Oatmeal Cookie Recipe!

I’ve been in the mood for one of my favorite cookies which is oatmeal cookies! I wanted to make them from scratch!

So I have a video of me making these oatmeal cookies for the first time! Check out my video to see how they turned out!

Oatmeal Cookie Video!

The ingredients and recipe are listed here if you want to give it a try!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar packed

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp honey

1 1/4 cup all purpose flower

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup quick oats*

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

*if you only have old fashioned oats, take 1 1/2 cups of the old fashioned oats, then remove 1 cup and put that in the food processor/blender. Give it 1-3 short pulses and now you have your 1 cup of quick oats!

Instructions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line your baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.

-In a large bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars until fluffy.

-Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and honey

-With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

-Mix in the quick oats and the old fashioned oats

-Form the dough into balls about 1 tablespoon in size and place 2 inches apart on your baking sheet with parchment paper

-Bake in the middle rack for 9-11 minutes

-Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Then enjoy!

Storing Cookies: you can store the oatmeal cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, though they may get eaten before then! Haha!

Have you made oatmeal cookies?! Do you like them WITH raisins or WITHOUT raisins (like me!)

Comment below to let me know! =)

Recipe from justsotasty.com

I Cannot Resist These!

I used to get them all the time when I lived down south but it’s hard to find them here in NYC.

But I was finally able to get my hands on these delicious Krispy Kreme donuts! OMG if you haven’t tried these, you are missing out! They have a little mini factory inside the store where they prepare the donuts so they always come out hot and fresh!

What are your favorite donuts to eat?! The classic glaze donuts are my favorite! =)

Magnum Ice Cream Shop in NYC! Ice Cream Lovers This One Is For You!!!

My sister came in town and has been wanting to go to this ice cream shop for the longest time! So we finally get the chance to give it a try!

This ice cream shop allows you to personalize your own ice cream bar!

You have a choice of 3 toppings and can also select a white, milk, or dark chocolate drizzle.

The toppings I chose were salted caramel pearls, chopped almonds, and ginger sugar.

My sister’s toppings were white sugar pearls, peanut butter chocolate chips, and salted caramel pearls.

It was fun to see them prepare it in front of you! My mouth was watering just watching them make it haha!

The staff were very friendly and helpful, making my experience even better!

Check out those videos here!: Just Brittany Moments Instagram

They have a station that has a pretty cool background to take a picture of your freshly made ice cream bar!

There is also some seating available if you want to hang out and enjoy your delicious treat!

My ice cream bar was very savory and creamy! The ginger sugar added a nice sweet but slight spice to it which was very pleasant!

The yummy bars are super affordable too, only costs $8!

So if you are ever in Lower Manhattan, stop by Magnum Ice Cream and get your personalized ice cream bar!

Check out my Instagram link below for much more photos and videos of my experience!

Just Brittany Moments Instagram

What’s My Guilty Pleasure?

What’s my guilty pleasure you ask?

Something that’s fluffy, warm, and could make me fat.

I have to be careful not to eat too many.

Because they have me addicted.

Have a taste yourself, you’ll see…

Banana Nut Muffins are the culprit.

They are so delicious that it’s hard to resist.

Excuse me while I cheerfully indulge!

**This was a short fun poem about my favorite banana nut muffins! Hope you enjoyed it! 😊

Daily Prompt – Guilty

6 Yummy Alternatives For Sugar! Plus A Bonus Tip!

1. Agave Nectar

The Aztecs used agave thousands of years ago and praised this syrup as a gift from the gods. A derivative of the same plant as tequila, this golden sweetener tastes similar to honey and is perfect in hot or iced tea. But be sure to use in moderation—agave’s high fructose content can sometimes cross it in to the dangerous food zone!

2. Applesauce

Instead of a half-cup white sugar in a batch of oatmeal cookies, swap in an equal amount of applesauce! The natural sweetness from a Golden Delicious or Fuji apple is perfect in an after-dinner treat. Purchase the “no sugar-added” applesauce, or make a fresh batch at home!

3. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

For a warm winter treat, mix some unsweetened cocoa powder in a glass of hot water or skim milk. It’ll satisfy that sweet tooth without all the extra sugar the sweetened version includes. Add a splash of vanilla extract for extra flavor!

4. Coconut Sugar

Get a little tropical and use coconut sugar in a fruit smoothie. Made from the sap of coconut flowers, this natural sugar comes in block, paste, or granulated form. Plus, it’s loaded with potassium which helps keep our bones strong!

5. Brown Rice Syrup

Brown rice syrup comes from (you guessed it!) brown rice. More nutritious than its high-fructose alternative, this buttery and nutty flavored syrup is perfect in granola bars and baked breads.

6. Puréed Banana

In the next loaf of banana bread, try using extra-ripe bananas and eliminating the sugar. The fruit naturally becomes sweeter as it ripens, so there’s no need for extra sugar.

Bonus Alternative: Lemon

If you’re a tea drinker like myself, squeezing the juice of half a lemon into your cup of tea can be helpful when cutting back on sugar! Lemon not only improves hydration, has vitamin C, and helps with weight loss, it also helps with digestion and freshens your breath!

But be careful to use lemon in moderation because of its acidity. So instead of using honey or sugar to flavor your tea, add some lemon juice to get all the great benefits!

Have you used any of these sugar alternatives?! Comment below if you have! I’d love to hear from you!

Strawberry Shortcake!

I’ve always heard of everyone loving strawberry shortcake! I didn’t really know what the difference was between a shortcake and regular cake so I did some research! 

A shortcake is normally made with flour, sugar, baking powder or soda, salt, butter, milk, or cream, and sometimes eggs. The dry ingredients are blended, then the butter is cut into mixture until the mixture resembles cornmeal. 

The liquid ingredients are mixed in just until moistened, resulting in a shortened dough. The dough is dropped in spoonfuls onto the baking sheet, rolled, and poured into a cake pan. Then it’s baked at a relatively high temperature until set. 

I’ve never had the opportunity to try strawberry shortcake until yesterday! 

My coworker switched departments and my colleague bought her a strawberry shortcake from Whole Foods as a goodbye treat. 

The cake had strawberries on the inside and was so light and airy compared to regular cake! It was sweet but not too sweet and had a bit tangy from the strawberries that were in between the layers! It was super delicious! I love sweets so I was tempted to grab another slice but I resisted the urge! Haha!

Strawberry Shortcake from Whole Foods! The name on the cake is an inside joke haha!

Have you ever had strawberry shortcake before?! 

Hint of Nostalgia!

I used to love all things candy growing up!

Some of my favorites to eat Smarties, a variety of lollipops from Dum Dums to Blowpops, Life Savers Gummies, and Spree Chewy Candies to name a few!

I blame my dad because he loves candy and his family is the same way! LOL

Growing up, I remember my Granny (his mom) would always have a pack of gummy bears near by. So I know where he got that sweet tooth from! Haha! 

But since I’ve gotten older, I’ve definitely toned down my sweet tooth and barely eat candy now! 

So I get a hint of nostalgia whenever I do indulge in a sweet treat! =)

Are you a sweet tooth? And if so what are your favorite candies to indulge in?! 

Daily Prompt – Lollipop

Photo: Pixabay.com

Max Brenner – Calling All Chocolate Lovers in NYC

I first heard about this place from my coworkers who were raving about this restaurant that is known for its chocolatey desserts! So they really persuaded me to go to this oh so famous Max Brenner Restaurant because I mean we all love a good satisfying chocolate dessert right?! (well, most of us LOL!)
My husband and I went to the city to check the place out. When we got there, it was super crowded! It was very popular. We didn’t have a reservation, so we waited for like 20-30mins before we were seated (but that was expected since it was a Saturday, in the summer, in one of the most popular cities).

They had a bar towards the front of the restaurant, 2 floors where you can be seated and enjoy your meal, and the design and style of the restaurant is pretty fun and interesting! You’re surrounded by anything and everything involving chocolate!

You can walk in and just buy chocolate desserts if you choose not to eat there. MB (Max Brenner) also has a chocolate shop where you can buy a variety of anything chocolate along with their signature cups/towers that they present your drink or sauce in at the restaurant.

At Max Brenner, there is a wide variety of chocolate treats from pastries, milkshakes, hot chocolate hug mugs, chocolate shots, waffles, crepes, cakes, cookies, ice cream, and even chocolate pizza!

One thing I found interesting that I saw that people ordered were the Chocolate Fondue Towers! You are provided with a mini grill to roast your treats and then dip into the gooey goodness of chocolate sauce! The next time I go back, I will be getting this Fondue Tower!

MB also has regular food too! Burger, fries, salmon, pasta, mac n cheese, pizza along with beer, wine, and cocktails! (This is making me hungry just writing about it! YUM!)

I ordered the Brenner Burger with waffle fries paired with a nice tall Halva Milkshake! My husband ordered some type of sandwich (I don’t remember) and a nice tall beer! The burger and fries were pretty good, but that Halva Milkshake was so delicious!!! (as you can tell by the empty cup pictured above) It was so rich with flavor but the chocolate flavor was not overpowering at all! We enjoyed our experience there and will be going back sometime soon!

When you get a chance, try stopping in to Max Brenner to enjoy a nice meal and a bunch of awesome chocolate treats!

If you’ve been there before, let me know how your experience went!

Max Brenner