Tasty Treats By Michi

Don't these remind you of the Little Debbies Oatmeal Creme Pies? I used to eat those almost everyday with my lunch at school. Ahh memories...

I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's website, under the "Tasty Kitchen" section.  This recipe is certainly tasty.  The recipe was listed as easy, and personally I didn't find it too easy.  I bake a lot and can usually do it with my eyes closed and very quickly, and these cookies felt like they took forever! I am not that skilled with the piping bag, which may have been a factor, and my own cream cheese frosting recipe didn't go as planned, so that added to the time as well.  

Being on the Swank diet, I can't eat full fat, or even 1/3 fat cream cheese, so I had to make the frosting with fat free cream cheese.  The result tasted very good, but came out more as a glaze than as a frosting per say.   I think I will make these cookies again, they do taste amazing, I will just go into it knowing that I need some time. :) 

Ingredients for the Cookies: 

• 3 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 tbsp cinnamon 
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil 
• 1 15 OZ can of pumpkin
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for Fat Free Cream Cheese Frosting: 

• 1 8 oz tub of Fat Free Philadelphia Cream Cheese (Plus more if needed to thicken the frosting a bit)
• 2 and 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt (I like Oikos)

Directions: 


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  


Beat together brown sugar, sugar, oil and pumpkin.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla.  In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.  Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. 


Using a pastry bag with a round tip, or a big zip loc bag with one corner snipped, squeeze out concentric circles of batter, starting from the middle and working outward until the circles are about 2 inches in diameter. Bake for 11 minutes and cool on a rack. 


Beat together the cream cheese, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla.  Add the yogurt to help thicken the frosting a big.  Add more cream cheese as well if necessary.  The frosting is not thick, it is more of a glaze. 
 
Frost flat side of half the pies and top with another piece.  Enjoy right away or chill over night.  

I love cookies!! I learned to bake cookies from my sister and we would bake cookies every year for Christmas for one or two days.  I absolutely loved it! When I started my diet, I couldn't eat a single one of my favorite cookie recipes anymore.  I have since found many delicious cookie recipes that are diet friendly, and peanut butter cookies are one of them.  This recipe is easy and delicious and I love the yummy peanut butter taste.  My favorite way to eat them is warm out of the oven with a glass of milk.  Enjoy! :)


Ingredients: 

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for dipping
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (I like Mazola)
• 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup organic creamy peanut butter (I like Publix)
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp of skim milk
• Pam cooking spray

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat the egg.  Add the sugars gradually, then the oil, vanilla extract, and peanut butter.  Scrape the bowl and beat well.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  I usually use a sieve to combine these ingredients.  Slowly add the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture.  Add three tablespoons of milk and mix well until blended.  

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, form the dough into balls that are about one inch in diameter.  Roll each ball in a bowl with granulated sugar and place on a cookie sheet greased with Pam.  Make the cookies about apart.  Press each cookie down with a fork to make the "peanut butter cookie" indentations. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly browned on the edges.  Let them cool on a cooling rack and then store in an airtight container.