Snow Days Baking

Snow Days are always a fun time for baking!! It's very practical... keeping the oven on helps warm up the house;) We have been blessed with several snow days this week... so there is lots of baking going on in our home!! Two of the recipes from this week are "healthified" Oatmeal Cookies and Yummy Baked Blueberry Cake Doughnuts. For those of you who don't know my cooking style, I am not great at measurements and I am ALWAYS tweaking recipes! I hope your family enjoys these recipes as much as mine!!

Healthified Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe originated from my Mom's Oatmeal Cookie recipe (from a pudding box), but has many changes.
Ingredients:
11/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup applesauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar or splenda (optional)
1 pkg. (4 serving) Jello Instant Vanilla/French Vanilla Pudding
2 eggs
2 TBSP - 1/4 cup ground flax seed
3 1/2 cups oatmeal (quick cooking)
Optional add-ins: raisins, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, nuts
Directions:
Mix flour with baking soda.
Combine sugars, butter, applesauce, and pudding mix in large bowl.
Add eggs and flax seed.
Stir in oatmeal, then add-ins (my family does 1/2 batch chocolate and 1/2 batch butterscotch)
Drop by teaspoon full onto ungreased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen.

Yummy Baked Blueberry Cake Doughnuts - 
a great morning delight for your entire family!!

Servings: 9 large doughnuts (I have large and small doughnut trays and this recipe usually makes 9 large donuts and a tray of one dozen mini doughnuts)

Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter (can substitute applesauce)
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
ground flax seed (about 1-2 TBSP... I just pour;)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (can substitute up to 1 cup whole wheat flour-- 1 1/2 cups AP flour + 1 cup whole wheat flour)
1 cup frozen/fresh wild blueberries
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Lightly coat doughnut tins with cooking spray.
In a food processor or mixer, combine butter and sugar. Process until smooth. Add eggs and process until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and process until smooth.
Add the baking powder, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Process until well mixed. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour and blueberries. Toss until the blueberries are evenly distributed and coated with flour. Add the wet ingredients from the processor. Mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Transfer batter to a large plastic bag. Twist close the top. Use scissors to snip off one bottom corner of the bag, creating about a 1/2-inch-wide opening.
Holding the bag over the prepared pan, gently squeeze batter into each doughnut mold.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned. (shorter bake time for mini donuts).
Place doughnuts on cooling racks and pour/spread glaze over doughnuts.
Glaze recipe
Makes glaze for 24 doughnuts
1/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

Happy Baking!!