Healthy Baked Goods

Cooking in a different country is always an adventure. In the first few months of living here I was constantly wanting ingredients from home and would have my mom or various friends ship things over to me. As time went by I either found substitutes or adjusted to cooking with the ingredients readily available here in Girona.

Girona is known for being a haven of gastronomic wonder, so it is hardly difficult to shop and cook with the ingredients found in our local market. Fresh fish, eggs, local fruits and veggies...we are spoiled, truly.

So what things are slightly more difficult to find? Well, there are many, but over time I have forgotten about most of them and now there is only one thing that I still insist on having imported. Baking soda. Now, you can find baking soda here, but something about it is different. Don't ask me why, but things don't rise in the same way with Spanish baking soda. I also use it for cleaning just about everything, so I thank the friends and family members who bring or mail me boxes of baking soda.

My children eat pretty healthy and we limit the sweets and treats. This can be difficult because baking with children is so much fun and my kids really enjoy it. I am always on the lookout for healthier treats to bake, so I was excited to try the following recipe, which came from www.foodanddecor.net via pinterest.

Healthier Cookies
3 mashed bananas (ripe)
1/3 cup apple sauce (Many brands are laden with sugar. Buy organic or make your own)
2 cups oats (We used just slightly over 2 cups)
1/4 cup almond milk (Again, be careful with the brand and any added ingredients)
1/2 cup dark chocolate cut into small bits
1 tsp vanilla (This is can be hard to find in Spain. We didn't have any and it turned out fine)
1 tsp cinnamon (We used closer to 1.5 tsp)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients and roll into small balls. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

This is incredibly easy for kids to make with very little supervision. Eston did most of it himself while Aurelia was napping. These have been a great after school snack and you could add lots of things to this basic recipe (nuts, dried fruit instead of dark chocolate, etc).