7 tbs butter, softened

½ cup agave nectar

1 large egg

1 tbs vanilla extract

1 ¾ cups whole wheat pastry flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp sea salt

1 cup of chocolate chips

1 cup of chopped walnuts

Preheat your oven to 325degrees F.

Beat the agave nectar and butter until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.  

Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then combine with the butter mixture.  Fold chocolate chips and walnuts into the batter. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto your cookie sheet (I recommend using parchment paper for ease).

Bake for 12 – 14 minutes until lightly browned – be careful not to overcook.

Enjoy!!  

 
Notes:

1) I recommend using organic ingredients whenever possible – better for you and the environment.

2) I adapted this recipe from Ania Catalano’s Baking With Agave Nectar cookbook; the original recipe calls for ¼ cup more agave nectar, barley & oat flours instead of whole wheat, pecans instead of walnuts, and the addition of cinnamon.

3) This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.  The photo I took only includes 4… because that’s all that was left by the time I got this recipe blogged.  :)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

PREPARATION:

Cream 1/2 cup butter with sugar. Add eggs; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla.
Melt remaining 1/2 cup butter with chocolate; cool and beat into creamed mixture.
Stir in flour, salt, and nuts; blend well.
Pour batter into greased and floured 13 x 9-inch pan. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Cool in pan.

Note: if you half this recipe - which I frequently do - make sure to half the baking time!

So, I was feeling a bit down this evening after the banana pudding didn’t turn out too well: my son only ate the chocolate chips out of it & left the pudding, and my daughter said, “Mom, its kinda sweet… I’ll have a yogurt”. Sigh. Well, on to plan B!  My examination of the contents of my fridge, combined with the temperature of the air coming through the back window (cool and oh-so-wonderfully autumn crisp), lead me to whip up a quick pan of baked apple crisp. Here’s what I threw together:

6 small tart apples
4 Tbs butter
¼ cup flour (whole wheat white is my all-around baking favorite)
¼ cup rolled oats
¼ cup dark brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 450f. Butter a baking dish. Peel, core, and cut apples into slices & place into the dish (now, you CAN leave the skin on, but I prefer them naked). Melt butter, and mix well with dry ingredients.  Scoop/crumble topping over the apples. Cover the dish & bake for approx. 30 minutes – until apples yield to a fork.  They can go quickly from that perfect state into mushy apple sauce, so watch those last 5 minutes closely!

Allow to cool a bit & enjoy (with vanilla ice cream is of course, the best)!