Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies from Naturally Sweet Cookbook & a Giveaway

I've mentioned before on this blog that diabetes runs in my family which isn't necessarily ideal when you love to bake as much as I do.  Inevitably this question always seems to come up when I make something for the relatives, "can you make it less sweet"?      

How excited was I when America's Test Kitchen recently came out with a cookbook specifically dedicated to baking with less sugar, entitled Naturally Sweet.  If this book didn't have my family's name written all over it I don't know what would! 

The recipes in the book use alternatives to the traditional granulated white sugar, which helps to bring down the level of sweetness.  Sucanat, an unrefined cane sugar, is the one predominantly used in Naturally Sweet.   

I was keen to test out a recipe to see if the cookbook really lived up to its claims and decided to have a go at one of my all-time favorite cookies, Oatmeal Raisin.   The cookie dough came together really easily, although you do have to take the extra step of grinding the Sucanat in a spice grinder. 

The cookies browned beautifully in the oven with crispy edges and a soft center, just how I like them!  They tasted great and had a very nice molasses flavor to them.  I didn't even miss the extra sugar to be honest but the true test was to get other people's review.

I brought the cookies in to the office but didn't disclose that they were low sugar.   My co-workers devoured them and when I revealed that they were made with less sugar they were completely surprised.  One person even said I could have cut the sweetener a little more and they still would have been fantastic.  Now that's a testimonial if I ever heard one!  I plan on making more recipes from the cookbook for my family to enjoy this holiday season.

My friends at America's Test Kitchen have kindly donated two copies of Naturally Sweet to give away to my blog readers.  Here's how to enter:

GIVEAWAY RULES:

1) Only open to those with a U.S. mailing address

2) Leave your email address in the comments section of this post.  Sorry, comments without an email address will be disqualified.  

3) Deadline for entry: Saturday December 31 at 11:59pm PST.  

Good Luck!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

In the office I had a reputation for harboring contraband.  Yep, it's true and I'd gladly be a repeat offender.  Why?  Because my so-called illegal good was nothing more than a toaster.   A toaster for goodness sake! 

Nine times out of ten I was using the toaster for cinnamon raisin bread.  The glorious smell of yeast and spices would permeate the hallways of our floor and most people knew they emanated from my office.  Luckily corporate security never found out!    

The Mar/Apr 2012 issue of Cook's Illustrated has a recipe for Cinnamon Swirl Bread that I knew I wanted to make right away.  My experience with bread making is pretty limited but I'm getting more and more practice with recipes like these.  I don't think there's anything better than the smell of freshly baked bread...absolute bliss!   The recipe is really straightforward and the results are just like in the magazine.  Looks like my toaster will be on overdrive for the next few days. 

Oatmeal Cherry Walnut Cookies

My mom loves oatmeal cookies so while I'm visiting my parents this weekend I made her a huge batch. I baked off some of the dough today and she can freeze the rest to bake later.

Got the recipe from this great baking book my sister borrowed from the library called Advanced Bread and Pastry, written by Michel Suas who founded the San Francisco Baking Institute. It's a comprehensive guide to making breads, viennoiserie, cakes and cookies. Definitely geared more towards the serious baker and/or professional and it's written in that vain. I liked it so much I promptly ordered it online.

Used the oatmeal raisin cookie recipe but substituted dried cherries for the raisins and also added toasted chopped walnuts. Made the cookies super size and I think they turned out great...nice golden brown color on the outside and chewy inside. All it's begging for is a glass of milk.