Oatmeal porridge - comfort food for troubled times

I have a small notebook in which I write down food ideas I want to test and also the recipes I make at home, so I can then post them here on the blog. The poor notebook has been so forgotten lately it is almost getting dusty, for I haven’t made anything new, but I keep it on the coffee table, with my iPad and my cell phone charger, hoping that maybe, sometime, I’ll look at it and feel like testing new recipes again.

This is how things are going here, some days seem slower and/or longer than others, sometimes I feel a little bit more energy, while other times I have less disposition, but everyday seems like the previous one, very “Groundhog Day” indeed. At least workwise things are truly great, working with a new boss since September 2020, a wonderful woman who is beautiful both on the inside and out, and that makes me eager to face this never-ending quarantine.

I want vaccines, but there aren’t hardly any, I want a better government for my country, which is not possible right now. I want to get up in the morning without feeling I am in an episode of “The Handmaid’s Tale” – not possible now either.

As far as food goes, things are a bit boring around here: very basic recipes, preferably quick dishes that do not result in a sink full of dishes to do. Lots of pasta and salads. 

Sometimes at night I don’t feel like eating, even when I exercise, which generally makes me hungry. To avoid going to bed on an empty stomach, I make myself some porridge: quick, easy and so comforting – it is like being hugged on the inside. I top it with chia seeds, coconut chips or cashew nuts and serve it with some fruit on the side. It is not a traditional dinner, but it comforts me and makes me feel fed and happy.

 

Oatmeal porridge

own recipe

 

¼ cup (25g) rolled oats

½ cup (120ml) milk or plant-based milk – I like to use cashew nut milk, it is so creamy!

¼ cup (60ml) cold water

pinch of salt

sugar, to taste – you can replace it with honey or agave

pinch of ground cinnamon, or 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring a few times to dissolve the sugar. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat and stir constantly until mixture thickens. Cook for 2-3 minutes, depending on how thick you want the porridge.

Transfer to a bowl and serve.

Serves 1

 

Oatmeal dulce de leche choc chip cookies and some teary days

I don’t know why, but I have felt very sensitive in the past few days – I even thought it was PMS, but no.

I saw a photo of a father playing with his two little girls in a destroyed bathtub – someone posted it on Facebook – and cried my eyes out. I was not having a very good day, and when I saw those kids playing in a place completely destroyed by war I felt so insignificant… My problems were nothing compared to that.

Then I watched Michelle Obama’s amazing speech last night and the tears came down hard – wow, that woman touched my heart in so many ways! My husband was in the kitchen making dinner and he was like “what happened? Are you OK?”, and I was just watching Michelle being fantastic.

Minutes ago, as I reached for this recipe and started writing down the post, I thought of my nephew and how much he enjoyed these cookies: it was a matter of remembering him eating them and bam, there came the waterworks. Lately, actually, everything related to him makes me cry: as I spend time with him, watching him discover the world, I think of my mom and of how much she would enjoy sharing these moments with us. My nephew is a very smart kid – he has long conversations with us, even though we don’t understand everything he says – and he is very tender and sweet – I get kisses and hugs all the time, plus he sometimes calls me “mom”. I get emotional every time I think of her and of how much she would love her grandson if she was around. I have cried often lately, sometimes they are tears of joy and sometimes they are tears of sorrow. I guess that is life, right?

These are Martha’s oatmeal raisin cookies that got turned into something a bit different: as I grabbed the ingredients to bake them, I saw the dulce de leche left from making the molten cakes I posted days ago. So I added a very generous dollop to the batter – cutting back a bit of the sugar – and replaced the raisins for chocolate chips, since dulce de leche and chocolate go so well together.

The cookies turned out fabulous and if you don’t believe me take my nephew’s word for it. ;)

Oatmeal dulce de leche choc chip cookies
slightly adapted from the goddess Martha S.

2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks/226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup (130g) packed light-brown sugar
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
½ cup (150g) dulce de leche
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 cups (240g) rolled oats
1 cup (165g) chocolate chips – I used ones with 53% cocoa solids

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter with both sugars, and beat until light and creamy. Beat in the dulce de leche and vanilla. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed just until just combined. On low speed, mix in the oats and chocolate chips.

Drop 2 leveled tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the prepared pans, 5cm (2in) apart. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, or until they’re golden-brown around the edges. Cool completely in the pans.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Makes about 28

Cranberry and peanut oatmeal cookies

One quick look at the blog’s recipe index and one can quickly learn that I love oatmeal cookies – I have made them in many different ways, with many different add on ingredients, and they are always a crowd pleaser (not to mention are great to have on hand for a snack between meals).

There are many recipes on this blog, and today I bring you another – these are delicious, and the salty and crunchy peanuts go very well with the sweet and tender cranberries. I highly recommend you bake these if you like oatmeal cookies like I do – and the peanuts and cranberries can be swapped by other nuts and dried fruits – , but I feel the obligation to tell you that of all the oatmeal cookies on this blog the ones I made for last year’s Christmas series are my favorites. :)

From a cookbook I haven’t used much and I hope to change that – fingers crossed here for the cold weather to finally come our way.

Cranberry and peanut oatmeal cookies
slightly adapted from this cookbook

½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
½ cup (88g) packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
pinch table salt
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 ¼ cups (112g) old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup (85g) dried cranberries
½ cup (70g) whole salted, roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until creamy and light in color, 1-2 minutes. Add the egg, mixing well, and then add the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg. Add them to the butter-sugar mixture along with the oats and mix on low just until combined. Add the dried cranberries and peanuts. Mix on low briefly until well distributed.

Drop 2 leveled tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the prepared pans, 5cm (2in) apart. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, or until they’re golden-brown around the edges but still soft. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then carefully slide the paper with the cookies onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Makes about 22

Cranberry oatmeal cookies with coconut and a good TV show

Many times I sit in front of the computer eager to share something delicious with you but I don’t feel like I have much else to say, so I postpone the post, sometimes for quite a while. Then, when I’m doing something else completely and can’t reach the computer at the moment loads of things come to my mind, things I would love to share with you other than food, but it all happens so quickly that when I’m once again sitting here my mind goes blank.

How frustrating is that? :S

Months ago I accidentally discovered a British TV show called Dates and I loved the pilot so much I pretty much devoured the whole nine episodes in two days or so. It was smart, sexy, fun, sad at times, the actors were spot on – everything a good TV show should be/have.

Unfortunately I haven’t read anything about a second season, but I still hope it happens. In the meantime, I’ll keep listening to the beautiful theme song Chloe, especially when I’m in the kitchen making tasty treats such as these cookies: I had no idea (or did not remember) that coconut and cranberries were so good together, and they make these oatmeal cookies extra special.

Cranberry oatmeal cookies with coconut
slightly adapted from the delicious The Seasonal Baker: Easy Recipes from My Home Kitchen to Make Year-Round

¾ cup (105g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon table salt
½ cup (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (88g) light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups (135g) rolled oats
½ cup (50g) unsweetened desiccated coconut
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and creamy. Beat in the egg, and scrape the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla.
On low speed, beat in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Stir in the oats, the coconut and the cranberries.

Using 2 leveled tablespoons of dough for each cookie, drop batter onto prepared sheets 5cm (2in) apart. Bake cookies until the edges are golden brown and the centers are still slightly soft, 12-14 minutes.
Let cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then slide the paper with the cookies onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Makes about 25 cookies

Cashew oatmeal cookies and a story from the past that could be happening to someone right now

As I was baking these cookies the other day, I recalled a time in my life when I was entering my teenage years and used to flip over my older cousins’ magazines – they used to read a mag called Capricho, a Brazilian version of Seventeen. I remember reading something about a Brazilian model called Ana Paula Arósio and the 70+ magazine covers she’d been on till then – she was only fifteen. She was stunning and looked like a grown up, and she was only two years older than me.

One of the questions the reporter asked her was how she managed to stay “in shape”, to what she replied that she ate lots of fruits and vegetables (surprise!), and things like banana with oats and honey, because they were so good for you. My thirteen-year-old brain captured that information instantly, only to feel disappointed seconds later for I, too, ate lots of fruits and vegetables, and I, too, loved bananas with oats and honey, but I did not look like Ana Paula Arósio. At all. I was a thin girl, but not skinny, and I was short and my face and arms were covered in freckles (still are, actually). I did not have any fashionable clothes and my hair was pretty much in a ponytail most of the time. I did not wear lipstick or fake eyelashes – I did not even have boobs, for crying out loud. But I did not know back then everything there is behind a magazine cover, I just thought that there was something very wrong about me because even though I ate (and loved) my greens I did not look like a model. :(

All that crossed my mind while I baked these cookies because oats are, indeed, good for you, even though for a moment in my teen years I doubted that. They are wonderful with bananas and honey (and a pinch of cinnamon, yum), great in granolas and cookies.
Fruits and vegetables are excellent for you, too, and they taste delicious, which is always a plus. So let’s keep eating our greens and our grains to stay healthy and try to stay positive and shield ourselves from all the crap the media throws our way every single day.

Cashew oatmeal cookies
slightly adapted from the always gorgeous Delicious Australia

¾ cup (110g) plain flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
125g unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup (150g) demerara sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
110g rolled oats
150g salted cashew nuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the vanilla, then the egg, and mix to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture and the oats, just until combined, then add the cashew nuts.
Place 2 leveled tablespoons of dough per cookie onto the prepared sheets, 5cm (2in) apart. Flatten slightly. Bake until golden around the edges, 13-15. Cool in the pan for 2 minutes, then slide the paper with the cookies onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Makes about 22

Coconut lime oatmeal cookies + the lovely Sarah Carey

I have several favorite TV cooks – Nigella, Nigel Slater, Jamie Oliver, among others – but there is one lady I adore and she’s not on TV, she’s on Martha’s website: the lovely Sarah Carey. It’s wonderful to watch her around the kitchen, not only because her recipes are delicious but also because she’s too much fun! :) I find her videos very useful, too, for beginners in the cooking department since she’s very thorough with her instructions, showing all the steps of the recipe and giving precious tips. Yes, I’m a fan. :)

These oatmeal cookies are tasty and easy to make, and the combination of lime and coconut is always a winner. The recipe is below but I urge you to watch Sarah bake these – I know you’ll become a fan, too.

Coconut lime oatmeal cookies
from the lovely and fun Sarah Carey

2 ¼ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (226g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
¾ cup (131g) packed light-brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
2 large eggs
2 cups (180g) rolled oats
1 cup (100g) sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted and cooled

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, using a mixer, beat butter and sugars until pale and creamy, 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla and zest, then the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. On low speed, add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Mix in oats and coconut.
Drop dough in 2-tablespoon-size balls onto prepared sheets, 5cm (2in) apart. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges but still soft in the center, 12-14 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.

Makes 35

Oatmeal maple cookies + a book I never finished reading

I was reading a friend’s blog post about books when I suddenly felt a pang of guilt - I felt guilty because I love to read but haven’t read anything in months because of a book that I started reading but never finished.

It all began last year after I watched the first trailer for “The Great Gatsby” – I deciced to read the book before the movie got released. And then I tried reading it. Many, many times. I even took the book with me to the hairdresser since it’s one of the most boring places in the whole world. But I never got hooked. I know it’s a classic and I know it’s F. Scott Fitzgerald and I should have read it in college but I couldn’t go through with it. Could that be a case of bad timing? Maybe I should try going back to it in the future.
In the meantime, I think I’ll watch the movie, that might inspire me. And I’ll also start reading another book – I will have to be strong enough to put my cookbooks aside, especially my current favorites like "Piece of Cake", which these great cookies come from.

Wish me luck. :)

Oatmeal maple cookies
from the oh, so delicious Piece of Cake: Home Baking Made Simple

Cookies:
225g all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon table salt
250g rolled oats
225g dried cranberries
175g unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
115g granulated sugar
175g light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:
175g confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with baking paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the oats and dried cranberries and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, maple syrup, and sugars on medium speed until creamy and well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until evenly incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear. Finish mixing with a rubber spatula.
Using 2 leveled tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll into balls and place 5cm (2in) apart onto prepared sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown, especially around the edges. Cool on the sheets over a wire rack for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to rack and cool completely.

Glaze: sift the confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Spoon glazer over cookies and let set for 30 minutes.

Makes 40

TLCs (pecan oatmeal cookies)

When it comes to buying new cookbooks I usually have a hard time choosing from my ever expanding wish list but upon returning from my trip to NY last year I knew for sure that Thomas Keller’s “Bouchon Bakery” would be included on my next purchase – after having some of the delicious baked goods served at the beautiful store at Rockefeller Center there was no doubt in my mind. :)

These delicious cookies were the first recipe I tried from the gorgeous cookbook and they are the oatmeal cookies of choice for people who don’t like dried fruits; I’m a sucker for dried fruits and loved these cookies anyway. :D

TLCs
from the beautiful Bouchon Bakery

1 cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (155g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
pinch of ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 ½ cups (135g) rolled oats
212g unsalted butter, room temperature
140g granulated sugar
75g light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
135g coarsely chopped pecans, lightly toasted and cooled

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the oats.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, sugars and vanilla until light and creamy. Add the egg and mix to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. In low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing just until incorporated. Mix in the pecans. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Roll 1 rounded tablespoon of dough per cookie into a ball and place onto prepared sheets 5cm (2in) apart. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden around the edges. Cool in the sheets over a wire rack for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to the rack to cool completely.

Makes about 45 cookies

Cranberry apricot oatmeal cookies and a question

I do love cookies – and you know that – and oatmeal cookies are really favorites of mine: besides being delicious there’s a whole “I’m eating something healthy” vibe behind them. :D
These, from one of my latest cookbook acquisitions (a very good one, by the way), have a touch of spices (yum) and three kinds of dried fruit (yum, yum): the cinnamon, ginger and cloves turn them into an even tastier kind of oatmeal cookie and the addition of cranberries, apricots and raisins is a good way to use up the dried fruit left from the holidays.

On a different note: have you watched “Cosmopolis”? I’ve started watching it last night but gave up after 30 minutes of the movie: as much as I love Cronenberg (he’s one of my favorite directors) watching Robert Pattinson act like a robot is oh, so tedious. Do you think I should go on and watch it till the end or should I spare one hour of my life and ignore it completely? :S

Cranberry apricot oatmeal cookies
slightly adapted from the beautiful The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook: Sweetness in Seattle

145g all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon table salt
130g rolled oats
125g unsalted butter, room temperature
150g light brown sugar
85g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
85g diced dried apricots
45g golden raisins
45g dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Stir in the oats.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter, sugars and vanilla until light and creamy. Add the egg and mix to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. In low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing just until incorporated. Mix in the apricots, raisins and cranberries.
Roll 2 leveled tablespoons of dough per cookie into a ball and place onto prepared sheets 5cm (2in) apart. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden around the edges. Cool in the sheets over a wire rack for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to the rack to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen

Oatmeal biscotti

And the biscotti saga continues: these, packed with oats, pecans and apricots have a healthy feel and taste delicious. A couple more great things: they last a month (not that I think they will, but...), travel well and are wonderful as snacks between meals, but... As much as I hate to admit it, I think it will be really hard to find one biscotti recipe that can top the caramelized-pecan orange ones. Well, I don’t mind keeping on testing new recipes to find that out. :D

Oatmeal biscotti
from the amazing The Craft of Baking: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets with Ideas for Inventing Your Own

1 cup (115g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 ¾ cups (245g) all purpose flour
¾ cup (131g) light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
¼ cup (60ml) dark molasses
2 tablespoons canola oil
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (82g) pecans, lightly toasted, cooled and roughly chopped
¾ cup dried apricots, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Place ½ cup of the oats in a food processor and process until finely ground. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whisk together the oat flour, remaining ½ cup oats, all purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses, oil and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed slowly add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix until combined. Mix in the pecans and apricots – dough will be stiff.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Shape each portion into a 40x5cm (16x2in) log and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, 7.5cm (3in) apart. Bake until the logs are golden and firm to touch, about 30 minutes. Transfer the logs, still on the parchment paper, to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C/300°F and line two baking sheets with baking paper.
With a serrated knife, slice the logs on the diagonal into 8mm (1/3in) thick slices. Place the biscotti slices onto the prepared sheets 2.5cm (1in) apart and bake until they are dry and firm to touch, about 40 minutes. Cool completely on the sheets over a wire rack.
Biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Makes about 3 dozen

Oatmeal sandwich bread

While organizing my books on the new bookshelf I grabbed "Good to the Grain" and stared at its beautiful cover (those delicious rhubarb tarts!) for a few seconds... Then it suddenly hit me: I hadn’t used that book in ages; it’s one of my favorite books and that makes me wonder about the poor books I seldom or never use. Well, that’s just me. So I decided to make something – anything – from the book. Since there was a package of oats listed on my inventory this bread was the recipe of choice. I think you can see on the photo how tender it was and I have got more news for you: this bread makes a killer grilled cheese.

Oatmeal sandwich bread
from the gorgeous Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours

2 ¼ teaspoons (7g/1 package) active dry yeast
3 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
2 ½ cups (350g) whole-wheat flour
2 cups (280g) bread flour – I used all purpose
1 cup (115g) rolled oats
¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
½ tablespoon table salt*

Lightly butter a large bowl and a 22.5x12.5x7.5cm (9x5x3in) loaf pan. Set aside.
Add 2 cups of warm water, yeast and molasses to the bowl of a standing mixer. Stir, then allow yeast to bloom (about 5 minutes) until it begins to bubble.
Add the flours, oats and butter to the bowl and stir together with a wooden spoon. Cover with a towel and let stand for 30 minutes.
Attach the bowl and the hook to the mixer, add the salt to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 6 minutes. The dough should slap around the sides of the bowl without sticking to them. If dough is too sticky, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour (but only if absolutely necessary – avoid adding extra flour).
Scrape dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Transfer to the buttered bowl, cover with a towel and leave it to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it onto a rough rectangle (with the smaller side facing you). Fold the dough like a letter, then roll it to get a cylinder. Pinch the seams together and transfer to the prepared loaf pan, seam side down. Leave to rise again in a warm place for about 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
Before baking, sprinkle the top of the bread with oats (optional)**. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top crust of the bread is as dark as molasses*** and the bottom crust is dark brown. To check for doneness: give the top of the loaf a thump to see if it sounds hollow – if it doesn’t, bake the bread for another 5 minutes. Check again.
Remove from the oven and carefully remove the loaf from the pan. Cool over a wire rack.

* bread wasn’t salty enough for me; I’d add more salt next time
** I brushed the loaf with melted butter to make the oats stick to it but it did not work – as soon as I unmolded the bread the oats fell off on the sink
*** my bread is a little on the pale side but still delicious – it would have burned it I’d waited for it to brown as much as the recipes calls for

Makes 1 large loaf – I made the exact recipe above and got two loaves, using two 20x9cm (8x3½ in) loaf pans

President Clinton’s oatmeal cookies

I swear I’m not trying to get a job as an oatmeal poster girl, and I’d already decided on which oatmeal cookies were my favorite, but tell me: would you resist making a recipe with such great reputation? :)

These cookies are so delicious I regretted halving the recipe. Mr. Clinton’s taste in cookies is far superior to his taste in... Never mind. :D

President Clinton’s oatmeal cookies
from Desserts by the Yard

Fat raisins:
1 ½ cups (232g) golden raisins
¾ cup (180ml) dry white wine
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 ½ tablespoons dark rum
3 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar

Cookies:
1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ¾ sticks (198g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 cup (175g) light brown sugar, packed
1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups (354g) rolled oats
1 recipe (1 ½ cups) fat raisins

Start by preparing the fat raisins: combine the raisins, wine, orange juice, rum and sugar in a small heavy saucepan; bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring all the while. Lower the heat so that the liquid is at a bare simmer and poach for 20 minutes.
Remove from the heat, cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely. If not using right away, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Now, the cookies: preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter on high speed until lemony yellow, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle/beaters. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Beat until creamy and scrape the sides of the bowl.
Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Beat on low speed for 15-30 seconds or until the eggs are incorporated. On low speed, add the sifted ingredients, beating until they’re absorbed. Mix in the oats and raisins.
Place 1 leveled tablespoon of dough per cookie onto prepared sheets, 5cm (2in) apart. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the baking sheet, then bake for another 5-8 minutes or until nicely browned. Carefully slice the baking paper off the sheet and directly onto your work surface. Cool completely.
Cookies will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Makes 80 small cookies (about 5cm/2in each) – I halved the recipe above and regret it (the cookies were too good!)

Oatmeal raisin ice cream

I know, I know... An ice cream post right after the salad and whole karma cleansing speech. What can I say? I am a lost cause. :D

In my defense, this ice cream has oats – even though they’re enrobed in caramel, they’re still oats. And oats are good for you. :D
If I were to make this recipe again I would double the amount of oatmeal praliné and skip the raisins; actually, I would triple the amount so I could nibble on some praliné while making the custard – this stuff is so delicious I almost ate it all before adding it to the ice cream.

Oatmeal raisin ice cream
from The Perfect Scoop

Raisins:
¼ cup (60ml) water
2 tablespoons caster sugar
½ cup (78g) raisins
2 teaspoons whiskey

Oatmeal praliné:
¾ cup (86g) rolled oats, not instant
½ cup (100g) caster sugar

Ice cream:
1 cup (240ml) whole milk
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 cups (480ml) heavy cream
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (70g) light brown sugar, packed
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Prepare the raisins: heat the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Add the raising and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until all about but 2 tablespoons of the syrup has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the whiskey and let cool completely.
Now, the oatmeal praliné: preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread the oats evenly on the sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice while baking, until the oats are fragrant and nicely toasted. Remove from the oven.
Spread the sugar in a medium, heavy bottomed skillet and cook over medium heat, watching it carefully. When it begins to liquefy and darken at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to stir it very gently, encouraging the heat of the liquefied sugar to moisten the sugar crystals in the center.
Tilt the pan and stir gently until all the sugar is melted and the caramel begins to smoke. Once the mixture is deep golden, remove it from the heat and immediately add the oats (lift the foil to guide them in quickly). Return the foil to the sheet.
Stir the oats gently but quickly, coating them with the caramel. Scrape the oats onto the foil and spread them as well as possible. Let cool completely. Once firm, break into small pieces by pulsing them in a food processor or placing the praline in a heavy-duty plastic bag and smacking them with a mallet or rolling pin.
Make the ice cream base: warm the milk, granulated sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk the cream, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Set a mesh strainer on top.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour over the warm milk mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the mixture back into the saucepan.
Stir the mixture over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spatula. Pour the custard through the strainer and stir into the cream. Mix in the vanilla and stir until cool over an ice bath (I simply let it cool over the counter then refrigerated it).
Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. During the last few minutes of churning add the raisins and oatmeal praliné.

Makes about 1 quart

Maple cranberry oatmeal cookies

Certain ingredients or types of food automatically remind me of certain people – does that happen to you, too?

Every time I make something with maple syrup I think of Brilynn – she hasn’t written on her beautiful blog lately, but I’m glad that now I can follow her on Twitter.

Maple cranberry oatmeal cookies
from Big Fat Cookies

1 ¾ cups (245g) all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ cup (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (175g) packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (66g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup (120ml) maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups (200g) oatmeal (not quick cooking)
1 ½ cups (165g) dried cranberries

Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, add the eggs, maple syrup and vanilla and mix until blended, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the oatmeal, then the cranberries.
Using an ice cream scoop or ¼ cup (60ml) measuring cup, scoop mounds of dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing the cookies at least 6cm (2 ½in) apart.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and the tops and bottoms are lightly browned, about 18 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Makes 15 cookies – I halved the recipe above, used 1 leveled tablespoon of dough per cookie and got 26

Blueberry and pistachio toasted muesli

After parading five hundred tons of sweets around here I thought it was time for something a little bit healthier – but it had to be good, because food that tastes like cardboard is definitely not allowed on this blog. :)

This muesli is delicious and easy to make – even if you and your oven are not very close friends. :)

Blueberry and pistachio toasted muesli
slightly adapted from Donna Hay magazine

60g unsalted butter
⅓ cup (80ml) honey
2 ¼ cup (258g) rolled oats
½ cup (70g) slivered almonds
¾ cup (75g) sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup (170g) dried blueberries
½ cup pumpkin seed kernels (pepitas)*
¾ cup (105g) chopped pistachio kernels
milk, to serve
plain yogurt, to serve

Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Place the butter and honey in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the butter is melted.
Place the oats, almonds and coconut in a large bowl, pour over the butter mixture and toss well to combine. Spread evenly over the base of a baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Stir and bake for a further 5−10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Allow to cool and stir through the blueberries, pumpkin seeds and pistachios. Serve with the milk and yoghurt.
The muesli can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

*I used sunflower seeds instead but did not like the result

Serves 6-8.

Crispy salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies

Oatmeal haters, please, hear me out: these cookies are going to change the way you feel about oats. Trust me and Deb on that – they are absolutely delicious.

And since I don’t want the other readers to feel left out: the oatmeal lovers like me will adore them, too. :)

Crispy salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies

1 cup (140g) all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon table salt
14 tablespoons (196g/1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup (200g) sugar
¼ cup (44g) packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups (288g) old-fashioned rolled oats
168g (6oz) good-quality white chocolate bar, chopped
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon or fleur de sel) for sprinkling on top

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.
Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and white chocolate and mix until well incorporated.

Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons. Roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets 5cm (2in) apart. Using fingertips, gently press down each ball to about 2cm (3/4-in) thickness.
Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie.
Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.

Makes 24 - I halved the recipe, used 1 rounded tablespoon of dough per cookie and got 19

Oatmeal cookies with golden raisins and milk chocolate chips

I used to be a person who loved going to shopping malls, even if just for window shopping; now, one would have to lock me up in a straight jacket to get me into a mall without a very specific purpose – and lately, going to the movies has been the only reason.

I once arrived too early for my movie session and ended up in a book store to pass the time; that turned out to be a bad idea for my credit card: after taking a look at this beautiful book I ordered it the minute I arrived home. :D

Is anyone surprised that the first recipe I tried from the book is for cookies? :D

Oatmeal cookies with golden raisins and milk chocolate chips
from The Sweet Life: Desserts from Chanterelle

1 ½ cups (175g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks/226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 cup (175g) dark brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 egg white, room temperature
3 cups (345g) rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
224g (8oz) milk chocolate, chopped into ¼-in pieces
1 cup (155g) golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

In a dry bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Place the butter in the bowl of the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture becomes fluffy and lighter in color, approximately 5 minutes. Add the dark brown sugar and continue creaming for 3-4 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer down to slow speed, add the eggs and egg white, one at a time, and continue to beat until they are fully incorporated and the batter looks smooth and glossy, 1-2 minutes.

Add the dry mixture and the oats all at once to the butter mixture. Using a butter spatula, fold together for a few turns. With the mixer on slow speed, mix the dough until thoroughly combined, 1 minute. Add the chopped chocolate and the raisins. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and mix for another 30 seconds. The dough can be made up to this point and refrigerated, well wrapped, for up to 3 days.

Using 2 teaspoons scoop the dough into mounds and place 5cm (2in) onto prepared sheets (I shaped the dough into a ball using my palms).
Bake the cookies until they spread, rise, and turn a light golden brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the sheets.

The cookies can be kept in an airtight container, in room temperature, for 4 days.

Makes 40 large cookies – I halved the recipe, used 1 leveled tablespoon of dough per cookie and got 33 cookies

Banana-oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

I started listening to Smiths at the age of 9 and even though I understood nothing Morrissey said those songs made a strange kind of sense to me – I ended up learning why later on in life. Music became a huge part of my days and brought me comfort in several bad moments.

Besides listening to the songs, I loved checking out the LP covers – some were absolutely fantastic. I became obsessed about one in particular – Whitesnake’s “Slide it in” – which is really funny, since I’ve always hated snakes. The 13 year-old me could not resist David Coverdale singing – to this day I think he has the most beautiful male voice ever.

Another one of my obsessions is baking cookies, but that you already know. These are from Liz’s gorgeous blog.

Banana-oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

1 ¾ cup (200g) quick-cooking rolled oats – I used thin rolled oats
1 ½ cups (210g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (175g) firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (170g/6 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels
1 medium-sized ripe but firm banana, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 cup coarsely chopped whole almonds

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF; Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars at medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until blended. At low speed, add the flour mixture one-third at a time, mixing just until blended. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the semisweet morsels, banana, and almonds (it’s all right if the banana pieces get a little mashed) – I incorporated everything in the mixer in the lowest speed.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonsfuls* onto the prepared sheets, spacing the cookies 5cm (2 inches) apart. Moisten your palm to prevent sticking and flatten the mounds of dough slightly. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 11 to 13 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom – mine needed 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.

Makes about 52 cookies

* I used 1 ½ heaping tablespoons of dough per cookie and got 34.

Dark chocolate oatmeal cookies

Eating fibers and grains is a key element for one’s good health – I have no problem there, but know that many people can’t stand them, especially kids. And my husband. :S

One alternative is tricking the kids into eating oats by adding them to baked goods - I have already done that with my nieces, without much success.
It’s like Brad Pitt’s “rich” acting skills - they only become tolerable with these gentlemen I love so much.

So, for those who don’t like oats I recommend these cookies. They taste amazing and will be gone in no time – oats and all. :)

Dark chocolate oatmeal cookies
slightly adapted from here

1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour
½ cup (45g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (226g/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons thin rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.

Whisk first flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture and beat until moist clumps form. Mix in oats with spatula until evenly distributed (dough will be very firm). Add chocolate chips and white chocolate chips and knead gently to blend.

Using moistened palms or a cookie scoop, shape 1 generous tablespoon dough into ball. Place on prepared sheet; flatten to 5cm (2-inch) round. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing rounds about 5cm (2 in) apart.

Bake cookies until center is slightly firm and top is cracked, about 14 minutes – mine needed 16. Cool on sheets.

Makes about 2 dozen

Cranberry white chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

I first tried cranberries (the dried ones) a while ago when the lovely JB – thank you, sweetie!! – sent me some by mail. I loved how tart they were. Delicious! I ate several right out of the bag and kept the rest to use in a special recipe. My thoughts were to try JB’s wonderful scones but at the same time I wanted to make something that would last longer, so I could enjoy it more. Like cookies. And these, my friends, are some very good cookies.

Sweet from the white chocolate and tart from the cranberries, with a touch of oatmeal so you won’t feel so guilty – oats are good for your, after all – these make a fantastic snack.

I got the recipe from MrsPresley’s beautiful blog; her cookies looked so good it was impossible for me to resist – I had to bake them.

The recipe yields a lot so make sure you have people to share the cookies with – I’m lucky Joao’s family is big, otherwise I’d be munching on these up until now. :)

Cranberry white chocolate chip oatmeal cookies

3 eggs, well beaten
1 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup (225g) butter, softened
1 cup (175g) light brown sugar
1 cup (200g) white sugar
2 ½ cups (350g) flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups (230g) oatmeal
1 cup (170g) white chocolate chips

Combine eggs, dried cranberries and vanilla in a bowl and let stand for 1 hour, covered with plastic wrap.

Preheat oven to 350ºF/175ºC and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift flour, salt, cinnamon and soda; set aside. Cream together butter and sugars. Add the flour mixture to sugar mixture. Mix well. Blend in egg-cranberry mixture and oatmeal. Dough will be stiff. Fold in the white chocolate chips.
Drop by leveled tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, 2 inches (5cm) apart, or roll in small balls and flatten slightly on cookie sheet (I did the latter).
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes 75 cookies