I thought I typed this recipe already, but I can only find an abridged version of it... Microwave Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Filled with Blueberry Jam Serves 14 1 and 1/2 cups blueberries 1 cup red or black grapes 1/2 tsp agar powder (if using flakes instead, double the amount) 2 tsp arrowroot 2 ripe bananas, mashed (add extra banana if batter is too dry) 1 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1/2 cups raisins, soaked in water for 30 minutes, then drained 1/3 cup chopped almonds or walnuts 1/4 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/8 tsp cinnamon To make the blueberry jam: Combine blueberries, grapes, agar powder, and arrowroot in a high-powered blender. Transfer to a small saucepan and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil for 2 minutes (but no longer), stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Place in covered container and refrigerate until ready to use. Makes 2 cups. To make the cookies: Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine mashed banana and oats. Add soaked raisins nuts, coconut, vanilla, and cinnamon. If using a vanilla bean, scrape pulp and seeds from pod with a dull knife and add them to mixture; discard pod. Mix well. Drop by tablespoon onto a nonstick cookie sheet. Flatten a little, make an indentation in the center of the cookie, and add blueberry jam in the indentation. Bake for 13 minutes, or until golden. Makes 14 cookies.
What is arrowroot? Arrowroot is a starch/flour that is an excellent grain free substitute for cornstarch and can be used as a one-for-one replacement in most recipes. When used for thickening, it is best added at the end of one’s cooking just before boiling, as continued heating will cause it to lose its thickening ability. For gravies and sauces, add arrowroot starch to a small amount of cool liquid first, then whisk it into hot liquids. As an egg replacement, whisk together 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch, 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, and ¼ cup water to equal one egg. As a baking powder substitute, mix together 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp cream of tartar, and 1 tsp arrowroot starch. Store in an airtight container.
The above was NOT a microwave recipe. Anyway, given the success of the Easy Microwave Chocolate Cake, I decided to go ahead and try to microwave the cookie recipe I cooked in a pan the other day. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it again on the Web. I did find this one however, which seems like it might work out even better than the original one... However, only about half of the ingredients match up, and when I compared it with Fuhrman's recipe, the only shared ingredient was vanilla. Since his recipe called for four times as much, I reduced it by 75% and here is how the three recipes compared... So, I think I will try the following... 1/3 cup oats 1/2 mashed banana 1/8 cup (soaked) raisins 1/16 cup coconut 1/8 tsp vanilla pinch cinnamon 2 tsp flour 1/8 tsp baking powder 1 Medjool date 1 tsp butter (milk as necessary, but only if dough is too dry/thick) I'll try microwaving it for 30 seconds, then again for 20 seconds if necessary, and the again for 10 seconds (if necessary) and see what happens.
When I followed the directions from the previous post, what I got was mostly banana. I could not imagine how that was going to bake well, so I added 2 Tbsp of flour instead of 2 tsp and made a little "test" cookie, which was not very cookie-like. So, I added a third Tbsp of flour and an additional box of raisins, which was the best part. I made like a 4- or 5-inch cookie with half the "dough," but was not very impressed. It was still not very cookie-like. Wondering if adding an egg might have helped, I looked into what eggs do, and according to the Net, what eggs do in baking recipes is create structure and stability within a batter. (Wheat four provides the structure in baked goods and contains proteins that interact with each other when mixed with water, forming gluten. It is this elastic gluten framework which stretches to contain the expanding leavening gases during rising. The protein content of a flour affects the strength of a dough. [All-purpose flour has extra protein.]) So, I think tomorrow I'll take the other half of the dough, add half an egg (and scramble the other half) and see what happens when I cook it then. P.S. I also wondered why so many cookie recipes include brown sugar... Possible Answer: Using brown sugar will result in a denser, moister cookie. Brown sugar is also is also hygroscopic (more so than granulated sugar) and will therefore also attract and absorb the liquid in the dough.
Well, I added approximately half of a raw egg to the “cookie dough,” formed it into a big patty about five inches in diameter, and microwaved it for one minute. When I took it out, it didn’t look or feel fully “baked,” and since it didn’t smell like it was getting overcooked, I put it back in the microwaved for another full minute, figuring if it did not appear to be “done” after a full two minutes, it probably never would. When I took it out again, it looked more like a granola bar than a cookie. It was not stiff at all, so I figure I would wait until it cooled off completely before I would try to eat it. When I separated it from the microwave dish, I found the while the top was dry, the bottom was moist, so perhaps I should have flipped it over before microwaving it the second time. In any event, unlike the Easy Microwave Chocolate Cake, I would still categorize my attempt to microwave a cookie as a failure. Though it was edible, I did not find it to be all that “enjoyable,” and it was not at all like a cookie, or a granola bar, or a cake, or a pancake, or bread, or anything! It was just raisins, banana, oats, coconut, etc., all mixed together in a cohesive patty. (But at this point, if I were to cook it in a conventional oven, I think there is a possibility that I might end up with a relatively nice granola bar.)
The banana pancakes were still rather light the second time I made them, even after eliminating the baking soda, so when I made them this morning, I used 1 tsp of baking power instead of 2 tsp and this time they cooked with the density I would anticipate in a pancake—so 1 tsp of baking powder it is!
having a nutritionist is your best option, but for me what I'm doing is just eat a lot of vegetables and fruits. rice or bread, eggs and white meat as your protein. Exercise is also necessary, there are times that in a week I did not exercise, but just a good walk is fine. Also limit eating processed foods.
Since the Easy Microwave Chocolate Cake turned out so well and my attempts at making microwave cookies have not, I plan to use the following information on the difference between cake batter and cookie dough to see if it can help me modify the microwave cake recipe so that it makes acceptable microwave cookies...