Oatmeal Cream Pies

You know those little oatmeal cream pies you get at the grocery store? Made by Little Debbie or some other snack cake peddling hussy? Flat like they've been sat on and getting smaller and smaller every year? THESE-ARE-NOT-THOSE-PIES!!! These are the best oatmeal cream pies you've ever put to your lips. Your kids will thank you for replacing those fake @$$ cream pies with lease luscious gifts from heaven in their lunch box! I initially saw the recipe in The Amish Cook's Baking Book, but I didn't like their filling recipe. I remembered the most popular filling I've seen for whoopie pies has been a marshmallow fluff/Crisco mash-up. Not having any marshmallow fluff on hand, I made my own! Mixed in a little vegetable shortening (which you can't even taste! no greasy film on the roof of your mouth!) and TADA!The filling sets up to be very marshmallowy. Waaayyy better than storebought marshmallow cream. The cookies are somewhat soft at first, and thanks to the brown sugar in them, they get even softer as they sit out. I can say with no doubt in my mind, I'll still be making these when I'm 72!!Oatmeal Cream Pies (from “The Amish Cook’s Baking Book”)
Makes about 24 pies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons boiling water

Filling (adapted from “The All-American Dessert Book”)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (about 1 1/2 packets)
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup water (divided)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces vegetable shortening

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside (or use parchment).
Cream the butter, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together the salt, flour, and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture. Add the cinnamon and oats. Mix well. In a small dish, add the baking soda to the boiling water, and then stir the mixture into the rest of the batter. Mix well. Drop by the tablespoon (I did 2 tablespoons) onto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake until the cookies are firm and just starting to turn golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack or a plate.
For the filling, in a small measuring cup, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water. Let stand, stirring once or twice until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup hot water until well blended. Continuing to stir, raise the heat to high and bring to a full boil. Continue boiling for 30 seconds. Immediately remove from the heat. Stir in the gelatin mixture until it dissolves completely.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the vanilla. With a mixer on medium speed, beat for 20 seconds. Gradually raise the speed to high and beat until the mixture is stiffened, white, very fluffy, and cooled to barely warm, about 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Add the shortening and beat until completely smooth. The filling will set up as it sits, so wait until it is thick enough to spread or pipe before filling the cookies.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters... Milk's New Favorite Cookies!

Moooooove over Oreo, there's a new cookie in town. And I'm pretty confident that in a race to a tall, cold glass of reduced fat milk, these cookies would mow down any Oreo, even Double Stuffed, that got in their way! These cookies are the brain child of none other than Dorie Greenspan. If you're a TWDer, you're already familiar with the deliciousness of these cookies. I, however, was a virgin to the idea of peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chips all married together as one delicious, chewy piece of perfection! Well, not including those no-bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies... OMG that's a whole other wet dream!

I put my own spin on these by replacing the chocolate chips with mini peanut butter cups. I'm pretty sure that's what puts these cookies over the edge. Imagine biting into a chewy peanut butter cookie and then finding that your teeth have sunk into a tiny, melty peanut butter cup. Can you hear the angels?????
I have to admit, the only cookies I've ever eaten with milk were Oreos and Lorna Doones. But after reading Dorie's description of these cookies and how they pair so well with milk, I simply could not resist. Feel free to cheat on your Oreos with these cookies. I promise you won't regret it! ;D
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters (from "Baking From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan)
Makes 60 cookies (I got 46 using a #30 [2 Tbsp] scoop)

3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon (I omitted)
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg (I omitted)
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth (but not natural)
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 1/2 cups store-bought chocolate chips or chunks (I used 12 ounces mini peanut butter cups)

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, spices and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended. Mix in the chips. If you have the time, cover and chill the dough for about 2 hours or for up to one day. (Chilling the dough will give you more evenly shaped cookies.)

If the dough is not chilled, drop rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. If the dough is chilled, scoop up rounded tablespoons, roll the balls between your palms and place them 2 inches apart on the sheets. Press the chilled balls gently with the heel of your hand until they are about 1/2 inch thick.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 7 minutes. The cookies should be golden and just firm around the edges. Lift the cookies onto cooling racks with a wide metal spatula - they'll firm as they cool.

Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.

Serving: I can't remember when I actually served these. They're more often plucked from a cookie jar than picked from a platter.

Storing: Wrapped airtight or piled into a cookie jar, the cookies will keep at room temperature for about 4 days. Wrapped and frozen, they'll be good for 2 months.

Oatmeal Fudge Bars

My mom asked me to make dessert yesterday to eat after we had Dad's famous ribs for dinner. After Dad's ribs, the dessert has to be amazing or it won't be remembered! These bars were pretty sensational, if I may say so myself. They are very rich, so an 8x8 pan could easily make 16 small servings. But we are a gluttonous family, so I cut mine into 12 pieces. The crispy, crunchy oat crust/topping is a wonderful accompaniment to the soft, fudgy center. This recipe is definitely a keeper!OATMEAL FUDGE BARS (from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book)
MAKES 16 bars
Old-fashioned rolled oats may be substituted for the quick-cooking oats, although the bars will be more chewy.
CRUST AND TOPPING
1 cup (3 ounces) quick-cooking oats
1 cup packed (7 ounces) light brown sugar
3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

FILLING
1/4 cup (1 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed (1 3/4 ounces) light brown sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso or instant coffee (if using granulated instant coffee, dissolve into 2 teaspoons hot water and stir into the chocolate mixture after the egg)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg

1. FOR THE CRUST AND TOPPING: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with a foil sling and grease the foil.
2. Whisk the oats, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in the melted butter until combined. Reserve 3/4 cup of the oat mixture for the topping.
3. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake the crust until light golden brown, about 8 minutes. Let the crust cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.
4. FOR THE FILLING: Whisk the flour, sugar, instant espresso, and salt together in a medium bowl. Melt the chocolate chips and butter together in the microwave, stirring often, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Whisk in the egg until combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated.
5. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spread the filling evenly over the cooled crust and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the reserved oat topping. Bake the bars until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached and the filling begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
6. Let the bars cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil, cut into squares, and serve.

No-Knead: Everyday Oatmeal Honey-Raisin Bread

Usually, I don't ever have any tasty drama to go along with the tasty recipes I post. This post will change that! I made this bread last week, and if any of you follow me on Twitter you might've seen my constant tweets about my oven being a brat! It all started when I tried to make soft pretzels. One minute the oven is working fine, proofing dough on the "warm" setting, and just being awesome. Then an hour later when I go to preheat it... NOTHING! No beautiful orange glow in the bottom, no silent roar of gas pumping up the heat... NOTHING! So I call my dad, I'm almost in tears. I have these perfect balls of dough all portioned out and ready to be turned into pretzels, but no oven to bake them in. He says he'll have to order a part to fix it, so I put all my dough back into a bowl and stick it in the fridge (praying that pretzel dough will survive the chill). About an hour later, I'm just curious and I flip the oven on. What do you know! The freakin thing comes on as if nothing was ever wrong. HELLO!?!?! WHY!?!? Thank you, oven, for being a jerk! I baked the pretzels, and they came out fine. That post is coming later, much later.

So the next day... or was it a few days later? I can't even remember now. Anyway, some time later I made the dough for this no-knead bread, not even thinking about my oven being a little on the psychotic side. I made the dough a day ahead. The next morning I got up at 9am to add the raisins and put the dough in the pan for the final proofing. When I'm ready to preheat my oven... of course you've probably figured out where this is going... I turn the knob and wait... and wait... and wait. I turn around and look at this perfectly risen bread in the pan on the table. I almost cry! All this work, and it's going to be ruined! Then a lightbulb comes on in my head. NEIGHBORS! They have ovens! Surely, their ovens must work! So my mom gets on the phone with our closest neighbor, and he's siked to help. Josh had spent the night at my house, so he's there and walks with me to the neighbor's house. He's holding the umbrella, I've got the almost over-proofed pan of dough. Did I mention it's pouring down rain? It's practically a monsoon. In the time it takes us to walk about 50 feet, we are both soaked. It seems like umbrellas are about as reliable as ovens, but I digress.

It's time to make a long story short. I baked the bread in his oven. It turned out delicious, and I owe my fabulous neighbor, Doug, and HUGE thanks! You're a life bread-saver! ;D

EDIT: It seems I left out an important bit of information! My dad fixed my oven! My oven and I are starting to work on our trust issues. Give us time, and I'm sure we'll be back to our old selves*! (*=not a word)

The dough looks much like a batter at first.Sorry I didn't get many picures of the bread-making process. As you can imagine, I was under a lot of stress, thanks to my oven! Here's the end result... Mmmm!

I know this recipe seems like a lot of work, but it's actually not. It's very simple, and you can adjust the times to suit your schedule. The end result is fabulous, and you'll be so proud of yourself! :D

Everyday Oatmeal Honey-Raisin Bread (from Kneadlessly Simple: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads by Nancy Baggett)
Yield: 1 large loaf, 12 to 15 slices
“Because this dough includes cinnamon, which contains a yeast inhibiting chemical, the recipe calls for slightly more yeast than normal.”

2 3/4 cups (13.75 ounces) unbleached white bread flour, plus more as needed
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or quick-cooking (not instant) oats
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 1/4 teaspoons instant, fast-rising, or bread machine yeast
1/2 cup clover honey or other mild honey
2 tablespoons corn oil or canola oil, plus extra for coating dough top and baking pan
1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon ice water, plus more if needed
1 cup dark raisins, rinsed under warm water, then drained well and patted dry
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar for garnish

FIRST RISE: In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, oats, cinnamon, salt, and yeast. In another bowl or measuring cup, thoroughly whisk the honey and oil into the water. Thoroughly stir the mixture into the bowl with the flour, scraping down the sides and mixing to blend well. If the dough is stiff, stir in enough more ice water to soften it slightly; the dough should not be dry or overly stiff, as the oats draw up moisture. Brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. (For convenience, I refrigerated mine for 8 hours.) Let rise at cool room temperature (about 70°F) for 12 to 18 hours. (I sat mine out overnight for 12 hours.)

SECOND RISE: Stir the dough vigorously, adding in the raisins until evenly incorporated. Stir in enough more flour to yield a hard-to-stir consistency. (I think I added about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups of flour. It was still sticky, but very hard to stir.) Using an oiled rubber spatula, fold the dough in towards the center all the way around. (I didn’t do this. Instead, I floured my hands and shaped the dough into a tight ball.) This organizes the gluten for shaping the dough into a loaf. Invert the dough into a generously greased 9 X 5-inch loaf pan.
Brush or spray the top with oil, then using an oiled rubber spatula or fingertips, smooth out the surface and press the dough evenly into the pan. Using a well-oiled serrated knife or kitchen shears, make a 1/2-inch deep slash lengthwise down the loaf. Cover the pan with nonstick spray-coated plastic wrap.

LET RISE USING ANY OF THESE METHODS: For a 1 1/2- to 3-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2- hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water (I used this method, and it took about 50 minutes for me); or for an extended rise, refrigerate, covered, for 4 to 24 hours, then set out at room temperature. When the dough nears the plastic, remove it and continue the rise until the dough extends 1/4-inch above the pan rim. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar garnish over the top.

BAKING PRELIMINARIES: 15 minutes before baking time, place a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375°F.

BAKING: (At this point, I gave my neighbor instructions to bake it for 35 minutes, then cover with foil and let it go for only 20 more minutes. When I got to his house, the bread was already cooling, so I didn’t get a chance to check the internal temp. But the bread was VERY brown so I knew it was done, maybe slightly overdone.) Bake on the lower rack for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the loaf is well browned. Cover with foil, and continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes more. Begin testing occasionally with a skewer inserted in the thickest part, until it comes out with slightly moist particles clinging to the end (or until the center registers 208° to 210°F on an instant-read thermometer). Bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer to ensure the center is baked through. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn the loaf out onto a rack; cool thoroughly.

SERVING AND STORING: Serve cool, or toasted; the bread doesn't slice well until completely cooled. Cool thoroughly before storing in plastic or foil. Keeps at room temperature for 3 days. May be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

VARIATION: OAT-WHOLE WHEAT HONEY-RAISIN BREAD—Instead of 2 3/4 cups white bread flour, use 1 3/4 cups white bread flour (plus more if needed) and 1 cup whole wheat flour.

Christmas Cookie Caper '08: #4 - Kitchen Sink Cookies

Alright, so you can say I punked out because this isn't a new recipe. Actually we used 3 recipes that we've done before. But you can't deny recipes that are super delicious!! I made these kitchen sink cookies a few months ago. I kinda made up the recipe by compiling a bunch of recipes. I wanted a cookie full of stuff and this is what I came up with. They've got oatmeal, walnuts, two kinds of chocolate chips, coconut, and raisins. Feel free to leave out any of those if you don't like them. One tip I like to remember when making cookie dough is to use butter that's softened but still cool. I'm not sure why but I feel better putting cold cookie dough into the oven. If you want, you can make this dough a few days ahead and scoop it straight from the fridge.

Kitchen Sink Cookies
Makes 18 cookies

MY NOTES: I used a cookie scoop that holds 2 tbsp of cookie dough.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped and toasted walnuts
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add egg and beat until fully incorporated. Mix in vanilla extract. With the mixer on it's lowest speed, slowly add the flour until almost incorporated. Mix in oats, then with a rubber spatula fold in the chocolate chips, walnuts, coconut and raisins. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets.Bake one sheet at a time for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets. Transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

Good Morning Muffins

Saturday, Josh (my boyfriend) and I decided to take a day trip to Belle Isle in Richmond. It is one of our favorite places to go to relax on the rocks and explore the trails in the woods. I always wake up way before he does, so I decided to kill time by making some hearty muffins to take with us. I started with a recipe from 500 Cupcakes by Fergal Connolly. Neither Josh nor I really love raisins so I subbed some dried cherries, cranberries, and blueberries. I also added some chopped walnuts for a little crunch (Oh now I sound like Giada!). And I was fresh out of wheat bran, so I just added more oats. I ended up not pouring in all of the wet ingredients, because the batter was looking extremely loose. I had about 1/4 cup of wet ingredients left out. The muffins came out delicious and moist, but a little on the greasy side. Next time I'll probably reduce the oil by 1/4 cup. These muffins are a perfect portable snack for a road trip!

Oh yeah....... no pictures. Sorry.

MY NOTES: I omitted the wheat bran and added 1/3 cup MORE oats. I made my own buttermilk by mixing 2 tbsp. white vinegar with 2 cups minus 2 tbsp. whole milk. I substituted mixed berries for raisins. I added chopped walnuts. I got 16 muffins.

Oatmeal Muffins (Adapted from “500 Cupcakes” by Fergal Connolly)
Makes 12-16 muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup wheat bran (I omitted this)
1/3 cup rolled oats (I used 2/3 cup oats)
Pinch of salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 lightly beaten eggs
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 cup (6 oz.) raisins (I used ½ dried mixed berries (cherries, blueberries, cranberries) and plumped them in hot water for about 10 minutes)
½ cup chopped walnuts (My own addition)

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Grease or line a 12-cup regular muffin pan.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. In a large measuring cup, beat the buttermilk, eggs, and oil with an electric mixer until combined.
Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until almost blended. Fold in the raisins (and nuts).
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the muffins and cool on a rack.
Store in airtight container for up to 2 days (mine were still good after 4 days!), or freeze for up to 3 months.


Overall rating on a scale of 1-5
Moistness: 5
Tenderness: 5
Frosting: [none]

Kitchen Sink Cookies

These cookies are called Kitchen Sink Cookies because everything is in them except the kitchen sink! That's totally an exaggeration of course. I'm not sure how delicious they'd be with wooden spoons and paper towels mixed in. Anyway, I'm not usually a cookie person. If I am faced with a decision, I'll always choose cake over cookies. But yesterday the mood struck me to bake cookies. I searched and searched for a recipe, but nothing was jumping out at me. Finally I just took a bit from a few recipes and came up with these yummy masterpieces this morning! Some bites taste like an oatmeal raisin cookie. Some bites taste like a tollhouse chocolate chip cookie. Some bites are chewy. Some bites are crunchy. But all bites are fantastic! These are most delicious if you microwave them for a few seconds before eating them.

ingredientscookie dough (no walnuts, read to the bottom to find out why)

ready for the oven

cooling

Soooooo tasty!!

After the first 9 cookies were in the oven, I noticed the bowl of chopped walnuts still sitting on the counter! So I added half of them to the second half of the cookie dough. It was a miracle that I ended up with 9 cookies w/o walnuts and 9 cookies with walnuts. Almost like I did it on purpose... almost.

MY NOTES: I used 1/4 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp vanilla butter nut flavoring. I used a cookie scoop that holds 2 tbsp of cookie dough.

Kitchen Sink Cookies (my recipe adapted from like 5 other recipes)
Makes 18 cookies

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped and toasted walnuts
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut
1/4 cup raisins

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add egg and beat until fully incorporated. Mix in vanilla extract. With the mixer on it's lowest speed, slowly add the flour until almost incorporated. Mix in oats, then with a rubber spatula fold in the chocolate chips, walnuts, coconut and raisins. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake one sheet at a time for 13-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets. Transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.