Tag: oats

Breakfast, Granola, Recipes

My Latest Obsession

Sarah

So, I love granola bars. I used to live on them in high school, for serious. I had a big box in my locker at school, another stash in my gym bag, random granola bars floating around in my purse just so I was never hungry… it was a bit ridiculous. Needless to say, I tired of granola bars by college, but in recent years they’ve made a comeback in my pantry because they make such a great, filling snack before a workout or during a day at school. I’m a big fan of Kashi’s all natural granola barsgranola bars, particularly their Chewy Dark Chocolate Cherry and Trail Mix varieties. What I’m not a big fan of is their hefty $4/box price tag. Sure, you can sometimes score a few boxes for $2.50 on a good sale, but still, that’s pretty pricey for 6 small granola bars.

One recent Sunday as I was avoiding homework seeking out some yummy snack recipes for school days, I happened across Megan’s recipe for Chewy Granola Bars. I couldn’t stop thinking about them, try as I might, so I dropped everything and whipped a batch up, much to the dismay of my husband [he had just finished cleaning up the kitchen and there I went, dirtying it up again]. All was forgiven though once he had a taste of the sweet, chewy granola bar that popped out of our oven bursting with tart cranberries, rich chocolate, and nutty goodness.

I did use corn syrup in these granola bars, per the instructions, mainly because I had some that I wanted to use up. I’m a little iffy on corn syrup but I basically believe that sugar is sugar and most anything is okay in moderation… especially if you’re making it from scratch at home! I think I might try these next time with honey, but regardless of the sticky sweetener, as Michelle calls it in her tutorial, these are some fabulous granola bars that are sure to become a regular portion of my baking repertoire. I look forward to customizing them more in the future, such as next week during spring break. Enjoy!

Chewy Granola Bars [from What Megan’s Making]

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup+ 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
  • 5 tablespoons corn syrup
  • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons Craisins
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ [toast in a baking dish in a 350°oven for about 5 minutes, tossing once]

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Stir together oats, chocolate chips, Craisins, sunflower seeds; add to peanut butter mixture and stir to coat. Press into a greased 13×9 inch baking pan.

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Don’t overbake or they will get crispy. I took them out when they still looked a little under baked, they firm up in the hot pan as they cool. Run a knife along the edges of the pan to loosen the bars up a little. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into bars.

Store in an airtight container or wrap individually in plastic and store in the freezer in a freezer bag for easy grab and go breakfasts or snacks.

Click here for the printable version: Chewy Granola Bars

***Don’t forget to enter my giveaway by Sunday, March 13!

Question of the Day: What’s your latest food obsession?

Cookies, Desserts, Recipes

Triple Chocolate Oat Cookies

Sarah

Triple Chocolate Oat Cookies via thepajamachef.comSo, the other night, I desperately wanted cookies–and I wanted them now. It was the first day of school for the semester and I just needed a little chocolately something-something to relax. You know how it is.

So I pulled together a little of this and a little and used some Mark Bittman as inspiration, and these deliciously soft, rich, and sweet chocolate cookies entered my mouth less than 25 minutes later. It was glorious. I was happy. Oh, so happy.

But then… the following conversation actually occurred on Monday night. And all of those happy feelings vanished.

Sarah: So, what do you think of the cookies?

Ben: Oh, they were really good… I was kind of surprised, because when you were making them they kind of reminded me of no-bakes, and I’m kind of iffy on no-bakes.

Sarah: You are? But you’ve eaten my no-bake cookies before!

Ben: *pfffs* I know. I’ll eat ’em when they’re there, but… they’re kind of like that girl you just like as a friend. You like it when she’s there, but you don’t miss her when she’s gone because they are no sparks.

Sarah: Oh really? So how many times do you try them anyways to see if there are sparks? And what kind of cookie am I?

Ben: Ehhhhhhhh…. noooo, I mean, I was just trying to think of a good cookie!! Ummmmm…. (pause pause pause) You’re like the chewy Chips Ahoy coo-…

Sarah: (interrupts) WHAT?! Out of everything I’ve cooked for you over the past three years, you choose to compare me to chewy Chips Ahoy??? And what about those sparks?!?

Ben: I just meant… I was thinking of a cookie that’s really good… wait, you’re like peanut butter cookies, especially ones with the chocolate kiss in the center. Peanut butter cookies aren’t too chewy or too hard…

Sarah: That’s it! Vegetarian meals for you all week! Sparks, eh?!?

That was all fact–no embellishments here! My husband finally admits his true feelings… I am Triple Chocolate Oat Cookies via thepajamachef.comjust a chewy Chips Ahoy cookie to him. I guess I am gonna go now and eat some more of these cookies and wallow…

Triple Chocolate Oat Cookies

  • Servings: 18 cookies
  • Print

modified from the recipe for Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies in Mark Bittman’s The Food Matters Cookbook

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon dark chocolate almond milk [regular chocolate milk would also work]
  • 4 teaspoons cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Gradually incorporate flours, oats, and baking powder, alternating with the milk, until the mixture is just moistened. Stir in vanilla extract and cocoa powder, and gently fold in chocolate chips. Scoop tablespoons of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until just crisp around the edges. Cool and enjoy! Makes about 18 cookies.

UPDATE: Though the aforementioned conversation REALLY did happen and was not embellished, Ben felt really sorry for even insinuating that I was “just” a mass-produced chewy Chips Ahoy cookie, because in his words, chewy Chips Ahoy cookies are pretty awesome and he was just trying to compare me to something else he liked. I just thought the whole exchange was hilariously funny and documented it for posterity. And because I am such a sweet wife, Ben even got meatloaf for dinner on Tuesday–the week of vegetarian meals did not happen… yet. 🙂 For the record, Ben has read and endorses this post.

Question of the Day: What kind of cookie are YOU? 🙂

Breakfast, Recipes, Scones

Cran-Tan-Oat Scones

Sarah
Cran-Tan-Oat Scones
fresh outta the oven!

This recipe is all iTunes’ fault. So if you hate it, blame iTunes, okay? But if you love it, well, then you can thank me for using iTunes. 🙂

Confused? Let me back up.

I have a big project for school due today, and have been at my computer more hours  than I have not recently. Bummer, huh? So I’ve been listening to iTunes, particularly their Genius mixes made with my music. I was a little surprised to hear “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” to come on in the Country mix… especially because it’s classified as “Holiday,” not “Country.” I normally have a strict provision against listening to Christmas music until Thanksgiving weekend, but this time, it was forced upon me.

Naturally, the lover of baking I am, I began to wonder what holiday-inspired treat I could make as a procrastination device that wouldn’t be too seasonal. I had wanted to whip up some cookies but I was swayed.

Enter Cran-Tan-Oat Scones.

Sweet cranberries. Chewy oats. A hint of citrus. A touch of sweetness.

Perfect for fall. Perfect for Thanksgiving morning. You should try ’em now first though, just as a test run…

Cran-Tan-Oat Scones
the goods…

…and remember, it’s iTunes’ fault. I think I’ll still use iTunes though, these scones are pretty darn tasty.

Cran-Tan-Oat Scones

  • Servings: 8
  • Print

adapted from Eat Better America

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 tablespoons butter, chilled
  • 2 cups oatmeal
  • 6 ounces vanilla yogurt
  • zest of 1 tangerine
  • 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • sugar
  • cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lighly flour a large baking sheet. In a mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine flours, brown sugar, and baking soda. Zest 3/4 of the peel of 1 tangerine into the mix and stir to combine. Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the yogurt, then stir in the rest along with the cranberries, egg, and oatmeal. Mixture will be sticky and loose–don’t worry if it doesn’t stay together.

Scoop dough out onto the prepared pan. Using your hands, press and shape dough into an 8 inch circle. Brush dough with remaining yogurt, then sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, and tangerine zest.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown along the edges. Cut into 8 wedges and serve warm.

Note:

I ended up baking this for about 15 minutes, then cutting into wedges and baking a few more minutes because they weren’t cooking well in the center.

Question of the Day: When do you break out the seasonal treats, music, & decorations? I’m usually a strict Thanksgiving weekend purist… but now, we will see!

Desserts, Other, Recipes

A Tale of Contrasts: Twice Baked Apple Crisp for Two

Sarah

I love fruit. Growing up, I often preferred fruit to chocolate in desserts. While I can’t say the same is 100% true today, I still love fruit in my desserts. Or as a snack. Or anytime, really. Fruit is so tasty and sweet on its own… it doesn’t need anything else to make it better.

However… [there’s always a however] it can be a little better with some mix-ins.

That’s why I love apple crisp so much. Apple is the star of the show, complemented by some side-show characters. Enter oats. Brown sugar. Cinnamon. Nutmeg. Ginger. The taste of fall.

Twice Baked Apple Crisp for Two
Dessert for two!

This tale of delightful contrasts plays its masterpiece in your mouth. Yum! That’s the best place to play, in my opinion. This apple crisp is simple and oh-so-sweet. The apples are baked twice for an extra oomph of tenderness and softness, and the crisp is perfectly crisp. [Anything else and would it be crisp?] You’ll enjoy the spice against the sugar and the soft, tart apple against the sweet, crisp oats. Each bite will bring you just enough crispy goodness and the perfect amount of real apples–none of that fake filling stuff here! No siree! And the best way to enjoy this delectable show? With a hearty scoop of ice cream, melting over top the warm apple crisp. It’s so good that you’ll want an encore. And you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen, so make it today.

Twice Baked Apple Crisp for Two

  • Servings: 2
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups apples, roughly peeled, chopped, and cored [I used 2 Granny Smith and 1 Gala.]
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter
  • cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet and 2 – 1/2 quart baking dishes with cooking spray. Arrange half of the apples on the cookie sheet, and divide the other half of the apples between the two baking dishes [1/4 of the apples will be in each dish, and 1/2 will be on the cookie sheet]. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine with a fork to create coarse crumbs. Top the apples in the baking dishes with about 1/4 cup of the oats mixture each. Reserve the rest of the oats mixture and stash in the freezer so it doesn’t get too warm.

Meanwhile, bake the dishes and the cookie sheet for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and transfer half of the cookie-sheet-apples on top of each of the baking dishes [this makes a second layer of apples]. Then, divide remaining oats over top of the second layer of apples. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until apples are soft and tender and the top is crisp. Serve with ice cream!

Are you a fruit or chocolate person?

Breakfast, Recipes, Scones

Oatmeal Scones

Sarah

I love scones. I love oatmeal. I love warm bread fresh from the oven. I love butter melted on top of those aforementioned things. Except on oatmeal. Well, I’ve never had butter melted on oatmeal but I don’t anticipate that being the tastiest thing ever, but perhaps it is… Anywho… excuse me. I get easily distracted.

Last week I saw a recipe for 15 minute oatmeal scones. I was instantly intrigued, because usually scones are a little more time consuming. So, I decided to see if this recipe really did just take 15 minutes, from start to finish, as claimed. I’ll admit, I was a little hesitant. Fifteen minute? For scones? I could hardly wait to find out. I’m competitive like that.

To up the stakes, I made them in the morning, after I got back from my run, as I was getting ready for the day. Ya know, blow dry your hair and cook at the same time… uh huh… smart, right? But I had been thinking about warm dough during that chilly run… and I had to meet my craving.

The verdict?

In less than 15 minutes, I had these little babies hot in my hands.

oatmeal scones... quick & easy & absolutely wonderful with jam
scones & tri-berry jam…

Burning my tongue. Dazzling my taste buds with flaky, soft, warm [make that HOT] crumbs. Melting butter. Heating up jam. [Why don’t I ever heat up jam before using it? It is so good warm!] Being all delicious like scones should be.

These scones are so easy. So tasty. So flaky. So delicious. So QUICK! I think I’ll go make them again now.

TTFN! [ta ta for now!]

Oatmeal Scones

  • Servings: 4
  • Print

from EatLiveRun

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Grease a small baking sheet with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, salt, baking powder, and flour. Use a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the milk and stir until combined. Turn dough out onto the baking sheet and flatten slightly, so it is shaped into a large oval [check out EatLiveRun’s picture if you need a visual]. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown and sizzly. Cut into four sections and enjoy with butter or jam or whatever else you desire.

Notes:

While I loved this scone recipe, I thought it was really salty. Next time I make them, I am going to decrease the salt by about half and see what happens.If you’re particular about salt, I’d suggest experimenting. Update: This totally works. For me, 1/4 teaspoon of salt is perfect.

And also, for a totally different [read: non-flaky] texture, try omitting the baking powder. Mmmhmmm… guess who did that? They’re edible… but not as good! 🙂

Are you competitive?