Chocolate & Cinnamon Apple Wontons with Toasted Walnuts

I absolutely love the Fall season, especially all the wonderful desserts that are baked at this time of year.  There is nothing quite like the amazing smell of cinnamon and apples to make your home feel warm and cozy.  I've made these cinnamon apple wontons with chocolate and walnuts to bring out that tart apple pie flavor along with the sweetness from the chocolate.  These wontons are baked so they are much healthier than your typical fall dessert, but just as delicious.  You can serve them with a side of ice cream or frozen yogurt.

INGREDIENTS

Cooking Spray

2 medium Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and minced   

1 Tbsp packed light brown sugar  

1 Tsp fresh lemon juice   

1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon 

3 Tbsp toasted, chopped walnuts

4 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips

about 30 wonton wrappers

1 1/2 Tbsp powdered sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, chocolate chips, walnuts and cinnamon; toss to coat apples.

Place wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Drop apple mixture by teaspoonfuls onto center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of wrapper with wet fingers, fold over one corner to make a triangle and press sides together to seal. 

Transfer filled wrappers to prepared baking sheet and coat surfaces with cooking spray.

Bake until wontons are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Place wontons on individual plates and sift powdered sugar on top.

Stuffed Shortbread Cookies

A look at what's inside

I've created a slightly different taste to these cookies, which are also known as ma'amoul.  They are very popular in the Middle East, especially during times of celebrations.  Essentially, they are shortbread cookies filled with dates or different types of nuts.  This recipe is for the date-filled shortbread cookies.  I love them because they are not overly sugary like other cookies, but they still satisfy my sweet tooth.  They may look like fig newtons, but they are so much better because they have a variety of spices that gives the dough a unique and rich flavor.  The cookie crust literally melts in your mouth and the date filling is soft and sweet.  When you bake these your house will fill up with the smells of cinnamon and spice, which makes you feel like the holiday season has started.  These are super easy to make so you can whip up a batch for your next party or just as a treat for yourself.

A side note:  You should be able to find mahlab at a Mediterranean or Indian store.  If you can't find it, you can leave it out and the cookies will still taste good.

INGREDIENTS

For Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups fine semolina flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup warm water
3 1/2 sticks softened butter
1/2 Tbsp yeast
1/2 Tsp sugar
1 Tsp ground mahlab
1 Tsp nutmeg
1 Tsp anise
1 Tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp black caraway seeds

For Filling

16 oz macerated/pureed dates
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tsp cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

For Dough

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.

Place butter, semolina and flour in a bowl.  Knead with your hands until butter is incorporated.

Add warm water mixture and knead again.  Add mahlab, nutmeg, anise, cinnamon, and black caraway seeds.  Knead again to get everything mixed together.

Cover bowl with towel and let stand for 6 hours.

For Filling

You can prepare the filling once the dough is ready, it does not have to be made ahead of time.  Place dates in microwave safe bowl with butter and cinnamon.  Microwave for 1 min.  Take out of            microwave and stir together.  Let cool and then cover with plastic wrap.  Let stand at room temp. until ready to use for dough.

Making Cookies

Pre-heat to 375 F.

Cut dough into pieces and form a medium size ball.  Create a large indentation in ball with your thumb and add date filling.  Seal up the ball and flatten into a round cookie shape. You can use a fork to create designs on the cookie. 

If you have a cookie mold/ma'amoul wooden mold like the one below you can use that to shape the cookies.

Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet on middle rack of oven.  Bake until golden brown on bottom and top (about 10 min.).  If your oven doesn't brown evenly, you may need to use broil to get the tops brown.  Be sure to watch the cookies if you do this.  Let cool completely and serve. 

Tip:  You can also store these cookies in an airtight container and place them in the freezer.  When you take them out and let them thaw, they will taste just as fresh as if you had just baked them.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These cookies are delicious and will satisfy your sweet tooth without causing you to overindulge.  1 or 2 cookies will be enough to get your sugar fix.  They are perfect to take to work parties, get togethers, or to have as a snack.  

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups uncooked rolled oats  

3/4 cups whole-grain wheat flour  

1/2 teaspoon baking powder  

1/4 teaspoon table salt  

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon  

1/2 cup regular butter, softened  

1/2 cup packed brown sugar  

1/4 cup sugar  

1 large egg  

1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

1 cup raisins

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350ºF

In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and both sugars until incorporated. Add egg and vanilla; mix completely. Add oat mixture and mix until just combined; fold in raisins and chocolate chips.

Drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in middle rack of oven for around 9 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies sit on cookie sheet for about 1 minute.  Remove cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins with Lemony Icing

I love these muffins because they have the sweetness from the bananas and the chocolate chips combined with the tartness of the lemon icing.  If you have bananas that are ripening quickly or others that are too ripe, whip up a batch of these muffins.

INGREDIENTS

For Muffins

1/2 cup sugar  

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened  

1 large egg 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

2 cups all-purpose flour  

2 teaspoon baking powder  

1 teaspoon baking soda  

1/4 cup fat-free skim milk  

4 large bananas, ripe, mashed
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For Icing  

1 cup powdered sugar  

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened  

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice  

1 teaspoon lemon zest, strips, or more to taste  

1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

INSTRUCTIONS

For Muffins

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Grease muffin tin well with cooking spray.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; cream with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until mixed well.

In another large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add half of flour mixture to butter mixture; beat well with mixer. Add milk and remaining flour mixture; beat until batter is combined and then fold in mashed bananas.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into muffin tin about 3/4 full. Bake until muffins start to brown and a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, around 25 to 30 minutes. Allow muffins to cool in pan for a few minutes; remove to a wire rack and cool completely before icing.

For Icing

Meanwhile, combine icing ingredients in a medium bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Ice cooled muffins; cover and refrigerate any uneaten muffins.