From the Food Editor of ShalomBoston.com

Review and recipes from Norene's Healthy Kitchen

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Food Editor's Notes:  I am always looking for cookies that taste good but aren't too sweet and have an interesting texture, especially crispy-chewy with pieces of ingredients that provide a burst of flavor.  This cookie certainly fills the bill and more, given that it has lots of healthy ingredients, including the latest to be recommended, flaxseed (full of Omega-3s, the good-for-you fat). These are really delicious – a great treat for a snack or dessert. And despite all the ingredients, they are easy to make – just dump everything into the food processor and you only have one item to wash. I made smaller cookies and ended up with about 6 dozen, but my 15-year-old son and two of his friends were here and devoured a good portion of them, pronouncing them "mad good!"

CRANBERRY OATMEAL FLAX COOKIES

Ingredients

1/2 cup less 1 tablespoon canola oil
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats (preferably large flake)
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, combine the oil, sugars, egg, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Process for 1 minute or until well-blended.  Add the flours, rolled oats, flaxseed, and baking soda; process with quick on/off pulses, just until combined.  Stir in the cranberries and pumpkin seeds with a rubber spatula.

3.  Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.  Flatten each mound with the tines of a fork.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.

Yield: About 36 cookies.  Freezes well for up to 4 months.

79 calories per cookie, 8.5 g carbohydrate, 0.8 g fiber, 1 g protein, 4.5 g fat (0.4 saturated), 6 mg cholesterol, 20 mg sodium, 15 mg potassium, 0 mg iron, 3 mg calcium

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Food Editor's Notes:  These muffins are soft, light, and moist and are delicious for breakfast or a snack, or in a bread assortment for a festive meal (think Thanksgiving). They are also a snap to make and, since they are from Norene's cookbook, a healthy version of such a sweet treat.  These won't stay around for long!

PUMPKIN CRANBERRY MUFFINS

Ingredients

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 large egg
3/4 cup canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries (raisins or chocolate chips can be substituted)
Pumpkin seeds, for garnish (optional)

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line the compartments of a muffin pan with paper liners (or spray with cooking spray).

2.  In a food processor fitted with the steel blade (or in a large bowl and using an electric mixer), process (or beat) the sugar and oil until light, about 1 minute.  Add the egg and pumpkin and process 30 to 45 seconds longer or until well blended.  Add the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, and salt; process just until combined.  Batter will be thick.  Stir in the cranberries with a rubber spatula.

3.  Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each compartment about two-thirds full.  Top the batter with a few pumpkin seeds, if using.

4.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and spring back when lightly touched.

Yield: 12 muffins.  Freezes well for up to 3 months.

171 calories per muffin, 26.2 g carbohydrate, 1.8 g fiber, 2 g protein, 6.9 g fat (0.6 saturated), 18 mg cholesterol, 167 mg sodium, 76 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 40 mg calcium

Norene Gilletz is the leading author of kosher cookbooks in Canada.  She is a culinary consultant, cooking teacher/lecturer, cookbook author, and freelance food writer, focusing on healthy cooking.  Norene's Healthy Kitchen (Whitecap Books, 2007) is her seventh cookbook, several of which are among this Food Editor's all-time favorites.  Visit Norene's web site, www.gourmania.com, for information on her cookbooks and ordering instructions, plus more recipes and lots of helpful hints and food-related resources.  Highly recommended!

More Info | Order Now

Norene's Healthy Kitchen - Eat Your Way to Good Health
by Norene Gilletz

Published by: Whitecap Books
ISBN 978-1-55285-802-8
CDN $34.95, paperback
8" x 9", 512 pages
colour photographs throughout