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Renny's Recipes: Carrot Cake Cookie Quest

8/31/2017

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I'm not sure if I'm doing pregnancy cravings right. Are you supposed to be desperate for whatever you're craving? Because for me its more like I think about my cravings more often than not, and if someone suggests it then I am never opposed to having it.

Well, regardless, I have been thinking about Carrot Cake a lot. It sounds so good to me right now. Carroty, sweet, with cream cheese frosting. You can't go wrong with a good carrot cake. I can't eat carrot cake all day every day though, because, well, health and all that. So, while I find absolutely nothing wrong with giving in to my cravings from time to time, I decided I needed a healthier alternative that would satisfy my need without leaving me on a diet of cake. So, I decided to experiment last night to come up with a health(ier) alternative for carrot cake, and I settled on carrot cake cookies.

To be honest with you, these cookies were not perfection to me. I feel like they need a little more tweaking for me to get ratios and flavors just right. So, it's become my new pet project and when I am finished I will share the perfected recipe with you. I will say however, it was a valiant first attempt. PH ate four of them! He thought they were great! He asked me at one point, "you made these all healthy right?" Then went back into the kitchen to snatch another one. So, that made me really happy!

One thing PH did note was that it tasted more like pumpkin to him instead of carrot. I don't agree abut the pumpkin (there was no pumpkin in this cookie, although, I might do a carrot cake pumpkin variation in the future) but I did put cinnamon and even a dash of nutmeg in, which probably made him think of pumpkin. I also grated an apple and put that in too. Thanks to the sweetness of the apple I used less sugar. I also switched out the sugar and used honey instead. Honey is so great and so good for you! I threw in some oats, but I think for me it wasn't carroty enough. I didn't feel like I was eating a tiny carrot cake. Also, I think I need a better balance between the oats and the flour. I did glaze them with cream cheese frosting. Instead of the thick frosting you normally find on carrot cake I did a thin glaze for these cookies. I did test them by themselves though because I want them to stand on their own so you can have them without the frosting for an even healthier alternative. So, come along with me on this journey while I find the perfect healthy carrot cake cookie that all the pregnant ladies can eat without guilt (also, non-pregnant people should be able to enjoy them as well!)

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Lemon Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

8/30/2017

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This post contains affiliates and I may be compensated if you buy from our links. Thank you for your support.
Lemon Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup first published on 3 Winks Design.

Sometimes we like to have breakfast for dinner. So, when Alicia mentioned to me that she made homemade blueberry syrup and she thought it would be great to blog about, I thought it was a great idea! Unfortunately, she hadn't taken any pictures, and she was out of blueberries. "You'll have to do it mom," she said. Since I had just gone grocery shopping and had found blueberries at a great price, I decided that last night would be a breakfast for dinner night!
Of course, I had to take it a step further, because that is my way. What goes great with blueberries (and just about all berries) but lemon? So, I thought, how about Lemon Pancakes? Well, let me tell you, that was a good thought! These things are so good! I used healthy ingredients like lemon, coconut oil and coconut milk. Not only is it breakfast for dinner, it is like dessert for dinner!

These yummy lemon pancakes drizzled with blueberry syrup are to die for! I was so pleased with he flavor of both the syrup and the pancakes. Click the buttons below for the printable recipes.

Blueberry Syrup

Lemon Pancakes

Be sure to start making the syrup first, to give it time to reduce. It is still kind of thin when you serve it warm, but the leftover syrup in the fridge is thicker.

I blended the blueberries in the blender and then put them through a sieve to take out most of the bits of skin. It looks pretty that way. I made the pancakes with coconut oil and coconut milk. You can probably use regular oil and milk, but these were really good!

A few blueberries and lemon zest make a feast for the eyes garnish.

Do you enjoy breakfast for dinner once in a while? If so, you might want to give these recipes a try!
We have some past breakfast posts that would be great as well. Just click on the links below to see some favorites.

Still need a griddle or a carafe to hold your syrup? Check out these deals.

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Chocolate Chip Zebra Cookies

8/28/2017

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This post contains affiliates and I may be compensated if you buy from our links. Thank you for your support.
Chocolate Chip Zebra Cookies was first published on 3winksdesign.

My sweet, little, one year old grandson, Spencer, loves cookies. He asks for them by pointing at what he thinks is a box of cookies and says, "ck". (He is a genius, already recognizing initial consonant sounds). Since he was coming over, I decided that I needed to make him some cookies. These Zebra Cookies came about quite by accident. I attribute their name to the reminder my first grader granddaughter, Jayda, gave me today that my son is going to Africa where Zebras live and he is to watch for them while he is there.

I began with a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I decided to do a brown butter method that I have come to love. I started doing it when I was looking for the perfect oatmeal cookie recipe. But, I have developed a slightly different method here.

In a small saucepan, I began melting 2 sticks (1 c.) of butter. Then I added 1 c. of packed brown sugar. I mixed it all together and then let it begin to simmer and melt all together, while stirring. The sugar should just start to caramelize.

When I added the jumbo chocolate chips, the batter was still warm, so they began to melt, and as I mixed the dough, that is how I got the "Zebra " streaks throughout the cookies. They taste rich and delicious and would be great for a jungle safari party!

Chocolate Chip Zebra Cookies

Just click the button above and try them out for yourself! I know, I am breaking my no baking during the heat rule, but when you hear that cute little "ck" and see the little pointing finger, you just have to have a cookie for him!