Chocolate, Oat, and Nut Cookies

Some families bond over sports. Others, the outdoors. Some share values. Mine? I bonded with my mother and sister over about a bajillion batches of cookies.

I was brought up under the doctrine that anything could be cured—boredom, the sniffles, crankiness—through the cathartic creation of a batch of cookies. (Feeling sad? Let’s talk about it while we whip up some oatmeal raisins.) Admittedly, to this day, I bake cookies for emotional reasons. Upon moving out and starting a life of my own, baking sessions became affordable therapy (feel that breakup fade away as the butter is whipped into submission and fluffy sweetness). I gave love, thanks, appreciation, and I’m sorrys wrapped into a basket of crispy-on-the-outside-and-soft-in-the-middle confections. It was my thing.

Alas, a girl can’t eat as many cookies as her 5-year-old (or 20-year-old) self once could. Since discovering I’m lactose intolerant, and my sister deciding to forgo gluten, the demand for my traditional treats trickled off. The past few years have a been an ongoing experiment in trying to recreate the inherent magic in my mom’s original confections—sans stomach ache and snug jeans.

With work off this Friday (gotta love those teacher-in-service days), and a visit to my sister for her birthday in store, I decided it was a ripe opportunity for experimentation (just the push I needed to get out of my banana bread and granola rut). These chocolaty oatmeal wonders, with their soft chocolate chunks, nutty bite, and buttery-without-the-butter dough answer an old-fashioned cookie craving. True, they’re hardly sugar free, but, hey, cookies that taste this good sans butter and white flour are a birthday-worthy win in my book. Happy birthday, Sis!

Holiday French Toast

What better way to celebrate a three-day weekend than with a scrumptious, eat-it-in-your-pajamas breakfast? In honor our day off, I cooked us up some vanilla French toast (topped with maple syrup and a sprinkle of powdered sugar, of course) and served it along with some peppered bacon from my local meat market. I do use real sugar in the batter (just a tablespoon!), because it helps the toast caramelize in the hot pan. A little almond extract gives it that extra bit of pizzazz, and serving it is easy—just let eaters dress their own from any range of toppers. Oh, and this dish is gluten-free, too. (Thanks to the folks at Rudi’s Organic Bakery for making such versatile, non-dry gluten-free multigrain bread.)

Tropical Dark Chocolate Bark

Well, it's 2011 and I didn't wake up with a kill-myself hangover on January 1. I think that qualifies as starting on a positive note. I'm back in Oregon after visiting family for the holidays and, oh my, is it freezing here. (I mean, not THAT freezing since I'm a hearty cold-weather person now...) 

I’ve been on a cleaning frenzy since I got home (thank GOD for getting home), and I think it would take me approximately three more days to actually make a dent. I know I'll lose my momentum once I'm working all day, but I'm trying to deep clean the whole house, donate old stuff, and rid my life of clutter. That’s what we’re supposed to do for a fresh start, right?

Another 2011 goal for me is to focus on quality over quantity in my food consumption. For example, instead of a dessert made of white flour and sugar that only leaves me wanting more, I’m hoping to create sweets that satisfy in smaller portions. My first attempt at that is some dark chocolate bark, sprinkled with organic dried fruit I picked up on the cheap in the bulk bin aisle.

Ingredients

3 cups dark chocolate
1 cup dried pineapple, chopped (low sugar or no sugar added)
1 cup dried apricots, chopped (no sugar added)

1. Melt the chocolate according to your melting preference. I poured mine in a dish and melted it in the microwave, taking it out and stirring it every 30 seconds to prevent burning. It could also be melted in a double boiler on a stovetop.

2. Spread the chocolate across the bottom of a greased baking dish, smoothing it in a shallow layer.

3. Sprinkle the chopped pieces of dried fruit across it.

4. Allow to cool completely before slicing into squares.