Family will be visiting at the end of the month. Grandchildren are off from school and it is the perfect time to come south. Still cool up north, but swimming weather where Grandma & Grandpa live.  I like to have nutritious foods available when they visit, so I make a few things ahead of time, especially breakfast items and desserts. These recipes are healthy, easy to make and freeze well. They just need defrosting when company arrives.

Good For You Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1 cup vanilla flavored, reduced fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 medium very ripe bananas (or 3 large), mashed
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9 inch loaf pan with cooking spray and lightly flour the bottom of the pan.

Combine the yogurt and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir until completely combined. Whisk in the baking soda, vanilla and mashed bananas. Add the honey and eggs and mix until completely combined. Stir in the flour and nuts.

Pour into the prepared baking pan.

Bake for 1 hour and a cake tester should come out clean when inserted into the center of the bread. Cool ten minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan. Invert onto a wire rack and allow to cool before slicing. The cake tastes better if allowed to rest overnight.

Hazelnut Cocoa Thins

24 cookies

Ingredients

• 6 egg whites, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until light and foamy. Add the cocoa, sugar, flour and vanilla, gradually, as you beat the mixture until stiff peaks form. Fold in the hazelnut flour

Drop by rounded teaspoons of dough onto the baking sheets – 12 to a pan – one inch apart. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly brown around the edges.

Slide the parchment paper off the baking sheet and onto the kitchen counter. Allow the cookies to cool before removing them to a storage container. Sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar or make a glaze and frost them before serving.

Almond Orange Thins

24 cookies

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites, at room temperature
• 8 oz almond paste
• 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Directions

Whip the egg whites until foamy and tripled in volume, but not stiff. Set aside.

Cut the almond paste into small cubes and beat in an electric mixer until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and egg whites and mix until smooth. Blend in the almond extract and orange zest.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Drop by rounded teaspoons of dough onto the baking sheets – 12 to a pan – one inch apart. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly brown around the edges.

Slide the parchment paper off the baking sheet and onto the kitchen counter. Allow the cookies to cool before removing them to a storage container. Sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar or make a glaze and frost them before serving.

Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Brownie Ingredients:

• 18 ounce package brownie mix
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons water

Peanut Butter Filling:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

To form the cookies:

In a medium bowl, combine the brownie ingredients. Stir until well blended.

Drop 1 level tablespoon of dough on parchment lined cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. I can get one dozen cookies on each of my baking sheets.

For the peanut butter filling:

Mix the powdered sugar and peanut butter together and roll 1/2 teaspoon of the dough into small balls. Press the peanut butter balls into the surface of the uncooked brownie cookies.

Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are set. Cookies may appear slightly undercooked, but do not overbake. Cool on cookie sheets for about 3 minutes and transfer to wire rack.

Cinnamon Chip Scones

Makes 16 scones

Ingredients

• 3 cups unbleached All-Purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup pecan meal (pecans ground to a powder)
• 1 cup cinnamon chips
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, plus extra for the topping
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• Cinnamon sugar, vanilla sugar or sugar crystals for the topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, pecan meal, cinnamon and cinnamon chips.

Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, with a few larger chunks of butter still showing.

In a separate bowl, beat together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it gently just until it holds together.

Divide the dough in half. Pat each half into 6 inch circle. With a bench knife, cut the circle into eight triangles.

Brush the tops of the scones lightly with buttermilk and sprinkle with flavored sugar.

Place the scones on the prepared cookie sheets and bake 20 minutes, until they’re golden brown. Rotate the pans on the oven racks after ten minutes.

Remove the pans from the oven and place the scones on a wire rack to cool.

Posted by Jovina Coughlin in banana, Bread, Breakfast, Cinnamon, Coffee Cake, cookies, Healthy Italian Cooking, Nuts Tags: banana bread, cinnamon scones, cookie recipes