb. mini marshmallows
3/4 c evaporated milk
1 lb. pecans
1/2 lb. walnuts
1/2 lb. whole green candied cherries
1/2 lb. whole red candied cherries
1 lb. raisins
1 lb. graham cracker crumbs

Melt the butter, marshmallows and evaporated milk in a pan on the stove over low to medium heat.  In a very large bowl mix the rest of the ingredients.  Add the melted marshmallow mixture.  Stir and mix well.  Press into a greased or foil lined 9X13" pan.  Press flat and freeze or refrigerate overnight.  Thaw a bit before slicing to make it easier.  Slice into 3 long sections or rows and slice each row into thin slices to serve.

**I've been using a little less butter over the past few years (perhaps 3 1/4 sticks instead of 4) and it's been perfectly fine.  Feel free to cut back a bit on the butter if you want to try it that way.  You can also change the amounts of the nuts, raisins and cherries, etc. I've used craisins some years, and doubled the red cherries and halved the green cherries, etc.  You can play with this recipe a bit.  






An easy way to press into the pan is to use a piece of plastic wrap on the top and then press or roll it flat.






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A Cookie a Day Until Christmas: The Best Ginger Molasses Cookies


This is my master mix - a triple batch, that makes 3 dry mixes you can put into a storage container or ziploc, and quickly mix these up when you need them or you could make the whole triple batch in one day of course.  They are such an incredibly delicious cookie!  They're a bit addictive!


Perfect Molasses Cookies

6 c flour
3 c sugar
1 T baking soda
1 T baking powder
1 T ground ginger
1 T ground cinnamon
1 t ground nutmeg
3/4 t ground cloves
1/2 t ground allspice

Mix the above dry ingredients in a very large bowl with a wood spoon or wire whisk. When completely mixed divide the mixture evenly into 3 large ziplock baggies with 3 cups of the mix in each. Make one ziplock at a time.

When you are ready to make cookies;
To one of your dry, 3 cup mixes, add;

3/4 c soft butter (real)
1 egg
1/4 c molasses

Roll into 1 inch balls and roll in plain white granulated sugar. Place on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes until the edge is firm and the top is cracked. Cool on the pan for 1 minute before moving to wire racks.


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Hundreds of Christmas Cookie Recipes - lists and photos and links... oh my!

Older post, re-posting for 2022!


For the past 12 years or so I think the average number of different recipes I make is somewhere around 24-26.  


 

 

I've been doing this for SO LONG that I don't really care to re-invent the lists and posts yet AGAIN. Seriously... I think this particular version of my site goes back to 2006.  Instead... I'll just cut and paste of the many lists I've made at some point in the past, as well a few random photos of goodies and links - no particular order or reason.

IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE JUST USE THE SEARCH FUNCTION ON THE PAGE OR CLICK ON THE CHRISTMAS OR COOKIE OR CAKE OR DESSERT LABELS.

December 1st:  Molasses Cookies
December 2nd:  Chocolate Caramel Thumbprints
December 3rd:  Peppermint Pinwheels
December 4th:  Candy Striped Cookie Sticks
December 5th:  Peppermint Teacakes
December 6th:  Peanut Butter Patties
December 7th:  Peanut Butter Fudge
December 8th:  Sugar Cookies:  Snowflakes with Edible Glitter
December 9th:  Swedish Rosettes
December 10th:  Cream Wafer Cookies
December 11th:  Cherry Poppy Seed Winks
December 12th:  Peppermint Pretzels
December 13th:  Candy Pretzels
December 14th:  Homemade Truffles
December 15th:  Cream Horns
December 16th:  The Best Brownies
December 17th:  Red Velvet Cake Balls
December 18th:  Glazed Sugar Cookies
December 19th:  Gateau Bon Bons
December 20th:  No Bake Chocolate Bars
December 21st:  Peppermint Meltaways
December 22nd:  Melted Snowman Cookies
December 23rd: No Bake Fruitcake Bars
December 24th:  Mini Peanut Blossom Muffin Cookies

 

 RANDOM LINKS FROM OVER THE YEARS......... 2006 - 2020

  


Peppermint Melt-aways


 Christmas Cake Balls

Cream Horns

 

 

 










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