Contributed by Tiffany McGregor

Like most humans, I love a nice ooey-gooey chocolate cookie, but occasionally, I crave something that is sweet, fresh, crisp, light, and lemony. This cookie is all of that and is as light as a feather! This recipe makes a cookie that is perfect for closing out a big meal or as a stand-out in a sea of ooey-gooeys at your next holiday cookie exchange. 

You’ll need: oven, cookie sheet(s), parchment paper or silicone baking mat, spatula, mixing bowl, measuring cups, wooden spoon, tablespoon.

Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Serves: a crowd (makes about 3 dozen cookies)

Ingredients:

• 1 box lemon cake mix
• 8 oz whipped topping, thawed (2 ½ cups)
• 1 egg
• ½ cup confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

• Beat the egg in a bowl and then stir in the lemon cake mix; stir until blended thoroughly. Gently fold in the whipped topping until mostly blended. The batter will be very sticky and should then be refrigerated for one hour.
• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with either parchment paper or silicone mats. This cookie really needs the extra help of these tools so it can easily release from the pan after baking- trust me!
• Meanwhile, pour the confectioner’s sugar into a bowl. Using a tablespoon, drop a spoonful of batter into the sugar and roll around gently until covered. Place sugared ball onto lined baking sheet and continue.
• Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes and let them cool completely on the sheets (they need to cool in order to set). Remove cooled cookies from sheet and store in an air-tight container.

Pro Tip: Grab yourself a coffee or espresso to PERFECTLY complement this lemony treat!

Contributed by Jess Zappasodi
So I may have cheated and found this recipe online. But to be fair, I have made these before and they turned out amazing! I know that in the CSA we don’t usually get bananas (can Pennsylvania even grow bananas? I think no), but if you were looking for a healthier cookie or a quick grab and go breakfast, these are perfect for you. 

Serves: 6-7 cookies. Double up your recipe if you want more!

Ingredients:

• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup rolled or old fashioned oats (left whole)
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1-2 TB SP mini chocolate chips (make it vegan - use dark chocolate!)

• ½ cup mashed bananas (about 1-2 ripe bananas)
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 2 TBSP pure maple syrup

Directions:

• Pre heat the oven at 360 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
• In a large bowl add the flour as well as the rest of the dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and mix
• In a separate small bowl mash your bananas and measure it out to ½ cup (this is about 2 bananas)
• Add mashed bananas and the rest of the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix everything until well combined
• Fold in chocolate chips and stir
• Using a spoon, scoop out the mixture into blobs on the lined cookie sheet – ball them, or use the back of the spoon to press them into circles
• Place in the oven for 12 minutes and then let cool completely on the pan. (about 10-15 minutes)

Pro-Tips:

• Keep your wet and dry ingredients separate, and add the wet after you’ve blended your dry
• Put peanut butter or almond butter on them for a quick breakfast
• They reheat well, so you can pop them in the microwave if you like them warm
• Try not to eat them all at once!

Contributed by Tiffany McGregor
You’ve spent the day at Linvilla and feel like you brought home all of the apples. Seriously, ALL of them! This recipe is a sure-fire way to free up some of your counterspace and warm your tummy with autumn, apple-y goodness!

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves: 6
You’ll need: oven, 8x8 baking dish, peeler, sharp knife, cutting board, measuring spoons, two mixing bowls, whisk, fork

Ingredients:
Topping:

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup old-fashioned oats (uncooked)
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, diced into cubes

 
Apple base:

• 2lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin (about 1/8 inch)
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter a baking dish (8 x 8), and set aside
• In a mixing bowl, mix together well all of the Toppings ingredients, except for the butter. Once those ingredients are mixed well, drop in the butter and use a fork or your fingers to press it into the dry; you are looking to create a coarse crumble that will resemble gravel. Once that is done, set it aside somewhere cool. You don’t want that butter to melt until it is in the oven, so use the refrigerator if necessary.
• In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the flour and melted butter together until well incorporated. Then mix in the water, lemon juice, and vanilla. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
• Toss the apple slices in the butter mixture to evenly coat the slices, then pour into a single layer in the baking dish.
• Sprinkle crumble topping evenly over the apples and bake until apples are cooked and top is golden (about 35 minutes).
• Serve crisp warm with some vanilla ice cream or cool whip.

Pro Tips:

• Granny Smith apples are a bit more tart, so if you use a different, sweeter apple, you may want to use less sugar.
• If you only have salted butter on hand, go ahead and use it, but adjust the rest of the salt in the recipe. (aka use less salt!)