Oatmeal Raisin Whoopie Pies

Whoopie Pies are big here in Pennsylvania. These little cakes that include yummy cream are indulgent yet homey. The generally accepted notion of the name “Whoopie Pie” is thought to come from the exclamation of Amish children who would open their lunch boxes to find these cakes and then yell “Whoopie!” Getting the Whoopie Pie shape perfect can be a pain if you don’t have a Whoopie Pie mold, but who needs another tin to store? Likewise, they can be a little labor intensive, since the cake and the cream are made separately. Try this version instead, which has oatmeal … Continue reading →

Gluten Free Sweet Treats for Afternoon Tea or Lunchbox

If you have a gluten free person in your family it sometimes requires a bit of extra thought too come up with ideas for supper, morning or afternoon teas or to go in the school lunch box. Here are a couple of suggestions. Unfortunately many gluten free biscuit and slice recipes use honey which is not good for anyone allergic to it as I am. These two are honey free as well as gluten free. I’m sure your family will enjoy both these simple to make recipes. Children might even be able to help make them. Golden Crackles Ingredients 4 … Continue reading →

Gluten Free Double Choc Cookies

For all you chocolate lovers, I’m going to share with you one of my daughter’s favorite recipes for gluten free cookies. She uses it all the time. If you’re a chocolate fan, you will love these. They are very more-ish. Whenever she makes them, people rave over these cookies. Warning – they are very rich. This recipe will make about 20-25 depending on the size of your cookie. But I’d suggest you make at least double that as people love them. You could also put one batch away in the freezer if you manage to keep them out of eager … Continue reading →

Healthy Lunchbox Treats for Kids

Nothing says, “I miss you” like a double chocolate fudge brownie tucked into the corner of your child’s lunchbox. It’ll probably be eaten long before the healthy turkey sandwich you packed, but at least the sugar rush will help ease the pain of having to sit in class all day when it’s beach weather out. Fortunately, there are ways to include sweet snacks in your kid’s lunchbox without sending him into sugar overdrive. One of my daughter’s favorite “healthy” brownie recipes is listed below. While most brownie recipes call for a full cup of sugar, this particular recipe uses 2/3rds … Continue reading →

Tis the Season to be Cooking with Cranberries

You may be sick of looking at cranberries right now, but don’t let your Thanksgiving hangover influence your taste for the tart fruit. I just got back from the grocery store where fresh cranberries are on sale $3 for 2 pounds. What a steal. I picked up two 1-pound bags and dug through my recipe book for ways to put them to good use. Here are the fresh cranberry goodies I plan to make this week: CRANBERRY CITRUS MUFFINS Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1/4 cup butter or margarine 2 eggs 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt … Continue reading →

Beyond the Pumpkin Pie: Sweet Treats for Your Thanksgiving Dessert Table

Anyone who has hosted a few dozen guests on Thanksgiving knows that three or four traditional pumpkin pies is not going to cut it when it comes time for dessert. People have different tastes and not everyone enjoys pumpkin pie, regardless of its history with the holiday. If you are hosting a large group for Thanksgiving dinner it’s appropriate to offer a variety of different dessert options. This is especially critical if you are hosting a number of children. Most kids (my daughter not included) would much rather dine on a decadent chocolate treat than dig into a slice of … Continue reading →

Make Your Own Fortune Cookies

After reading my blog on “After School Treats” my overachiever pal shot me an email sharing her kids’ favorite back-to-school recipe. While the rest of us are proudly patting ourselves on the back for whipping up a batch of freshly baked cookies (using pre-made refrigerated cookie dough) my Martha Stewart clone of a friend spent the first day of school creating homemade Chinese Fortune Cookies—-complete with her own computer generated “fortunes”–for her kids. Sigh! Fortunately, she was kind enough to share the recipe and include some tips to go with. All you parents out there who are looking for a … Continue reading →

Homemade Back-to-School Treats: Chocolate Chip Cookies and Peanut Butter French Fries

Year round school started a few days ago in our district and my young daughter couldn’t be happier to see the yellow school buses back on the streets. In a previous blog I mentioned that my mom always tried to make the fist day of school special for all of us by whipping up homemade treats. My brothers and I never took home lunch so we had to wait until the end of the school day to enjoy my mom’s edible masterpieces. If your children take home lunch and you want to add a few special touches to their lunch … Continue reading →

Back-to-School Baked Goods: Cookies and Cupcakes

My mom always made a big deal about the first day back to school… in a good way. She would make an extra special breakfast for all of us in the morning and she always had homemade treats ready for us when we returned in the afternoon. My brothers and I would chow down on cookies, cupcakes, or tarts while she listened to the events that transpired during our first day back to class. It was a simple gesture, but one I still remember to this day… probably because the tradition lasted all the way through high school. If you … Continue reading →