Hearty Oatmeal Cookies with Mini White and Dark Chocolate Chips

Of all of the cookies out there I think the oatmeal cookie has to be the healthiest.  I mean really, how can a cookie recipe that calls for 3 cups of oatmeal be bad for you?  Talk about hearty, these cookies are just that.

I got this recipe from That Skinny Chick Can Bake.  (Thanks Liz!) I did make a few minor adjustments to the recipe.  I used margarine instead of butter,  increased the vanilla from one teaspoon to two, and used 1/2 cup of mini dark chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips instead of the butterscotch chips.  I also added a 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter.  I noticed Liz’s cookies appear to have a slightly different texture than mine, but let me tell you this, these cookies are delicious!   I love how the white and dark chocolate chips compliment each other in these cookies. 

Hop over to the blog That Skinny Chick Can Bake to get her original recipe.  And take special notice in what Liz dipped her cookies in.  Oh man!

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Banana Peach Quick Oat Bread (Mini’s)

The peaches sitting in my stoneware bowl on our dining room table were ripe and fragrant.  Overly ripe bananas in our freezer were falling out every time I opened the door.  The combination of both of those things could only mean one thing; it was time to bake. 

Sometimes when I decide to bake I’m not quite sure which direction I’m headed in when I pull my mixing bowl and measuring cups out of the cupboard.  All I know is that my impromptu creativity could ultimately prove success or disaster in the kitchen.

This bread definitely falls within the perimeters of success.  The bananas make this bread sweet, but the peaches give it a slightly tart finish that makes you want just one more slice. The oats give it a hearty texture so you feel like it’s good for you – even if it’s not the most healthy choice on earth, and it’s super moist.  So moist, you can hear it when you cut into it.

 Banana Peach Quick Oat Bread (Mini’s)

1 cup of diced peaches

3 very ripe mashed bananas

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. margarine, or butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. old-fashioned oatmeal

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Spray four mini loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large bowl, add fruit, sugar, eggs, and margarine; beat with electric mixer on medium speed.  Add salt, baking powder, and vanilla; mix thoroughly.  Beat in flour and oatmeal until all ingredients are completely blended together.  Pour batter into prepared mini loaf pans.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center. Cool before removing from pans.

I would have loved to add some nuts to this recipe.  If you were going to add nuts to this bread what kind would you choose?

Homemade Hearty Rye Oatmeal Bread

I usually make a lot of homemade bread during the winter months, but this year I have to admit that I’ve been a slacker. 

Today, I decided my slacker days are over. 

The thing I like most about homemade bread? Other than it’s deliciousness? There are zero preservatives in it. 

These loaves of bread didn’t rise particularly high, but the texture and flavor is exactly what I was looking for.  This recipe makes a moist, dense, and hearty stick to your ribs kind of bread.   I can’t wait to toast a slice and slather it with homemade jam!

Homemade Hearty Rye Oatmeal Bread

(Makes two loaves of bread)

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

2 cups boiling water

4 tsp. instant yeast

1/4 c. warm water

1/8 c.  honey

1/8 c. molasses

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 c. rye flour

2 c. all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, soak oatmeal in two cups of boiled water for about 20 minutes, or until it cools and is just warm.  Add  remaining ingredients in order; mix by hand.  The dough will be slightly sticky.  On a moderately floured surface, knead dough into a ball.  Place ball into a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Let rise until doubled.

Knock dough down and cut in half.  Knead each half on lightly floured surface for about two minutes; shape into loaves.  Place loaves in greased bread pans and cover with towel.  Let rise until nearly doubled. 

Bake at 350 degrees about 20-25 minutes, or until bread sounds hollow when tapped.  Remove from oven and lightly brush olive oil on top of each loaf.  Remove loaves from pans and allow to cool before cutting.

*Note – if the yeast is added to the oatmeal mixture before it has cooled sufficiently, it will hinder your bread from rising properly. 

How do you feel about preservatives? Do you read food labels when you shop?  If so, what is most important to you when you choose a product?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rustic Oat Bread

It’s that time of the year here in the Northeast. Our ovens become our winter friends.  They heat our kitchens,  fill our homes with wonderful aromas, and help us produce delicious comfort foods that warm our souls.

I love making homemade bread, and a chilly day with snow in the air gives me just the reason to do it.

What could be better than a warm slice of bread without any preservatives, and topped with fresh butter?  Hmmm… maybe a piece of toast  slathered with homemade strawberry jam that was made with plump berries from Silver Queen Farm in Trumansburg, NY.

Rustic Oat Bread

3/4 c. milk

3/4 c. water

2 tbsp. butternut squash seed oil

3 tbsp. brown sugar

1 c. oatmeal, plus extra for topping

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

2 1/2 tsp. yeast

1 tsp. salt

2 c. all-purpose flour, plus 1 cup for kneading

2 tbsp. honey

In a small saucepan, add milk, water, oil, and brown sugar.  Bring to boil; stirring constantly.  Once boiling, remove from heat.

In a large bowl, add oatmeal, salt, and cinnamon.  Pour milk mixture over oatmeal; mix ingredients.  Let stand until lukewarm.

Add yeast and flour; mix completely.  On lightly floured surface knead dough by hand for approximately 7 minutes.   Place in a large bowl greased lightly with squash seed oil.  Cover with plastic wrap.  Set in a warm place and let rise until doubled.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.  Cut in half,  briefly knead each half into a ball.  Place each ball a distance apart from each other on a floured cookie.  Cover with a clean dish towel and let it rise until doubled.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Brush each ball of dough with honey, and sprinkle lightly with oatmeal.  Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes until bread is golden brown, and sounds hollow when tapped.  Transfer to wire baking rack to cool.

*Baker’s note – I made this hearty bread with Stony Brook WholeHearted Foods Butternut Squash Seed Oil that’s produced in Geneva, NY. I like using squash seed oil because it gives food a deliciously light nutty flavor.  If you don’t have squash seed oil you can always substitute it with olive oil.

Here is a question for you local foodies.  Will Stony Brook WholeHearted Foods  and Silver Queen Farm be nominated for a Finger Lakes Foodie award this year?

Double Berry Oat Muffins

I like having muffins on hand for breakfast.  Typically, I’ll make a batch and we will eat some fresh.  The rest go into the freezer for days that we’ve tired of the usual breakfast fare. 

Muffins freeze well, thaw fairly quickly, and are easy to grab on the go.  Hearty muffins like bran or oatmeal top my list of favorites.  When I realized it was time to restock our freezer I started thinking about my options.

Last year, I froze a bunch of blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries to use throughout the winter months.  I guard them pretty closely because I don’t relish the thought of paying outrageous prices for berries that never seem to taste nearly as good as those you get locally when they are in season.

A peek in the freezer confirmed my suspicions, my stock of raspberries was nearly gone, but there were still a lot of blueberries stock piled in there.  This is what led me to come up with today’s recipe.

Double Berry Oat Muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  (This recipe made 15 muffins)  Heavily spray muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

1/3 c. butter, softened

1 egg, room temperature

3/4 c. light brown sugar

1 c. heavy cream

1 c. oatmeal, quick cook

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 c. red raspberries

11/2 c. blueberries

Double Berry Oat Muffin Topping

1/4 c. oatmeal, quick cook

1/4 c. light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

In a large bowl, add butter, egg, brown sugar; mix thoroughly.  Pour in heavy cream, oatmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix well.  Fold in berries.

In a separate bowl, mix oat topping ingredients.

Fill each muffin tin about 2/3 full and sprinkle with prepared topping.  Bake for about 18-20 minutes.

Remove pans from the oven.  Take a sharp knife and run it around the edge of each muffin.  Allow the muffins to cool completely before removing from pans. 

These muffin are sweet, yet they have a hint of tart flavor that comes from using the raspberries.  I like how the berries compliment each other.   *Note – these muffins are not your best choice for a grab and go option because although they are very tasty, they are also very tender and crumble easily.

Even breakfast skippers will be tempted by these muffins.