Yesterday I did a terrible thing; a very horrible thing.
I baked. Again.
Typically, I'm one of those people who like to sink their teeth into a nice soft cinnamon coffee cake. My thighs, however, do not agree with such notions. Neither does my waist, and other body parts that I'm currently in negotiations with. I'm trying to prevent a full fledged invasion here. We're on the brink of war.
My body and I have issues.
Because of that, and because I love baking, I had to settle... or at least I thought I was settling. I came up with a cinnamon crunch thingy that's quickly become the equivalent to crack cocaine in this house. No one could stop eating them, even visitors. It didn't help that I made them in different variations. Things got even more dicey when people found out how low on calories they were. I tried to explain that eating 25 of them does not constitute a low calorie snack but I don't think anyone heard me. They were all busy scarfing down those cookies.
Although a part of me wishes to keep this recipe a well guarded secret, the other part... the better part most likely, wants to share it with all of you. Just beware when you serve the cookies. Stay alert, otherwise, you might lose a limb in the frenzy.
You will need the following...
I baked. Again.
Typically, I'm one of those people who like to sink their teeth into a nice soft cinnamon coffee cake. My thighs, however, do not agree with such notions. Neither does my waist, and other body parts that I'm currently in negotiations with. I'm trying to prevent a full fledged invasion here. We're on the brink of war.
My body and I have issues.
Because of that, and because I love baking, I had to settle... or at least I thought I was settling. I came up with a cinnamon crunch thingy that's quickly become the equivalent to crack cocaine in this house. No one could stop eating them, even visitors. It didn't help that I made them in different variations. Things got even more dicey when people found out how low on calories they were. I tried to explain that eating 25 of them does not constitute a low calorie snack but I don't think anyone heard me. They were all busy scarfing down those cookies.
Although a part of me wishes to keep this recipe a well guarded secret, the other part... the better part most likely, wants to share it with all of you. Just beware when you serve the cookies. Stay alert, otherwise, you might lose a limb in the frenzy.
You will need the following...
Combine your margarine and sugars. It's important to note that your margarine has to be at room temperature. I know, sometimes we cut corners and use the margarine straight from the fridge but this time, it needs to be soft. If you don't want to wait the ten minutes, because you have more important things to do like laundry, sweeping and harassing family members, just stick it in the microwave for 20 seconds. Voila!
Beat until light and fluffy. I mean REALLY fluffy, almost like whipped topping. It usually takes about 2 minutes. Then add applesauce and vanilla and beat some more.
It should look like this...
Add the dry ingredients. In this case I am making Cinnamon Crunch, but if you wanted S'more Crunch, decrease the flour and add cocoa powder and graham cracker crumbs, or if you want Chocolate Chip Crunch, then just omit the cinnamon and add chocolate chips at the very end. See, the variations are endless with this recipe. It's part of what makes it really fun!
Now, once you mix the dough and make sure that all the flour has disappeared, add the oats, marshmallows and cereal. In this case, I decided to use Cinnamon Pops cereal instead of Rice Krispies. You can use whatever cereal you want based on how crunchy you want the cookies to be.
My marshmallows look mutated like they've undergone some gene therapy that went horribly wrong. I discovered half way through the recipe that I don't have mini marshmallows (because I'm a total dimwit). All I had were the oversized ones so I chopped them up. Do not be like me; chopping marshmallows is hard work. They stick to the knife (and scissors and hands and counter and bowl and everything they touch; they even stick to themselves) like guilt to a catholic. Use mini marshmallows to avoid the guilt... errr... the stickiness.
Once they're stirred, drop them onto parchment lined cookie sheets and bake. Your house will smell soooooo good. Your welcome!
This is what they look like when they come out of the oven and have cooled a bit. These are the cinnamon crunch cookies.
And these are the Chocolate S'more variation...
And these are the Chocolate Chip Crunch variation...
I don't know which is my favourite. They're all good; they're all addictive. You know it's bad when you have to remind your husband (who's on his way to the kitchen a lot more often than usual) to stay away from what's left of the cookies because you're keeping them for your daughter who gains only one pound per year and loses that same pound the year after.
Cinnamon Crunch Cookies (Dairy, Egg & Nut Free)
Yields 4 dozen
1/2 cup dairy free margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup Rice Krispies
1 cup mini marshmallows
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine margarine with sugars and beat for 2 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Add applesauce and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat on medium speed until thoroughly mixed. Use a rubber spatula to stir in oats, Rice Krispies and marshmallows.
Use a small cookie scoop to drop rounds on baking sheet about two inches apart. Flatten slightly with palm then bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to a week, if you can make them last that long.
Nutritional Info (Per cookie)
Calories 48.88, Total Fat 1.76g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 37.84mg, Potassium 13.89mg, Total Carbohydrates 7.93g, Fiber 0.37g, Sugar 4.3g, Protein 0.5g
Variations:
For Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies - omit the cinnamon and add 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips at the end and stir in.
Nutritional Info (Per cookie)
Calories 55.38, Total Fat 2.2g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 49.21mg, Potassium 12.69mg, Total Carbohydrates 8.66g, Fiber 0.31g, Sugar 4.29g, Protein 0.55g
For Chocolate S'more Crunch Cookies - omit the cinnamon, decrease flour to 1/2 cup, add 1/3 cup cocoa powder and 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs with the flour.
Nutritional Info (Per cookie)
Calories 45.79, Total Fat 1.78g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 40.06mg, Potassium 12.49mg, Total Carbohydrates 7.16g, Fiber 0.22g, Sugar 4.4g, Protein 0.41g
Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.
Yields 4 dozen
1/2 cup dairy free margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup Rice Krispies
1 cup mini marshmallows
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine margarine with sugars and beat for 2 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Add applesauce and vanilla. Mix until combined. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat on medium speed until thoroughly mixed. Use a rubber spatula to stir in oats, Rice Krispies and marshmallows.
Use a small cookie scoop to drop rounds on baking sheet about two inches apart. Flatten slightly with palm then bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to a week, if you can make them last that long.
Nutritional Info (Per cookie)
Calories 48.88, Total Fat 1.76g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 37.84mg, Potassium 13.89mg, Total Carbohydrates 7.93g, Fiber 0.37g, Sugar 4.3g, Protein 0.5g
Variations:
For Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies - omit the cinnamon and add 1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips at the end and stir in.
Nutritional Info (Per cookie)
Calories 55.38, Total Fat 2.2g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 49.21mg, Potassium 12.69mg, Total Carbohydrates 8.66g, Fiber 0.31g, Sugar 4.29g, Protein 0.55g
For Chocolate S'more Crunch Cookies - omit the cinnamon, decrease flour to 1/2 cup, add 1/3 cup cocoa powder and 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs with the flour.
Nutritional Info (Per cookie)
Calories 45.79, Total Fat 1.78g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 40.06mg, Potassium 12.49mg, Total Carbohydrates 7.16g, Fiber 0.22g, Sugar 4.4g, Protein 0.41g
Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.
