Banana Oatmeal Pancakes with (American) Clotted Cream

Are we having a good Pancake Week?  I am.  My friend Sheri had us over for breakfast the other day, and served us these pancakes of her own invention - a melding of her family's secret pancake recipe, and her favorite banana oatmeal cookies.  And the proverbial cherry on top?  Her homemade faux clotted cream.

Real clotted cream is a sinfully awesome British product - a thick cream made by indirectly heating full-cream cow's milk using steam or a water bath and then leaving it in shallow pans to cool slowly. During this time, the cream content rises to the surface and forms 'clots' or 'clouts'.  I likey.  So does Sheri and her family.  So she figured out how to best imitate it using stuff we have in America.  It's pretty awesome on these pancakes.  And pretty much everything else in the whole world.  Add jam as necessary.

Or in my case, I just drizzled on some leftover eggnog syrup.  Divine.

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes (print recipe)

1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup quick cooking oats

3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 or 2 very ripe bananas
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1.  Combine milk and oats in a bowl and set aside to soak. 

2.  Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside. Cream together sugar and oil. Add egg yolks and bananas (one at a time) until well blended. Add baking soda, baking powder,  cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt, and mix until incorporated. Slowly add milk and oats then flour and mix until just combined with no large lumps. Gently fold in egg whites.

3.  Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until large bubbles appear and then pop. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

"Clotted Cream"
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup whipping cream
2 T confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Recipes from Sheri Wadman

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes with Marshmallow Honey Butter

 You're dying, right?  I know!  These pankies are pretty outrageously good.  And I'm picky about raisins.  But in these, they shine...without outshining. 

If you've paid any attention to my sources, you might be saying, wow, she's really cooking a lot from Joy the Baker.  It's true, I'm in love with her cookbook, and we're still having a good honeymoon.  But this week especially, because her first chapter is called pancakes pancakes pancakes...and lesser breakfast items.  How could that not show heavily during Pancake Week?

Then there's the butter.  Dessert Club member Sheri made some killer Marshmallow Honey Butter to fill her winning Russian Rose Bread, and I just had to try it.  What better palate than pancakes?

Also.  My 6-year-old has really terrible allergies in the spring.  Someone told me if you eat local honey it helps reduce allergic reactions to pollen, so I bought some at the market where we got our Halloween pumpkins.  Couldn't hurt, I figured.  Turns out, she doesn't even like honey.  But we've been having a good time using it up anyway, and if she happens to ingest any, well, we'll take any help we can get.  She did like this honey butter, at least. 

 Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes (print recipe)

Makes about 3 dozen small pancakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
2 T packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Big pinch freshly ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 T pure maple syrup
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled plus more for the griddle
1/3 cup golden raisins

1.  Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200 degrees F.  This will help keep the cooked pancakes warm while you finish the entire batch.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.  Set aside.

3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, maple syrup, and melted butter.  Add the buttermilk mixture, all at once, to the flour mixture and fold together with a spatula until all of the flour is incorporated.  Fold in the raisins.  Let stand for 5 minutes.

4.  Heat griddle over medium heat and add a touch of butter to melt.  Spoon or pour batter onto the hot griddle.  Heat until the bottom is browned and the top is bubbly.  Flip and cook through, about 2 minutes on each side.  Place on a heatproof plate in the oven to rest until ready to serve. 

Recipe from Joy the Baker by Joy Wilson

 Marshmallow Honey Butter
Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup butter (I used salted), softened
1/4 c honey
1/4 c marshmallow fluff

In an electric mixer on medium speed, whip ingredients until fluffy and well-combined.  Serve with pancakes or pretty much anything in the world. 

Recipe from Dessert Club member Sheri Wadman

"Man Bait" Apple Crisp

Today is Ed's birthday; he's 36.  And if there's anything this man of mine loves, it's a spicy-sweet-crunchy-topped apple crisp, followed very closely by apple pie, both a la mode.  So this was the first thing we made out of my new favorite cookbook, Joy the Baker.  Super clever idea, making extra topping and mixing part of it in with the filling for thickener (and texture).  And that topping is wicked good.

Crisp is such a simple dessert to make, and so darn delicious and satisfying.  And because there's actual real fruit in it, pretty big pieces, too, we can also call it healthy-ish and have it for breakfast.  Which we do.  

I caught my man 11 1/2 years ago.  But it doesn't hurt, every once in awhile, to re-bait and cast the line.  With a dessert like this, he's sure to bite.  Again and again and again. 

"Man Bait" Apple Crisp (print recipe)
Makes one 9 x 13 pan

Filling:
10 to 12 medium-sized apples (a mix of Fuji and Granny Smith)
6 T granulated sugar
3 tsp ground cinnamon

Topping:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/3 cups chopped pecans
2/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1.  Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter.

2.  To make the filling: peel and core the apples and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.  In a small bowl, mix together granulated sugar and cinnamon.  Place all of the apple slices in a large bowl, and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.  Using your hands, toss the apples with the cinnamon sugar until evenly coated.  Set aside while you prepare the topping.

3.  To make the topping: in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nuts, and oats.  Work the softened butter into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Remove 1 heaping cup of the topping and sprinkle it over the apple mixture.  Toss with your hands to incorporate.  Place apple mixture in the prepared pan and spread the rest of the topping evenly over the apples.

4.  Bake the crisp until topping is toasted and apples are bubbling, 55 to 60 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.  Scoop warm crisp into bowls and top with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe from Joy the Baker by Joy Wilson

1 year ago:  Pumpkin Biscuits
2 years ago:  Bayou Bakery
3 years ago:  Almond-Cinnamon Cookies

Walnut Streusel Bread

 My girls love anything with cinnamon.  Even Poppy, my 2-year-old, asks, when she sees me making something in the kitchen, "Can we put cinnamon in it?"  I usually say yes. 

In contrast, they think they don't like nuts in things.  So when I served this up for breakfast one morning, I just called it "Cinnamon Streusel Bread."  And they ate it right up.

But you and I, we're grown-ups.  Not only can you handle the walnuts, you'll probably love the bread all the more for them, as I do.  Sweet & spicy, soft with a nutty crunch.  Amazing.

Walnut Streusel Bread (print recipe)
Makes one 9 x 5-inch loaf

Streusel:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 T all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Dash of salt
2 T butter, melted
2 T chopped walnuts

Bread:
9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 T butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fat-free buttermilk
Baking spray with flour

1.  Preheat oven to 350.

2.  To prepare streusel, combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add 2 T melted butter, stirring until well combined.  Stir in nuts.  Set aside.

3.  To prepare bread, weigh or lightly spoon 9 ounces flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.  Combine 5 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition; beat in vanilla.  Beating at low speed, add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat just until combined. 

4.  Scrape half of batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with baking spray; sprinkle with half of streusel mixture.  Spread remaining batter over streusel; swirl.  Sprinkle remaining streusel on top of batter.  Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs cleaning.  Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack.  Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

Recipe from Cooking Light, October 2012

1 year ago:  Grapefruit-Buttermilk Sherbet
2 years ago:  Orange Marmalade-Ricotta Cupcakes with Marmalade Buttercream Frosting
3 years ago:  Lemon Meringue Pie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Snack Bars

 

 Just to be clear.  These chewy gooey squares are NOT for dessert.  They are SNACK bars, and a snack is anything eaten between meals, including before breakfast...you know, while your whole wheat bread is toasting.

I know they have chocolate, butter, and sugar in them.  BUT.  There are also three different whole grains, and the healthy-ish benefits of peanut butter and dark chocolate.  In fact, in the name of transparency, I ran a recipe analyzer on these, and include the nutritional info at the bottom.   Definitely more indulgent than a cup of baby carrots, but for 170 calories, a better, and infinitely more satisfying, choice than something from the vending machine.  (That is, if you can eat just one!)

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Snack Bars (print recipe)
Makes 16 bars

3 tablespoons softened butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons milled flax seed
1 cup whole oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until creamy, 4-5 minutes. Add egg, vanilla and peanut butter. Beat until combined. Add cocoa powder and beat on low speed to prevent cocoa powder flying in your face!

2.  In a separate bowl, combined flour, wheat flour, flax seed, oats, baking soda and salt. Mix together. Combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir until moistened. You may need to use your hands to get it all combined. Add chocolate chips and combine. Pour mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until gooey and delicious. Serve immediately, or cut into bars and store.

Per bar: Cal 169, Fat 7.9g (Sat 3.4g), Chol 16mg, Sod 104mg, Carb 23.1g, Fiber 1.4g, Sugars 13.2g, Protein 3.8g

Recipe from Jenna Laughs

Paula's Dipped Christmas Cookies

 Well, it just ain't real Christmas without a Paula Deen recipe, y'all. A couple weeks ago the girls and I were watching Paula's Best Dishes on a Sunday morning, and she was cookin' a holiday meal with her brother, Bubba, and her nephew, I-forget-his-name.  Some kind of crown roast and rich side dish.

And these cookies.  They are full of everything delicious and crunchy and sweet, then dipped in white chocolate and candy canes to make them extra crazy Christmas-y.  Plus the recipe makes a ton, love that about Paula.  So the next week we whipped up a huge batch of these for the church Christmas party.  Yee-haw, it's almost Christmas!

Paula's Dipped Christmas Cookies (print recipe)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup puffed rice cereal
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats
1 (8-ounce) package toffee bits
White chocolate, for dipping (about 24 ounces)
Hard peppermint candies, crushed, for garnish (most of a 1-pound bag)

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.

2.  Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars.  Scrape the sides of the mixer bowl and beat in the oil, egg and vanilla until smooth.  Beat in the flour mixture in 3 small additions, scraping the sides of the bowl after each one.  Slowly beat in the rice cereal, coconut and oats.  Fold in the toffee bits and refrigerate the dough, covered, for 1 hour.

3.  Preheat oven to 350.

4.  Drop rounded tablespoon of dough on 2 cookie sheets, leaving at least 1 inch of space around each drop.  Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes.  Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

5.  Using a double boiler, melt the white chocolate gently.  Dip the front of half of each cookie in the chocolate and roll or sprinkle with crushed peppermint to decorate.  Allow to cool and set on waxed paper.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Recipe from Paula Deen's Best Dishes

"Simply Sinful" Cinnamon Muffins

I'm pretty sure I don't have to say much about these. Pretty much the ultimate cinnamon muffin here, and everyone loves cinnamon. Or should. The recipe comes from King Arthur Flour, a recipe for using it's Baker's Cinnamon Filling Mix, but I just used the butter-sugar-cinnamon substitution and they were AMAZING. Then I started reading some of the reviews of the cinnamon filling mix...and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to get me somma dat. Can you imagine all the nosh-worthy things a high quality cinnamon filling could go in? Dang. Simply sinful. (Like these muffins...)
Simply Sinful Cinnamon Muffins (print recipe)
Topping
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup diced pecans
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3 tablespoons soft butter

Filling
1/2 cup King Arthur Baker's Cinnamon Filling mix*
3 to 4 tablespoons water*

*Or substitute 3 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon for the Baker's Cinnamon Filling mix and water, which is what I did.

Batter
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons Signature Secrets(r) Culinary Thickener or cornstarch
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup cinnamon chips or butterscotch chips
1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake papers, or grease it lightly.

2. Prepare the topping by mixing the ingredients together until crumbly. Set aside.

3. Prepare the filling by mixing the Baker's Cinnamon Filling with enough water to make filling with a soft, pudding-like consistency. Set it aside. (Or make the filling substitute.)

4. To make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, milk, and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including the chips. Add the dry mixture to the liquid, stirring just until combined.

5. Divide half the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Dollop 2 teaspoons cinnamon filling onto each muffin, then top with the remaining batter. Sprinkle with topping, pressing it in lightly.

6. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and wait 5 minutes before transferring them from the pan to a rack to cool. Makes 12 muffins
Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Chewy Cherry-Almond Bars

If it's been awhile since you had a cherry-almond combination, it's time to make these. I was re-amazed at the fabulous flavors - rich, fruity, truly delicious. The main ingredients - almonds, oats and cherry preserves - are perfectly balanced and showcased and I had a hard time limiting myself to only one or two at a time.

Also. I took these to a neighborhood gathering and two people asked me for the recipe. So it's not just me.

Chewy Cherry-Almond Bars

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 tsp almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups regular rolled oats

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 12-ounce jar cherry preserves

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Grease foil; set pan aside.

2. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and almond extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour, the oats, and almonds.

3. Remove 1/2 cup of the dough and set aside. Press the remaining dough evenly into prepared baking pan. Spread with preserves. Crumble the reserved 1/2 cup dough evenly over preserves layer.

4. Bake, uncovered, about 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Using edges of foil, lift uncut bars out of pan. Cut into bars. Makes 36 bars

Recipe from 9 x 13: The Perfect-Fit Dish

Apple Pie Bars

Best things about fall:

Jacket weather, crunchy leaves, football games and APPLES.

Worst thing about fall:
Too few weekends.

Best thing about fall on this blog:
These bars!

Mhm. My friend made these last fall and I was amazed at how perfect they tasted. Haven't we all had mediocre oatmeal-topped apple-something in our lives, you know, like with canned apple pie filling and a crust made with cake mix? Bleh.

These are not that. These are thrilling to the taste buds in every way and better than almost any apple dessert I've had. I have made several attempts at apple cake in the last year and still have a long way to go down that road, sheesh, but when it comes to apple bars, I can stop. I've hit perfection.

One more thing. Do you have one of these twirly peelers? You gotta get one. Not only do they make peeling apples a breeze, but they do potatoes and pears, too (if they're not too soft.) So fast and easy, plus safe and super fun for kids. I did an apple day with Ginger's Peewee group last year, and was that a hit! And if things go as planned, you're going to need one of these this fall to keep up with the VGP.

Apple Pie Bars
Crust:
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1/4 plus 1/8 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 t salt

Filling:
3 T butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
8 to 10 apples, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced (I used Granny Smith)
1/2 T cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1/2 c water

Topping:
1 1/2 c oats
1 c flour
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, cut into cubes and chilled

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper so, after cooling, you can lift bars out before you cut them.

2. Make the crust: Beat butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add flour and salt, and beat until a soft dough forms. Press dough into bottom of pan and bake in center of oven for about 20 minutes, until the crust is golden and set. Let cool on a rack.

3. Make the filling: Melt butter and sugar together in large skillet. Add apples and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg and cook until apples are caramelized and the liquid is evaporated, about 10 more minutes. Scrape bits from bottom of pan and add water as needed to prevent scorching.

4. Make the topping: Mix first six ingredients (everything except the butter.) Cut in butter with pastry cutter or mix with paddle in stand mixer until mixture is in clumps.

5. Spread the apple filling over the crust. Scatter the crumbs on top, pressing them lightly into an even layer. Bake in the center of the oven at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until the topping is golden; rotate the pan halfway through baking. Let cool completely on a rack, remove from pan using parchment, before cutting into squares (about 2 1/2 inch squares). You should end up with about 18 bars.

Recipe adapted from FoodandWine.com

Whole-Grain Blackberry Spice Muffins

I'm gonna be honest with you. I wasn't sure if these were good enough to post. I thought they were okay, but I know I was jaded by having made the Amazing Blueberry Muffins just a few days earlier. But then I took them to my monthly 7 am church meeting. Every month since December I've been bringing muffins to the meeting, always one or two new kinds to try out. And after the August meeting, one friend said, "Kari, I like all the muffins you've brought, but I think these are the best ones yet."

Really. Now that is saying something because I've brought a lot of muffins to these guys. So I looked at them in a new light and took another bite. He's right, you know. These are pretty darn good.

Whole-Grain Blackberry Spice Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon apple-pie spice (or pumpkine-pie spice)
1 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups frozen blackberries (about 8 ounces)
Cooking spray
1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp lemon or orange zest

1. Coarsely chop frozen blackberries, and place them back in the freezer until ready to stir into the batter. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through apple-pie spice) in a large bowl. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, butter, vanilla, and egg in a small bowl; add to flour mixture, stirring until just moist. Gently stir in blackberries.

3. For the topping, gently combine 1/4 cup sugar with lemon or orange zest.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each of 17 paper-lined muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkel muffins evenly with sugar topping. Bake at 400° for 17 to 22 minutes, rotating once during baking, until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks. Makes 17 muffins

Recipe from Cooking Light, January 2006

Irish Oatmeal (by Tona)

What’s the only thing stopping you from starting a cold winter day with a bowl of hearty, fiber-rich, steel-cut oatmeal? I’m not talking about the pansy, rolled-oats stuff that turns into glue when cooked, or even that sawdust-with-dried apples that Quaker Oats sells in the little packets. No ma’am, I’m talking about the real Irish oatmeal, rich and chewy. The only thing stopping you is the hour it takes for it to cook, right? Who has that kind of time in the morning? Seriously, no one.

A few months ago I discovered frozen single servings of Irish oatmeal at Trader Joe’s , and those were great, but they only came in a 3-pack and for a family of 6 that could add up fast. I bet I could make them at home for less, and found it was really easy and delicious.

All you need is a can of McCann’s Steel Cut Oatmeal , and an hour – so do this ahead, while you’re making dinner or some afternoon when you’re already in the kitchen whipping up some other amazing VGP delicacy. The ratio is one cup of oats to 4 cups water – I like to double that because as long as I’m making it, why not make a lot, and I get 10 half-cup single servings out of a doubled batch.

Into a heavy Dutch oven or other stovetop pot, put 8 cups of water and bring to a boil (I add about 1 tsp of salt to the water as it comes to a boil). Then add 2 cups of the oats, and stir. Keep an eye on it, although you don’t have to stir it constantly, for about 5 minutes until the water starts to look creamy. Then lower the heat to med-low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring now and then to keep it from sticking to the bottom. I add about 2/3 cup of brown sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup while it cooks, to pre-sweeten it. You’ll know it’s done when it’s thick, all the liquid is absorbed, and it starts to make a skin on the top.

Remove the pot from heat, and prepare your bowls. I like to use a Texas muffin tin, which holds about ½ cup in each bowl. Or you can use small ramekins, or bowls, or mugs or cups or actually anything. Lightly spray them with nonstick spray, and ladle in about ½ cup of the cooked oatmeal. Then put them into the freezer and wait overnight.

Next day, run the muffin tin or cups under warm water until the frozen oatmeal pops out looking like a beige hockey puck. Wrap each one individually securely in plastic wrap and return it to the freezer.

Now you are completely set for some breakfast when you need something fast, hearty, healthy, and filling, in a jiffy. Just take one “hockey puck” of oatmeal, remove it from the plastic wrap and put it into a microwave-safe bowl, wave it for 3 minutes (I usually put the plastic wrap over the top of the bowl to prevent any spatters), and stir. Add toppings – the list is truly endless – you could add a little more sweetness with Demerara sugar, or syrup. Top with berries, chopped dried fruit, nuts (we like chopped pecans or walnuts), butter, whipped cream, milk, soymilk, half and half – anything depending on your tastes and how many calories you want to add (it’s about 150 calories unadorned). Enjoy!

Also, as this post over at pinchmysalt testifies, you don’t have to freeze it. We just do because we don’t eat Irish oatmeal every day, and want it to last a little longer. But putting them in single-serving containers in the fridge is easy too.

Apricot Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

In Penzey's spice store, there are cardboard stands on top of the shelves, offering tear-off recipes using featured spices. They change the recipes about every month, and I love collecting my little stack every time I go.

Last time I went I found this little gem of a recipe for oatmeal cookies with NO RAISINS but such exotics as mace and, that's right, coriander. I do not dig raisins in very many things, including oatmeal cookies. But dried cranberries and dried apricots make a different case altogether.

This is by far my favorite oatmeal cookie; my new go-to. Awesome chewy texture, perfect flavors, though frankly next time I might double every spice - I like to really taste them!
Apricot Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground mace
1/2 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
1/4 cup dried apricots, diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment or silpat.

2. Cream together sugars and butter. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture a bit at a time, mixing well after each addition.

4. Mix together the pecans, apricots and cranberries in the bowl that used to hold the flour. Alternate adding the oatmeal and fruit/nut mix to the batter, mixing well after each addition.

5. Form walnut-sized balls of dough and place on cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes, keeping dough in refrigerator between batches. Let cool on tray; if you try to move them while still hot they will fall apart. Makes about 27 cookies

Kelly's Awesome Banana Muffins

I have made a lot of banana breads and banana muffins in my day. Most are good but not sensational. And every time I try a new one, I wonder why I am bothering since I already have the best recipe ever in my possession. I got it from my friend Kelly in New York about a year ago, and doubt I will ever find its equal. These are simply the best banana muffins ever...and they don't even need chocolate chips!

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 to 1 1/2 cups oats
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
4 over-ripe bananas, mashed
Almond extract, optional (yeah, baby!)

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl mix flour, oats, salt and baking soda.

2. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Stir in bananas and eggs until well blended. Add to flour mixture and stir until just moistened. Pour into twelve greased or paper line muffin cups.

3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (test with a toothpick.) Makes 12 muffins

Oatmeal Turtle Jumbles

Can you say stick-to-your-teeth? No, you can't. Not if you've just taken a bite of one of these super dense, rich, nearly candy bars. And hey, they've got oats, so they're healthy!

Base and topping:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cu packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup purchased caramels (about 24), halved

Filling:
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat an 8 1/2 x 12 inch baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Cream butter and both sugars in a bowl with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix to blend, followed by the flour, baking soda, and salt; mix to incorporate.

2. Blend in oats with a pastry blender or wooden spoon. Crumble 2 cups of dough over bottom of the prepared baking sheet. Press to cover base of the pan (don't push dough up sides); set aside.

3. Add halved caramels to remaining dough, working them in with your fingers; set aside for the topping.

4. Melt chocolate chips, condensed milk, and cocoa powder together for the filling in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until mixture is smooth, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Off heat, stir in the pecans and vanilla.

5. Pour the filling over the dough in the pan and spread evenly. The layer will be fairly thin. Crumble dough with caramel pieces evenly over the top of the chocolate. Bake bars for 30 minutes or until chocolate is set and topping is firm. Cool bars completely before cutting.

Recipe from Cuisine at Home Holiday Cookies

Carrot Cake Cookies

More like inside-out carrot cake cookies, with the delectably creamy cream cheese frosting on the inside. These cookies are one of the few exceptions I make to include raisins in a cookie. Like white chocolate and a few other suspect ingredients, they do have their place in the baking world, and this is one of them. The cookies are so bendy soft, sweet and spicy, and the filling so creamy. You can wrap these individually and freeze them for a frozen summer treat as well, or just to make them last longer.

Be sure to read ahead - you need your butter and eggs room temperature, and the dough chills for an hour so make sure you have enough time.

Cookies:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots (about 3 large)
1 cup raisins
Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. In an electric mixer beat butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium until well combined.

2. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger; stir to combine. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix on low until just blended. Mix in oats, carrots, and raisins. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350. Place balls of dough on prepared sheets, 2 inches apart (they really spread!) Bake 12 to 15 minutes, rotating halfway through, until brown and crisp. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Spread about 2 tsp frosting onto flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich together with remaining cookies. Can be stored in refrigerator in airtight container up to 3 days.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla and stir to combine.


Recipe from Martha Stewart's Cookies

Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk Cookies

So after almost, but not, buying Martha Stewart's Cookies TWICE in the bookstore, and reading rave reviews on various food blogs, I decided to get it from the library. That night I went through it page by page, noting the sticky corners where previous readers had placed their page markers, and had a preliminary list of 35 mouth-watering delights I wanted to try immediately. But it was late, so I went to bed.

The next morning my 2-year-old came to me and said, "Mommy, I want to make cookies with you." Which means, "Mommy, I want you to make cookies so I can lick the beaters." Whatever, I was anxious to delve in. I hadn't been to the store so I had to find a recipe I had everything for. I scanned the list waiting for inspiration. Oh, man. Banana-Walnut Chocolate-Chunk cookies - PERFECT!

I have a handful of recipes for ripe bananas I'm waiting to try; it's nice to have a few options to choose from rather than making the same banana muffins all the time, awesome as they are (I'll have to post those soon.) These gooey, chunky treats are honestly an exact cross of banana bread and chocolate chip cookies. The texture is all cookie, and of course there's the chocolate. But the banana flavor is strong and sweet, and while I don't usually prefer walnuts, they really are perfect in this setting.

The recipe calls for chopped dark chocolate. Honestly, one does not always have the time or desire for this extra step, so use chocolate chips if you want. But there is something so recklessly decadent about taking a good quality dark chocolate bar and a big knife, and breaking and chopping it all up into random pieces. And of course it's awesome when you bite into a big one.

Same with the coarse salt. One may not have it on hand, so use regular salt. But I happened to have coarse, and let me tell you, it was worth it. You can really tell the difference. It's small but profound details like these that take this cookie from being really, really good to absolutely gourmet. Not only that, but this recipe has also earned a new label - "healthy-ish." It'll go on things that have whole grains, lower fats, alternative sweeteners, fresh fruit, or are otherwise slightly healthier than your average goody. Bon appetit!

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (1 large)

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch chunks

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone. Whisk together both flours, salt and baking soda in a bowl.

2. Beat butter and both sugars in an electric mixer on medium until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.

3. Using a 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until golden brown and just set, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack; let cool completely.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen plus a big spoonful of dough for the hubby

Look at that big chunk in the front cookie - don't you just want to bite the screen?

Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

I'm discovering there are oh-so-many ways to pair peanut butter with chocolate into something outrageously yummy. I took a BHG recipe and tweaked the ingredients here and there. When they came out they smelled like peanut euphoria but looked just too plain. Nothing a quick dip in melted chocolate couldn't fix!

I added a small amount of vegetable shortening to the chocolate; it gives the chocolate a sheen and helps prevent blooming when it cools. Don't add much - no more than a teaspoon - or else the chocolate will be too soft and you'll get a slight shortening taste, which you DON'T want. And if you're opposed to shortening altogether, leave it out.

This makes a stiff dough that doesn't spread much while cooking, so you have to shape it before it goes in the oven. If you want a rounded shape like a ball, make a ball or use a cookie scoop. If you want a flatter cookie , smash it with a fork or glass before cooking. I shaped each ball of dough into a patty using my hands before placing on the cookie sheet.

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup chopped salted roasted and/or honey roasted peanuts
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or about 8 oz. semisweet chocolate
1 tsp vegetable shortening (optional)
1/2 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for at least 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt; beat until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in the flour. Stir in the oats and peanuts.

2. Place balls or discs of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to rest on baking sheet 1 minute before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

3. Place chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in a microwave save bowl and microwave for 20 seconds. Remove, stir well, and heat again for 20 seconds, repeating until chips are almost all melted. Stir until smooth. Do not overheat chocolate. Dip cooled cookies halfway in chocolate, allowing extra chocolate to drip off into the bowl. Dip in more chopped peanuts if desired.

Mmm...desired is a good word for these cookies.

Multigrain Pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup

With several grains, a little brown sugar, and a big old dollop of plain yogurt in the batter, you have got a healthy but super palate-pleasing plateful in these pancakes. A massive slathering of my Aunt Pat's buttermilk syrup doesn't hurt, either. Mmm....enjoy!


Multigrain Pancakes
from Cooking Light, March 1997

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
2 T yellow cornmeal
2 T brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 T vegetable oil
1 large egg

Combine firs 7 ingredients (dry); stir well. Combine remaining ingredients; stir well. Add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Spoon by 1/4-cupful onto heated skillet/griddle; cook until just right. Makes about 12 pancakes.

Aunt Pat's Buttermilk Syrup

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Blend everything except the vanilla in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

VGP #31 The King

Earlier this fall I took a plate of various cookies I was trying to my friend. "Oooh," she exclaimed excitedly, beginning to peek under the foil, "are there chocolate chip cookies in here?" Uh, no, I thought. I can make chocolate chip cookies in my sleep. Here I am chopping nuts, rolling balls, zesting lemons, melting caramels, and she wants chocolate chip?

Another time another friend told me of a man from church who could use a goody plate. "Perfect," I said, "I have more than I know what to do with in my freezer." I got his name and my friend said, "Are you going to bring him chocolate chip cookies? Those are his favorite." Again, I was like, sorry, I only have Peppermint Bonbons, Citrus-Drizzled Cranberry Oatmeal, and Chocolate Turtle cookies. Guess he's out of luck.

I finally took the hint when a fresh warm batch came out of the oven one afternoon. Hazel asked if she could have a cookie, and I was excited for her to try it, so I gave her one. She took a bite and said, "Mmm, delicious!" and walked off to the living room. I turned back to my task with a proud little smile on my face, until a moment later she returned. She handed me back the cookie, still with only one bite taken, and said, "Mommy, I don't like these cookies because they don't have chocolate chips in them."

I get it. And I agree. After months of trying fabulous recipes, the fact of the matter is that NOTHING beats the chocolate chip cookie!

So with that in mind, but still in the spirit of the Virtual Goody Plate, here are four variations on the King of cookies.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
(even Maren can make them!)

This is my everyday, all-time perfect chocolate chip cookie. It's kind of a combination of the recipes from the Ghiradelli and Nestle chocolate chip bags. Comes out great every time.
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup oats, optional
1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans, optional
As many chocolate chips as you can cram in

Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy, like 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating each time, and vanilla, mixing well. Add soda, salt and flour a little at a time, mixing until all combined. Stir in oats, nuts and chocolate chips. Use a spoon or cookie scoop (I love my cookie scoop) to drop dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes (every oven is different.) Cool on baking sheet about 2 minutes before moving to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 3 or 4 dozen.


Crispy Rice Chocolate Chip Cookies

How could I not try a recipe for chocolate chip cookies with Rice Krispies in it? What a fun addition - a great way to add some crisp in a new way to soft cookies. Delicious.
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup crisp rice cereal
1/4 cup oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Stir flour, cereal, oats, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt together in a bowl; set aside. Cream butter with both sugars in a bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add the oil, egg and vanilla, then beat until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and flour mixture just until flour is incorporated. Drop dough by cookies scoop or 3 T mounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes until cookies are set and golden around edges. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack. Makes about 4 1/2 dozen


Chocolate Chip Orange Drops

My mom cannot help herself sometimes, so I wasn't really surprised when she handed me a tattered book called The Big Chocolate Cookbook, copyright 1968. She got it off the free cart at the library. My first reaction was, there's not going to be anything good in here. But I decided to peruse anyway, and came out with this little gem. I do love chocolate and orange together. The almond extract is good, too, but I would just as easily use vanilla to let the orange shine more. The book wants you to top these with orange cream cheese frosting, but I don't usually frost chocolate chip cookies.
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 T grated orange rind
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Cream butter and sugars well and beat in egg and extract. Sift dry ingredients and add them, orange rind, ground almonds and chocolate chips to creamed mixture. Drop by spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until brown around edges. Move to wire rack to cool. Makes about 2 dozen.


Black & Brown Chocolate Chip Cookies

My aptly-named friend Heather Baker is a talented domestic artist. She even enters her creations in the Arlington County Fair...and wins. This particular recipe came about when she took her awesome Double Chocolate Chip cookie recipe and tried substituting black beans - that's right - for part of the fat. The cocoa powder hides the bean flecks, and you get a little extra protein, fiber, iron, manganese and antioxidants, without sacrificing any flavor. In fact, these cookies won 1st place in the entire chocolate chip cookie category at the county fair. Taste them and you'll see why. This is one of Ed's very favorite cookies of the whole month!
1 (14 oz) can black beans (white beans work as well)
½ cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
½ cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
3 T cocoa powder
Nuts and chocolate chips

Drain and rinse black beans. Puree in blender with a little water to make a thick paste (about the consistency of yogurt). Cream bean puree, shortening and sugars. Add vanilla, salt, soda and eggs. Mix well, then add everything else. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

VGP #27 Citrus-Drizzled Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

I'm thinking of the Friends episode in which Phoebe told Rachel she makes the best oatmeal raisin cookies in the world. Rachel takes a bite, loves them, and wants to know why she's never had them before.

Phoebe's classic answer: "Oh, I don't make them a lot because I don't think it's fair to the other cookies."

Well I don't make oatmeal cookies a lot either, mostly because if it's a choice between making cookies with chocolate or without chocolate, I always choose the chocolate. Sometimes I put oatmeal in my chocolate chip cookies. But as we've seen this month I've branched out a little, and this citrus-y cookie from Cooking Light (December 2006) caught my eye. I do like dried cranberries better than raisins, and I do also love a lemony glaze.

You couldn't ask for more in an oatmeal cookie. The spices are just right, the cranberries are tart and festive, and the drizzle gives you a zing on the tastebuds before you even take a bite. They are crisp on the outside, soft inside, and overall a delicious addition to any goody plate or glass of milk. Mmmm...

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
Cooking spray

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 T fresh lemon juice
2 tsp grated orange rind

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with knife. Combine flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in a bowl.

2. Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter in a large bowl; beat with mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture and cranberries; beat at low speed until combined.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls (or I like to use a cookie scoop.) Place balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray or parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes or until almost firm. Let stand on baking sheets 2 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheets, and cool completely on wire rack.

4. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and orange rind in a small bowl, whisking until smooth. Spoon mixture into a ziploc bag and snip the corner; drizzle glaze over cooled cookies.