Baking Day! Brownies, Oatmeal Cookies, Tips AND a giveaway!

Today I participated in Baking Day with at Moneysavingmom.com


I did two recipes, Brownie Bites and Oatmeal Cookies. I will detail my recipes with pics and a review of my newest Wilton Toy! Oh and my very first giveaway!!


First came the Brownie Bites:

I used a Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix, yumm!! I followed the recipe except I substituted egg and oil with applesauce. This is a much healthier alternative along with a much moister outcome.

This is the first time using my Wilton Brownie Bites silicone baking sheet*. My first attempt was not that great, I forgot to spray the sheet so it made it hard to remove the bites and it made cleaning difficult. On the second attempt I did spray and had a much better outcome. The bites just popped right out. I didn't have spillage and they seemed to bake evenly and quickly. I would reccomend this item just remember to "Spray".

Next came the Oatmeal Cookies

These were made entirely from scratch from the recipe below:

Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
1 1/4 cups oatmeal
1 egg
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and butter until well blended. Add the oatmeal, egg, and milk, stirring well. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Gradually add to the oatmeal mixture, stirring well. Stir in the walnuts, raisins, and vanilla. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls, spaced about 1 inch apart, onto the baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Now it says gradually add the flour mix because this will turn into a very thick mix and it gets hard to stir.
I Substituted the cinnamon and cloves for a pumpkin pie spice which added a greater holiday taste.

I also used my Airbake sheets*. I have about 6 of these and love them because they prevent burnt cookies!

Tips for Baking:

1. Have a clean kitchen sink. Fill one side of the sink with hot water about half full, this will allow you to place the items in there once soiled without having to rinse individually. This makes it easier to wash after you are done.
2. Have a clean and organized work area. Make sure you have enough space to ensure a positive flow.
3. Lay out your equipment before hand. Take out your bowls, spoons, measuring utensils, mixer, etc so they are handy when you need them.
4. Lay out a towel or rag. I use a dish rag and place it beneath the mixing bowls. This allows for a super quick cleanup by shaking it out after I am done and throwing it in my towel laundry pile.
5. Make sure you have all ingredients before starting. Of course there is nothing worse then getting 3/4 done with your recipe and realizing you don't have something. Need a substitute? Check here: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/ingresub.htm
6. Double check the recipe before putting it in the oven. By checking your recipe over, this allows you to fix anything you forgot to add before it is too late.
7. Set your timer! We all get distracted, setting a timer keeps us alert and avoids the catastrophe of having damaged baked goods.
8. Put on some music and have fun :)

For Dinner I made Sirloin Steaks into a roast in a crockpot. Typically when I cook dinner, I "wing" it, meaning I take one item and just add too it as I go.


I took 4 sirloin steaks and placed them in the crockpot and added these ingredients:
Meat Tenderizer
Season All
Cherry Coke (for moisture)
Burgandy Cooking Wine
Garlic Powder
Minced Garlic ( I brushed the steaks with this )
Worcheshire Sauce

I will serve with Sauteed Asparagus. This is simple, just take 2 tablespoons of butter or margerine, lemon juice and lemon pepper and "brown" in a skillet, being sure to continously move the asparagus around.

Now for the giveaway:

I actually have two to give away. It is a Recipe CD Rom titled Almost Famous Recipes for All Ages. Perfect for aspiring cooks and bakers or give them as a gift this holiday season. All I ask is you follow me on twitter and/or follow me on this blog. You will receive a seperate entry for both, just leave a comment here and let me know you did. Winner will be announced by next Tuesday.

*These items were purchased on my own. I am not receiving any endorsement on these products, these are strictly my own reviews to share.