THE CHINA STUDY QUICK & EASY COOKBOOK (36 page)

I have always and will always love cookies. Oatmeal-raisin cookies were the first dessert I learned how to make, following the recipe off of the Quaker Oats box when I was less than ten years old. Of course, the cookies I made back then were filled with sugar, white flour, and margarine. Try these instead!

2 cups oats

1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup raisins

1½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch sea salt

¾ cup maple syrup or 1¼ cups Two-Minute Date Puree (
p. 62
)

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Combine the oats, flour, raisins, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt in a large bowl and mix well.

3.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the remaining ingredients. Gently fold together.

4.
Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, shape the cookies into balls and place them on a parchment-lined, silicone-lined, or nonstick baking sheet.

5.
Bake large cookies for about 15 minutes. Bake small cookies for about 12 minutes. The cookies should be lightly browned on top.

6.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

MAKES 10 LARGE OR 20 SMALL COOKIES    

I used to make a smoothie called Chunky Monkey with bananas, peanut butter, and cocoa. It is one of my favorite flavor combinations, so I use it here in this recipe—and even without the cocoa, these cookies make me grin from ear to ear.

10 Medjool dates, pitted

1 ripe banana (overripe is fine)

½ cup peanut butter

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2½ cups quick-cooking or rolled oats

¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.
Add the dates to a small pan with enough water to cover and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Then puree the mixture in a food processor until smooth and creamy.

3.
Add the banana, peanut butter, applesauce, and vanilla to the food processor and puree until smooth and creamy.

4.
Transfer the peanut butter–banana mixture to a bowl and add the remaining ingredients, stirring until just combined.

5.
Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop spoonfuls of dough onto a parchment-lined, silicone-lined, or nonstick baking sheet.

6.
Bake large cookies for about 15 minutes. Bake small cookies for about 12 minutes. The cookies should be lightly browned on top.

7.
Let the cookies sit for about 10 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet; they will be easier to remove. Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

MAKES 10–12 ICE POPS    

These ice pops don’t really qualify as quick, but they sure are easy—and tasty too. If you want to use fresh pineapple, you will need to peel and core it. Make sure to find good, ripe fruit.

2 15-ounce cans unsweetened pineapple, drained, reserving the juice

1.
Place the pineapple in a blender and process until mostly smooth. Add enough of the reserved juice to make a creamy consistency.

2.
Spoon the pineapple into ice pop molds, add wooden sticks, and freeze until solid, about 1 hour.

MAKES 8 ICE POPS    

I have eaten ice pops for as long as I can remember. I am one of those kids who went running through the house, screaming, to ask my mom for money when I heard the ice cream truck coming down the street. This recipe is my healthy version of a Fudgsicle. Think of all that fiber you get every time you eat one—and without a lick of added processed sugar.

1 15-ounce can adzuki beans, drained and rinsed

1¼ cups light coconut milk

1 cup Medjool dates, pitted

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch sea salt

1.
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and creamy.

2.
Use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape the mixture down into the bottom of the blender jar to make sure everything is processed.

3.
Pour the mixture into ice pop molds and place a wooden stick in each mold.

4.
Freeze until solid, about 1 hour, before serving.

VARIATION—CHUNKY MONKEY ICE POPS

Add 3 tablespoons of peanut butter to the blender with all of the other ingredients and mix well.