Saturday, October 25, 2008

Baked Oatmeal

Years ago I came across a recipe for baked oatmeal in an Amish cookbook. In the original recipe, sliced apples were layered on the bottom of the pan over melted butter and brown sugar sprinkled on top before spreading out the oatmeal batter. It created this giant oatmeal cookie but with a wonderful gooey apple bottom. LOVED it!

Than came the sad day when I got up to make this for breakfast and there were no apples in the house! *gasp* Forgetting the breakfast plan, we'd munched down on all the apples with popcorn the night before.

So what's a cook to do? Improvise of course. The sad truth was we had no fruit of any kind in the house. BUT we did have chocolate chips.

A new and grander tradition was born! If I even thought of making it any other way after that, there was a mutiny. So I present The Goodness of Baked Oatmeal that is like a Giant Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie. Yet another vehicle for the chocolate that is my friend :-)

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter (or substitute oil)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. In a smaller bowl, beat together the milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Mix wet and dry ingredients together just until blended. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish that you've sprayed lightly with oil.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

I always served this with a pitcher of warm milk to pour over the oatmeal. Some of us like a lot of milk, others not so much. There is no right or wrong way to serve it. Let everyone doctor it up as they like.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Apple Puff Pancake

Twice in the past week I've served this dish that's so easy and so fast to make, I'm sure it will become a favorite at your house too!

And because both times I was asked for the recipe, which required some translation (i.e., chewing of nails, looking in bilinguial dictionary, asking the hubby for help and finally having my Spanish tutor proof it -- Thanks Marcela!), I'm sharing it in English AND Spanish!

Apple Puff Pancake

3-4 apples
2-3 T. butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 t. vanilla
2-3 T. powdered sugar
Cook peeled and sliced apples in butter in a large skillet (I use my cast iron skillet but you can use any kind) until apples are soft. Add brown sugar and stir for one more minute, then take off heat.
Beat together the eggs, milk, flour and vanilla until well mixed. Pour over apple mixture and bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes. I know that's a wide range of time but it depends on your oven and skillet. When it has puffed up the sides and turned golden brown, it's done.
Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes (the hardest part!), dust with powdered sugar. Slice and eat.

Tarta de Manzana
3-4 manzanas
25 g. manteca
1/3 taza azúcar negra
6 huevos
1 taza harina
1 taza leche
1/2 cucharadita esencia de vainilla
azúcar impalpable
Pelar y cortar en rodajas las manzanas. Cocer en manteca en una sartén grande hasta que esté blanda. Agregar azúcar negra y cocer un minuto.
Batir los huevos, la harina, la leche y la vainilla hasta que tenga consistencia uniforme. Vertir sobre las manzanas. Cocer al horno a 180°C por 20-30 minutos.
Remover del horno y espolvorear con azúcar impalpable.

I'm not much of an apple snob when it comes to cooking with them. I'll use whatever is on hand. Now for eating out of hand, nothing beats a good Honey Crisp. Unfortunately that variety has not made its way this far south yet. So y'all eat a few for me, okay?