Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

Makes 18 to 20
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours and baking powder; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add flour mixture, and stir to combine; mix in oats and currants.

Using two tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll into balls; place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.

Cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 5 days.

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie Muffins

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen
3 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup oat bran
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 3 standard 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners; set aside. Whisk 2 cups oats, the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, bran, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; set aside.

Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and mix until just combined. Mix in sour cream. Stir in raisins with a rubber spatula.

Transfer 2 3/4 cups batter to a small bowl, and stir in remaining 1 3/4 cups oats and the coconut; set aside. Spoon 2 1/2 tablespoons plain batter into each prepared muffin cup; top with 1 1/2 tablespoons oatcoconut batter. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Pear and Granola Muffins

Makes 12
FOR MUFFINS
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup plain granola
2 D'Anjou pears (2 cups), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
FOR GRANOLA CRISP TOPPING
(or use an additional 3/4 cup plain granola)
1/2 cup granola
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, yogurt, and butter. Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Add egg mixture to well, and mix in flour mixture until just combined. Gently fold in the granola and pears.

Make Granola Crisp Topping: In a bowl, toss together 1/2 cup granola, 1/4 cup each all-purpose flour and packed light-brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cut 3 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter into pieces; add to granola mixture, and rub in with fingertips until clumps form.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each 3/4 full. Sprinkle with granola topping. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from tin. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Peanut-Butter Granola Bars

Makes 16
1 large egg white
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with 2 crisscrossed rectangles of parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang at 2 opposite ends. In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds and cranberries.

In a small saucepan, whisk together oil, brown sugar, peanut butter, cinnamon, salt and 1 tablespoon water over low heat until sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly; whisk in egg white. Pour over at mixture; stir until moistened. Spread evenly in bottom of pan; smooth top.

Bake until top is firm, about 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Lift out of pan, using paper as handles. Let cool completely, cut into bars with serrated knife.

Chocolate Buttercream

Ingredients

Makes enough for 15 cupcakes
2 cups sugar
1 cup egg whites (about 6 large)
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
16 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

Directions
Place sugar and egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer set over (but not touching) a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture is heated and sugar is dissolved. Attach bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and continue whisking until cooled and stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes.

With the mixer running, add butter, one piece at a time, until completely incorporated. Continue whisking until a light, fluffy cream has formed. Stir in chocolate until well combined.

Mexican Chocolate-Pudding-Filled Cupcakes

Ingredients

Makes about 1 1/2 dozen
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup egg yolks
1 cup milk, warmed
2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Mexican Chocolate Pudding
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Gold petal dust (optional)
Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees with rack set in center. Line 18 standard-size muffin cups with paper liners; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and mix until well incorporated.

Mix together milk and vanilla in a small bowl. With the mixer running, add milk mixture in three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Add egg yolks and mix until well combined.

Fill prepared muffin cups 1/2 full with batter. Transfer to oven and bake until cakes spring back when lightly touched, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cupcakes cool slightly in their tins before transferring to a refrigerator. Refrigerate cupcakes until chilled.

Using a 1-inch round biscuit cutter, cut a small hole in the center of each cupcake, pushing cutter down about 2/3 of the way and using a twisting motion to release cake; reserve scraps. Fill hole with pudding and cover with scraps to enclose.

Place buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (such as Ateco #822). Pipe frosting in a zigzag pattern across the top of each cupcake. Sprinkle with gold petal dust, if desired. Serve.

Mexican Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients

Makes enough for 15 cupcakes
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 3/4 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
1 cup milk
3 ounces Mexican chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter
Directions

Place cocoa powder, cornstarch, sugar, salt, heavy cream, egg yolks, milk, and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil and begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a medium bowl; discard solids. Immediately stir in butter and vanilla until well combined.

Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding to prevent a skin from forming.

Transfer pudding to a refrigerator until chilled, about 4 hours.

Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup 1 percent milk
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
7 ounces fat-free sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces fat-free evaporated milk
12 ounces light whipped topping
Fresh fruit such as kiwi, tangerine, and pineapple, for serving (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. With the mixer running, add eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate after each addition. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture to mixer, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Pour into prepared baking dish.

Bake until cake is firm to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine condensed and evaporated milks. Poke holes all over the warm cake using a wooden skewer or toothpick. Slowly pour milk mixture evenly into holes. Let cake cool and allow it to absorb liquid, 10 to 15 minutes.

Cover and refrigerate cake 1 hour.

Remove cake from refrigerator and spread whipped topping over top of cake. Serve with fresh fruit if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.