By Sharon Rus Staff Writer
Midterms are upon us – eek! Nothing on Halloween could scare you more than preparing for that monstrous exam coming up or waiting to get the results back. The best way to take your mind off the impending tests is to call up your friends and have a good old-fashioned bake-off.
These two cookie recipes are an easy way to not only relax, but also cook yourself up a tasty treat. The ingredients are simple, so not to stretch your budget, and the result is delicious and fairly nutritious. These relatively low-calorie cookies are flour-free and will, hopefully, let you relieve some stress in the process.
Here’s what you’ll need for the first recipe:
1 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tea spoon
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the peanut butter, sugar, vanilla and egg together in a bowl until well-mixed. Place the spoonfuls of batter an inch apart on the baking sheet, flatten the mounds with a fork and then bake for ten minutes or until the cookies are golden. Let the cookies cool for five minutes before you serve them. I suggest raspberry jam to transform them into scrumptious peanut butter and jelly cookies!
For the second recipe, you’ll need:
3 ripe bananas
2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup soymilk (or other nondairy milk, I use flax milk)
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Next, mix up all the ingredients together in a bowl until it’s thoroughly combined. Drop the batter in rounded tablespoons on a parchment covered cookie sheet or lightly coat the cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until they hold together and begin to turn golden. Serve them with a cup of hot cocoa or tea. These cookies are even healthy enough to be eaten as an early morning snack when you’re in a pinch, and you can store them in an airtight container.
Sit back, take a moment to relax, and turn on your favorite movie as you wait for the cookies to rise. These are the perfect way to scare off the pre-test jitters and have yourself a relaxing night in with your friends.
Enjoy!