Munchies

Most of us realize that we need to eat healthy foods. Many of us even try to eat healthy. But there are times we simply want something a little snacky. So, in honor of all snackiness, here are today's offerings. Enjoy!

Note: I've included where I got each recipe from immediately after the recipe's title.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

from Diabetic Gourmet Recipes Yield: 40 cookies

Serving size: 1 cookie

Source: Splenda

View Online with Photo: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1077.shtml

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1-1/4 cups rolled oats

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons trans-free margarine, softened

1/2 cup Splenda Sugar Blend

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine flour, oats, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.

In bowl of electric mixer, beat margarine and Splenda Sugar Blend on medium speed 1 to 2 minutes, or until light and aerated. Beat in eggs for 1 minute, or until light. Beat in vanilla and almond extract. Stir in dry ingredients.

Drop teaspoonfuls of dough onto lightly greased baking sheets and flatten each with the back of a fork dipped in water.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or just until puffed and no longer shiny on top. Cool on sheets 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 50 ; Calories from Fat: 20 ; Protein: 1 g ; Fat: 2 g ; Sodium: 55 mg; Cholesterol: 10 mg ; Saturated Fat: 0 g ; Dietary Fiber: 1 g ; Carbohydrates: 7 g

Find more great COOKIE recipes at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/Desserts/Cookies

Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

From Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, guide at HomeCooking.about.com

Peggy writes, "These taste similar to the commercial peanut butter cups, but better! Great for gifts." Yum! Peggy always seems to come up with great recipes, so you might want to sign up for her emails. Just saying...

Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bar

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup butter (4 Tbsp or 1/2 stick)

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bar

1/8 cup butter (2 Tbsp or 1/4 stick)

1 ounce paraffin wax, chopped

Preparation:

Place 1-inch mini-muffin or candy1 papers in a mini-muffin tin.

In a double boiler, melt 4 ounces chocolate bar, peanut butter, and 1/4 cup butter, mixing until smooth. Gently mix in graham cracker crumbs.

Place about 1 teaspoon chocolate5 graham cracker mixture in bottom of paper cups. Chill 15 to 30 minutes to harden.

Place 3/4 cup peanut butter6 in a bowl over hot water to soften. Mix in powdered sugar and graham cracker7 crumbs. Place 1 teaspoon peanut butter8mixture on top of hardened chocolate9 cracker layer. Chill 15 to 30 minutes.

Melt 6 ounces chocolate10 bar with butter and paraffin wax11. Top the peanut butter12 layer with about 1 teaspoon chocolate13 mixture. Chill to harden. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 3 dozen peanut butter cups

Chocolate Dunk Cookies

another offering from Diabetic Gourmet Recipes

Yield: 36 servings

Serving size: 1 cookie

Source: Splenda

Ingredients

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 squares Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) margarine, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon thawed Cool Whip Sugar Free Whipped Topping

1 teaspoon warm water

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Chop 2 of the chocolate squares.

Beat margarine, brown sugar and Splenda Granulated Sweetener in large bowl with mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chopped chocolate.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake cookies 11 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets one minute; remove and place on wire racks. Cool completely.

Melt remaining 2 chocolate squares as directed on package. Stir in cool whip and water. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate; let stand until firm.

Nutritional Information Per Serving Calories: 90; Calories from Fat: 45; Protein: 1 g; Fat: 5 g; Sodium: 90 mg; Saturated Fat: 1.5 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugars: 4 g; Carbohydrates: 10 g

Whoopie Pies

from Carroll Pellegrinelli, guide at Baking.about.com

Carroll writes, "Want to make someone smile? Just offer them a Whoopie Pie. It's a cookie. It's a cake, but I can't think of it as a pie. It's also known as the official treat of Maine. Typically, it's top and bottom are chocolate cake with a middle fluffy frosting often made with marshmallow fluff. These days you can find fancier versions made of Red Velvet Cake, Pumpkin and/or Gingerbread Cake both with a cream cheese frosting filling. You'll note that I've included both a from-scratch cake and a cake mix recipe on this page. You could also make yours with a more traditional buttercream frosting. Personally, I prefer the taste and texture of the marshmallow cream frosting."

She always comes up with decadent dessert recipes; I recommend signing up for her emails, too. You won't regret it!

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 57 minutes

Yield: Makes 8 individual servings

Ingredients:

From-Scratch Whoopie Pies

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 cup buttermilk*

Filling

1 cup butter, softened

7-ounce jar marshmallow fluff

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cake Mix Version

one 18-ounce chocolate or Devil's Food cake mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil or softened butter

3 eggs

3/4 cup water

Preparation:

For From-Scratch Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Mix in egg. Slowly add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Ending with the buttermilk. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into rounds on prepared baking sheet. You should be able to get 16 cakes. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks for cooling. Cool completely.

For Cake Mix Recipe

Mix ingredients in a bowl with a electric mixer to just moisten. Then, on medium for 2 minutes until well combined. Finish by following the above baking instructions.

Filling Instructions

Cream the butter and marshmallow fluff. Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Add vanilla and beat until smooth.

To Assemble Whoopie Pies

Place a couple of tablespoons of filling on the flat bottoms of half of the pies. Top the filling with the flat bottoms of the other pies.

Notes in the Margin: *Don't have buttermilk? Take a glass mixing cup and add one tablespoon of white vinegar. Fill the rest of the cup with milk. Stir and use instead of the buttermilk.

So, if these recipes, sound good, sign up for Carroll's and Peggy's emails (at about.com), as well as Diabetic Gourmet Recipes. You won't be disappointed!