Whole Wheat Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

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I made 2 batches of these cookies.  One with butter, and the other with vegetable oil.

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I found this recipe on The Whole Grain Gourmet.  I didn’t change much in the recipe.  I didn’t have any molasses, so I mixed 3/4 cup dark brown sugar with 1/4 cup water.  I used a tablespoon of this mixture in place of the tablespoon of molasses.  I also used pecans instead of walnuts.  And of course I used 1/2 cup butter is the butter recipe instead of the 1/2 cup oil.

Appearance

I was surprised at how similar the two cookies looked after baking.  Going in to the oven I would not have predicted this outcome since the dough in the bowl looked quite different.  There are slight differences in the baked cookie.  The butter cookies were a little thinner and spread a bit more than the oil cookies.  The latter had a bit more height to them in the center.  

Texture

You can tell by looking closely and holding each cookie that the oil cookie is more dense.  At first bite there is more initial crunch to the butter cookie, but that doesn’t last too long.  A few chews into the cookie and they both have the same wheaty, substantial texture.  If I were to be incredibly critical, then I would say that they was more chew to the oil cookie…but not a great deal more.  

Taste

The moment of truth…the taste of the cookies are not very different.  The butter cookie seemed to be sweeter, or so my taste testers say.  Maybe the butter brings out the sweetness?  I don’t know.  The honey is a nice sweetener.  It isn’t too sweet so the raisins really stand out.  I liked the presence of pecans, but the pieces I used were too small.  Next time I wouldn’t chop them quite so small, maybe just cut the pecan halves into fourths.  

These cookies taste healthy.  I like the oats and texture of the wheat flour.  I also like not feeling so guilty about eating these!  If I have a choice, I will opt for an oatmeal cookie with butter, sugar and all-purpose flour.  I guess I just like my cookies sweet and unhealthy.  As a healthy option, these are very good.  I gave some to a 5th grade girl I know, and she liked them.  So, if your kids want cookies, these are a good healthy alternative.  I may try adding dark chocolate chips next time and using half all-purpose and half wheat flour.

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Courtesy of The Whole Grain Gourmet

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour (a pinch more depending on the moisture of the mix)
  • 1 1/2 cups of Large Flake Rolled Oats (smaller flake is ok too)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp Cinnamon (I actually use about 3 Tbsp–got to love cinnamon)
  • 1/2 tsp Nutmeg (optional)

Wet ingredients

  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup oil or 1/2 cup unsalted room temperature butter 
  • 1 Tablespoon Molasses
  • 1 egg (beat with 1 Tbsp Water)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1/2 cup raisins (1 cup for my Dad’s batch)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts (more for my Dad’s)!!

Preparation:

  1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together. Hint: when measuring out the honey, spray the measuring cup with oil or baking spray–your honey won’t stick.
  3. Mix the wet stuff with the dry stuff. Add the raisins and walnuts and mix. If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit of flour. If it isn’t binding together very well, you may wish to add an egg white.
  4. COOL the mix for 20 minutes in the fridge.
  5. Preheat the oven to 335 degrees (lower temperature due to the honey in the recipe which will burn more easily).
  6. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto your baking sheet 
  7. Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie. The cookies freeze very well and make a great snack! Enjoy.

The Butter Cookie

Upon mixing the butter with the honey, molasses and egg I was worried by the little nasty chunks of butter.  After adding the dry ingredients the dough came together fine. 

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The Oil Cookie

The dough was very sticky and looked runny.  I thought it would run all over the cookie sheet creating one big cookie after baking, but they held up great in the oven.

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Healthy Baking

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I love to bake.  I love real butter, real sugar, real chocolate, real cream…you get the point.  My sister is big on healthy cooking and baking.  I admire her!  She substitutes applesauce or mashed banana for the fat in recipes, uses whole grains, and sometimes will use egg whites or egg substitute in place of whole eggs.  

Here is some information about fat substitutes from bettycrocker.com.

Low Fat Substitutes

  • Applesauce and plain yogurt are good fat substitutes in most recipes. For maximum texture and flavor, replace no more than half the amount of the fat listed in the recipe. If a recipe calls for 1/2 cup butter, you can substitute 1/4 cup applesauce, saving 44 grams of fat and 400 calories (the fat and calories in 1/4 cup margarine)
  • Mashed ripe bananas work well as fat substitutes in carrot or banana cake or muffins.
  • Purchased fruit puree mixtures, usually prune—based, also are good and work especially well in chocolate, spice and carrot cakes. Follow the label directions.
  • Replace 1 whole egg in a recipe with ¼ cup fat-free, cholesterol-free egg product substitutes (such as ConAgra’s Egg Beaters®) or 2 egg whites—you’ll save more than 10 grams of fat and 100 calories.

Another way to make a healthier baked good is to use whole wheat flour instead of, or in addition to, all purpose flour.  

  • All purpose flour is a blend of soft and hard wheat and it is what I typically use in all of my baking.  Sometimes I will use cake flour.
  • Whole Wheat flour is made from the whole kernel of wheat, the bran and the germ, so it is higher in fiber and other nutrients.  It does not contain as much gluten as all purpose flour, so it will not rise as much.  Most recipes will use a combination of wheat and white flour.
  • White Whole Wheat flour is milder in flavor than whole wheat but still contains more nutrients and fiber than all purpose flour.  It is made from white wheat instead of red wheat.

I have my doubts about these replacements.  There is a flavor and texture in baked goods that is changed (and not for the better) when a replacement is used.  Imagine using applesauce instead of butter in a shortbread!  Crazy talk!  However, I have decided to try some of these healthier options in my baking.    

Today I will use whole wheat flour in a cookie recipe.  This recipe also uses honey instead of sugar.  No SUGAR?  I know.  Did I mention that there isn’t any butter?  Have you passed out yet?  Fan yourself, take a few deep breaths.  We will get through this together.  There is an egg in this recipe.  So, all is not lost.

The recipe uses oil instead of butter.  I was a bit confused about this replacement.  I know butter isn’t exactly a health food, but neither is oil.  So, I searched a bit and discovered these differences between oil and butter in baking.

Nutrition Facts

Butter (1 ounce, 28 grams)

  • 201 calories
  • 23 grams fat (14 grams saturated)
  • 60 mg cholesterol
  • 81 % fat

Vegetable Oil (1 ounce, 28 grams)

  • 248 calories
  • 28 grams fat (4 grams saturated)
  • 0 mg cholesterol
  • 100 % fat

Baking Results

Butter

  • Provides flavor in baked goods
  • In cookies, causes some spread while baking
  • Creates a crisper texture

Vegetable Oil

  • Adds no extra flavor in baked goods
  • In cookies, will not spread while baking
  • Creates a denser, more cakelike, texture

Ok, so butter is a bit high in cholesterol since it is an animal product.  The oil has no cholesterol.  Oil does have more fat, but only 5 grams more.  The oil also has less saturated fat.  Well, oil it is then.  Wait…the baker and butter lover in me is screaming!  I love the flavor of butter in baked goods.  What is the solution?  Try both.

So, today will be a taste test of butter vs. oil in a whole wheat oatmeal raisin cookie.  I will fill you in after I slave away in the kitchen.

My butter vs. oil info came from these sites:

http://www.ochef.com/225.htm

http://www.baking911.com/pantry/fats.htm

http://www.nutritiondata.com/

White German Chocolate Cake

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This recipe is from allrecipes.com.  It reminds me a lot of Italian Cream Cake, probably due to the cream cheese frosting I decided to frost the cake with.  The coconut and pecans also make it a close relative to my all time favorite Italian Cream Cake.  By the way, I have an undying love for cream cheese frosting.  Here is the recipe I always use.

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 stick butter, room temperature
  • 8 ounces cream cheese (full or low fat) room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • powdered sugar, somewhere between 2 and 4 cups

Beat together butter and cream cheese, then beat in vanilla.  Add powdered sugar a 1/2 cup at a time until desired consistency is reached.  I like mine pretty stiff.   

The cake was very good.  It had a nice texture and flavor, but I couldn’t really taste the white chocolate.  I will probably continue to use my recipe for Italian Cream Cake which is pretty similar to this cake, only without the white chocolate.  My recipe for Italian Cream Cake also uses the addition of beaten egg whites to give a light and airy texture.  I served this cake after dinner for some guests and it was a hit.  I only had two 9 inch pans, so I divided to batter between them and the cake turned out fine.  I did have some sticking issues, but nothing disastrous.  

White German Chocolate Cake

 

  • 4 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate, chopped
  • 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup flaked coconut
  • 4 egg whites

 

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 3 (9 inch) pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the yolks one at a time, then stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in the nuts and coconut.
  3. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Divide batter into prepared pans.cake
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
  5. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Layer number one.  There is a little something missing from the top and the edge, a little snack for me that will be covered in frosting…so its not a problem!

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Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top of the bottom layer and place the next layer directly on top.  Don’t use too much frosting or it will ooze out the sides after you frost the cake.

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Apply a thin layer of frosting to the entire cake.  This is the crumb coat.  As you can see it is not pretty!  That’s ok because its going to be covered with…more frosting!  After I apply a crumb coat I place the cake in the fridge for about 30 minutes.  Then I apply the presentation coat of frosting.  It will be crumb free and lovely.

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My Favorite Banana Bread: Part 1

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 I have a few favorite banana bread recipes, and they are all very different.

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 This one has a few frills – coconut and toatsed pecans.  This recipe is the medium frills recipe.  One of the others has zero frills, and the third favorite is chock full of goodies.  You have to prepare yourself for that one.

The redeeming thing about banana bread is the banana.  Bananas are very good for you, so feel free to indulge in this bread without guilt.  Check it…

This recipe is from Magnolia Bakery in NYC.  I think I have recommended the cookbook before, so really, go buy it already!

Banana Bread with Coconut and Pecans

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3 cups flour 
1½ teaspoon baking soda 
¾ teaspoon cinnamon 
¾ teaspoon salt 
¾ cup canola oil 
1½ cups sugar 
3 eggs, at room temperature, well beaten 
1½ teaspoon vanilla 
1½ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4)
¾ sour cream (or low fat)
1½ cups chopped toasted pecans 
¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan or 2 loaf pans. 

Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. 

Beat oil and sugar on medium speed until well-mixed. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat well. 

Add the bananas and sour cream, and mix well. 

Add the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. 

Stir in pecans and coconut. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s). 

Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the bread comes out with moist crumbs attached. 

NOTE: If using loaf pans, bake for 45-55 minutes. 

Let cool for at least one hour before serving.

Best toasted with a spread of butter.  Enjoy!

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