Thursday, July 22, 2010

Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies and Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

You know I love it when I get to bake some cookies and then promptly get them out of my house. I don’t need those little, tempting treats sitting on my kitchen counter taunting me every time I walk through the room. And, putting them in the freezer is no better. In this weather, frozen cookies are just as irresistible as the ones on the counter. So, when my brother sent me his cookie wish list, I was game. It was an opportunity to whip out the Martha Stewart's Cookies book again, try a couple more recipes, and then box up the results and ship them away. The book has 175 cookie recipes, and I’ve joked that I’ll eventually try all of them. I just counted, and I’ve made sixteen so far. Although not all of them are mentioned on my site, I haven’t encountered a disappointment yet. My brother’s list went something like this: oatmeal raisin, sugar cookies, brownies, chocolate chip, peanut butter cookies. I took some liberties with flavors, naturally, and decided to make the iced oatmeal applesauce cookies and peanut butter swirl brownies.

The iced oatmeal and applesauce cookies are a rather healthy option with only half a stick of butter, one egg, and a half cup of applesauce. Those ingredients were mixed with brown sugar and granulated sugar before the dry ingredients including oats, of course, were added. Last, golden raisins were folded into the dough, and the cookies were baked and cooled. If they weren’t delicious enough on their own, the drizzled maple glaze on top made them stellar. These could easily be one of my favorite cookies from this book.

Up next were the peanut butter swirl brownies. Making a simple batter in a bowl with no need for a mixer is always fun. Unsweetened and semisweet chocolates were melted with butter and then combined with the dry ingredients. Sugar, eggs, and vanilla were added, and that was set aside. Peanut butter was mixed with melted butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, and vanilla for the filling. Part of the chocolate batter was poured into the prepared, square baking pan. The peanut butter filling was globbed here and there on top of it, and then the remaining batter was poured over the filling. The filling was swirled into the batter with a knife, and the brownies baked for 45 minutes. They came out looking decorative all on their own with no need for added embellishment, and with swooping peanut butter throughout the chocolate brownies, the flavor was perfect. Getting to bake some cookies, have a little taste of them, and then, poof, have all traces gone from the house is my ideal arrangement.



30 comments:

  1. I love oatmeal cookies and PB swirl brownies. Yours look so irresistible!

    cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. That looks like a delicious recipe! My favorite Martha Stewart cookies are Lexie's chocolate chip cookies. They're super thin, but chewy!

    travelinggirlwithdog.blogspot.com

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  3. Liz: Thanks! Lexi's chocolate chip cookies recipe is a favorite of mine too. (One of my earliest posts was about them.)

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  4. oh my...the brownies look amazing!!PB swirls..yum...

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  5. Oh I've got to try these oatmeal cookies..they sound yummy.

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  6. I'm with you on the get-the-cookies-out idea. This morning, for instance, I remembered that I'd just put some pound cake in the freezer from last week. Naturally, two pieces are already gone.

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  7. Wow, those brownies look like absolute heaven.
    I totally know what you mean about getting cookies and other baked goods out of the house asap! when they are sitting on the counter it's so easy to just take a bite here and there. But.. i have to say, next time you have some baked goods to get rid of I can help you out with that ;)

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  8. I have 3 apple trees, and Ive started making my own apple sauce. I think I'm going to try those cookies. I always have tons of apple sauce that I cant eat :)

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  9. Daaaaaahling, just went to martha's site to bookmark those cookies and guess what? You out-Martha-ed Martha! Yours look better! I cant say I'm that surprised, but u go girl :D
    *kisses* HH

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  10. YUM!! Both of these look soooo good!! I just want one of each!!! I really want to make the apple sauce ones right now!
    Would you mind checking out my blog? :D http://ajscookingsecrets.blogspot.com/

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  11. I need to check out this book. The oatmeal applesauce cookies are calling my name!

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  12. The icing on those cookies look so yummy!

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  13. Not sure which one is better, but the combination and chocolate and peanut butter are edging to the top!

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  14. What a sweet sister you are! These are both scrumptious! I really love the sound of the applesauce cookies with the maple icing.

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  15. Lovely swirl brownies Lisa. They look very pretty :)

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  16. You've baked 16 of Martha's cookie recipes? Whoa! You are far ahead of me with that cookbook. But I agree -- I have yet to bake any cookie out of there that I haven't adored.

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  17. oooh these both look delish!! I just made oatmeal cookies to - http://colehillkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/07/oatmeal-and-raisin-cookies.html

    and now i reeeaaallllyy have a craving to make brownies, esp. with the added yum-factpr of peanut butter!!

    Becca :-)

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  18. both of these are fantastic in their own right. i don't generally dive for plain brownies, but when you toss in a little pb, i get excited. and the oatmeal cookies are an old favorite--the icing seems to add so much!

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  19. Love the oatmeal cookies, Lisa! And you've made them healthy.
    I hope you do cook right through all Martha's cookies...I bet you don't find too many, if any, that aren't good. We'll all have favorites, though.

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  20. Who doesn't oatmeal cookies? :-)) Beautiful swirls..

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  21. I love this cookbook too. I may have to whip up a batch of those yummy oatmeal applesauce cookies soon. Only half a stick of butter!

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  22. wow this is terrific work, and I saw you two different dessert here, totally mind blowing gal!

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  23. The icing and cookies look so delicious !:)

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  24. love the icing on the cookies and the cute swirls in the brownies. I really admire your bakes :)

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  25. I wanna bake, I wanna bake...you getting me inspired!!

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  26. oh your killing me....oatmeal cookies and brownies, could you not pick my favorites to do together....sigh....the icing on the cookies is such a great touch!!

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  27. I love an excuse to get baking so long as I have a way to rid myself of the goods after a quick taste! Brothers are usually really good for that. Those peanut butter brownies looks amazing. You definitely made some good choices to send to your brother!

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  28. Wow, these look amazing. I'd have the same trouble, let me get them out of the house. A friend just had a baby and I was looking to take over some food to help out. This looks like just the thing.

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  29. The phrase "iced cookie" has a positive effect on me. These treats both look terrific.

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  30. I love to bake but unfortunately, I also love to eat what I baked. Thanks for the healthy option oatmeal cookies so that I don' feel nearly as guilty chowing down on these brownies!

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