rolled oats

Posts Tagged ‘rolled oats’

Hazelnut Cakes

Cookies, cakes, and all things sweet were the gateway for my love of being in the kitchen. I’m known in my family as the “Martha-esq” type, whipping up desserts and craft projects for fun. It was always slightly embarrassing though because I was also quite the tom-boy and saw myself keeping up with the boys, just as much as I could be found baking. Funny thing is I’m exactly that same person then as I am now, but my sweet tooth and baking skills have given way to more savory fare. I love the forgiveness cooking can inspire.

On any given night, I love looking in my fridge and finding all the odds-and-ends of this-and-that and coming up with something delicious. Or at the very least belly sustaining if the vision in my head didn’t turn out as well as I’d planned. But lately, because of my ease and almost carelessness while cooking, it’s started to transfer over into my baking. I stopped measuring ingredients and following given instructions (unless I needed to write them down here) because I thought the end result would still turn out not so bad. Luckily there haven’t been any hard bricks or gooey messes of inedible dessert, but still, nothing was that great either. This past weekend a little celebration was in order, so I decided I needed to change that and get out my measuring cups.

I didn’t know what to expect with the hazelnut flour. I’ve used it in tart crusts, but never in a baked good. The little cakes came out with an incredibly delicate crumb texture, which makes them somehow light and quite filling at the same time. They make a super breakfast or brunch treat, but they work just as well for a casual dessert, especially if you wanted to add in some chocolate to the batter and sever with a touch of whipped cream.

Hazelnut Cakes / makes 12-14 small cakes
At the last minute I added in 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to half the batter if you decide you want all chocolate cakes, use the full 1/4 cup and mix it in with the dry ingredients first. Also, because I know someone may ask, the 2 tablespoons of baking powder is not a typo; hazelnut flour is heavy and needs some lift!

2 cups hazelnuts, toasted
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats, ground into oat flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 banana
1/2 cup sunflower oil or coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup almond milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder, optional

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking cups or tins with muffin liners.

Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and grind until they form a nice crumbly flour meal, don’t go for to long though or you’ll end up with hazelnut butter. Combine the ground hazelnuts, wheat flour, oat flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a mixing bowl and mix well.

Use a mixer with a whisk attachment to whip the banana, oil and honey until thoroughly combined. Add in the vanilla and almond milk and whisk well.

Pour half the dry mix into the wet, stir gently a few times, then add the remaining dry mixture. Gently fold everything in, the batter should be light and almost bubbly.

Fill each baking cup about 2/3 full and bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the tops are golden brown.

Bread, Breakfast, Desserts + Sweets, Grains

Pumpkin Pie Bars with Coconut, Chocolate & Almonds On Top

It’s true. I have a very hungry appetite for all things pumpkin-y and spice scented during the Fall. But my motivation for this recipe comes from my realization that I can count the number of decorations I own for one of my favorite holidays of the year, Halloween, on one hand. Actually, one finger.

It’s a small plastic jack-o-lantern (a name I, and probably many other Jacquelyn’s remember well. Totally not bitter about that one) that’s been spray painted gold. I received it as a prize at a friends Halloween party last year, after entering in the pie contest. Not pie eating, mind you, although I maybe would have entered had there been one : ) My only excuse for the lack of decor is that after moving from one apartment to the next, year after year, for a totally of 8 moves in 8 years, is that you really learn to downsize.

Now I’m in a place where moving is just not as easy an option the way it used to be, but I’m still holding onto the phrase in my head that says “does this object have more than one use, is it small, or do I really love/have to have it?” I’m sure many small space dwellers or non-clutter lovers can agree with me that sometimes decorations for certain holidays fall by the way side when this thought crosses your mind. Real pumpkins, the ones you pick out in a field, where you come home with mud on your shoes, those “decorations” are the ones we had every year, luckily. They’re the ones that will always fit into my requisite rules for what comes into the house.

When I told this to my mom, she insisted I take home a few of her pumpkin, ghost, and witch decorations. Which I did, but things were still feeling pretty sparse, so I baked a treat instead. Filled it with pumpkin, over an oaty cookie-like crust and topped with coconut, almonds, and chocolate. This one didn’t even make it through the weekend before being devoured.

Pumpkin Pie Bars with Coconut, Chocolate & Almonds On Top / makes 8
It seems like a lot of steps because I’ve broken everything down, but really they’re simple to make and you probably have all the ingredients already.

crust
3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup muscovado or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1-3 teaspoons cold water

filling
2 cups pumpkin puree or 1 14oz. can
1/2 cup muscovado or brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon clove
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup coconut milk

topping
1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and line an 8″x8″ baking pan with parchment.

Place the rolled oats in a food processor and whirl until the oats become oat flour. Add in the salt and sugar, give another pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until fully combined, mixture will be crumbly. Add the water 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture comes together.

Press the dough into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool slightly while preparing the filling.

In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, spices, and cornstarch, stir well to combine. Pour in the coconut milk, stirring well to incorporate. In a small bowl mix together the almonds, chocolate chips, and shredded coconut.

Pour the pumpkin mixture over the oat crust, smooth out to evenly cover. Sprinkle the topping mixture over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely then chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before cutting into.

Desserts + Sweets, Fall, Gluten-Free

Rhubarb Walnut Bread

There are three farmers markets, on three different days of the week near our place and each is only a short walk or bike ride away. I love having so much local fresh food at my fingertips and feel very thankful for it… even when I have to wait another couple more weeks for the stands to really fill up.

The markets started about two weeks ago, as they most likely did all over the country, but at the moment, the ones near me are showing minimal produce. This is because the NW had one of the coldest April’s on record, so everything is off to a late start. Luckily there has been a few selling asparagus, oh I can’t get enough of it (recipes coming soon!), but the other day I also managed to pick up some rhubarb too.

I have some of my own rhubarb, that was from my grandpas house growing in the garden, but since I just planted it and they’re still pretty small, I decided I’d give them another year before picking.

So at the market, when I spied the long stalks of red and green, I loaded my arms up to fill my need and headed home. I grabbed enough for this bread plus extra to freeze for later use. I think I may load up even more to freeze so I can enjoy it throughout the Summer.

Rhubarb Walnut Bread / makes 1 loaf

This bread isn’t super sweet, but just sweet enough to really play off the tartness of the rhubarb. The crust is slightly crunchy and adds an extra sweetness and aroma of orange zest before you get to the tender bread center. I’ve given directions below for making homemade buttermilk with almond milk, but feel free to use real buttermilk and skip that step if you prefer. The whole wheat pastry flour can be replaced by white whole wheat or all purpose flour. This recipe can easily be doubled; eat one now freeze the other for later!

topping
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh grated orange peel
1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter, softened

batter
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar + a scant 1/2 cup almond milk (directions below)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped fresh uncooked rhubarb
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan, lining if you would like, I just greased mine.

Prepare the topping first. Place the brown sugar, rolled oats, orange peel and coconut oil in a small bowl. Stir to mix and set aside.

If you are using real buttermilk skip ahead to the next step. To make your own buttermilk, first place the 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar into a liquid measuring cup. Then pour in the almond milk to the 1/2 cup mark. Let sit for about 10 minutes while you prepare everything else.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium size bowl, set aside.

Place the brown sugar and oil into a large bowl and stir well to combine. Beat the egg and vanilla into the buttermilk mixture. Pour in with the brown sugar mixture and stir well to combine.

Gently fold in the flour mixture, just until combined. Fold in the rhubarb and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with the oat topping mixture.

Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto baking racks. Cool completely and store tightly wrapped. The bread will slice much more easily if left to cool completely.

Bread, Breakfast, Desserts + Sweets, Fruits, Grains, Spring

No-Bake Pistachio & Cherry Granola Bites

I wasn’t sure weather or not I’d be sharing these little cookie balls with you today. I experiment a lot in the kitchen and many times I’m lucky in that things come out just as I imagined in my head, but there are times things don’t always work out as planned too.

Everything was working out perfectly until I started to roll the sticky dough between my hands. The dough was much looser than I had imagined it would be, but I kept going thinking to myself at least they will taste good even if they don’t look as pretty. But towards the end, as I was gathering the last few bits of dough together, they started staying together better. It was still a bit of a sticky mess, but they were holding together by themselves into little balls and it made me realize I just needed to let the dough sit for a bit before shaping them right away. In the instructions below I’ve allowed for a five minute rest before shaping the dough. If you live somewhere where it’s super warm right now, you may even want to let the dough chill in the fridge a few minutes before shaping.

This little experiment came about because Scott and I will each be at two separate craft shows this Saturday. I usually like to make little treats for us to enjoy during the long show hours but thought it was especially important this time because we’ll be split up making lunch and snacks much harder to pick up when there’s only one of you.

I wanted something granola bar like with oats, dried fruit and nuts to keep our energy up and I liked the idea of making them bite sized for a quick bite in between talking with customers. Right now they’re packed up and ready to go in the freezer. I’d normally keep them in the refrigerator, but I’m hoping they’ll keep their structure when we head out the door early tomorrow morning.

If your interested, I will be in Seattle at the Intiman Theatre from 11-5pm for the Etsy Rain Show and Scott will be down in Portland, OR for the Crafty WonderlandSpring show. Stop by and say hello if you’re in the area we’d love to see you there! And to all the mother’s out there here’s wishing you a lovely Mother’s Day weekend!

Also a quick note on the coconut oil I used in these. I love cooking with coconut oil whenever I can, not only because it tastes delicious but because it’s really good for you too. A couple weeks ago a package was sent to me with a jar of Kelapo coconut oil. I’m always a little hesitant to review products here, but after reading more about the company I couldn’t resist. Not only is it a 100% organic product, but they are also a fair trade company and it’s tasty to boot. If you haven’t added coconut oil to your diet yet I urge you to give it a go. It’s really versatile and can be added in place of butter in many baked goods as easily as it can be added to sautes and savory meals. I’m curious if you’ve used coconut oil before and what you’ve used in in?

No-Bake Pistachio and Cherry Granola Bites / makes about 20 small balls

I’d imagine these little granola balls could work with any nut or dried fruit you’d like. You could even replace the maple syrup with honey for another option as well. Make sure to source gluten free rolled oats if you are thinking about making these for a gluten free friend.

6 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup almond butter
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
1/4 cup dried cherries

Stir together the maple syrup, almond butter, coconut oil and almond milk in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Stirring constantly allow to boil for 3 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the oats, pistachios and dried cherries. Pour the almond butter mixture over the oats and stir until everything is well coated. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes to cool slightly. This will make it easier to make into balls.

Have ready a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet. Taking rounded tablespoons full of dough, roll and press together between your palms and place on the baking sheet. Once finished place in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes until the balls have hardened. Then enjoy!

Keep the balls stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Breakfast, Desserts + Sweets, Gluten-Free, Grains, Proteins, Vegan

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies were bound to end up here sooner or later. You see, they are one of my absolute favorite cookies, which I’m sure is mostly due to the fact that I’ve been making them since before I can remember. I would spend the night at my grandmas house, usually with my little sister and a few of my cousins, and the next day after breakfast, out came the big mixing bowl and splattered recipe card and my grandma would declare we make cookies.

From what I remember, it was usually only me left in the kitchen and maybe my cousin Tom. I loved the process of creaming the butter and sugar, adding the eggs and slowly mixing in all the flour and oats. Everything seemed to have a perfect place and time to be mixed in and form a dough. We would reach our hands into the dough and form what my grandma referred to as “golf ball sized” mounds (she was an avid golfer) and place them on the cookie sheet to be baked. I could have spent an entire day in that kitchen baking and tasting our treats warm from the oven.

Not too much has changed since I started making cookies in my own kitchen, but now I use whole wheat flours and less sugar. I still always say to myself that they need to be golf ball sized, instead of a rounded tablespoon full. I still love the mixing process and I still love to eat and share them.

We had snow fall the last couple of days (that doesn’t happen very often), so I used it as an excuse to invite some friends over and share these while we watched the snow fall. It was the perfect way to end the day.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of the special things about these oatmeal cookies is their use of oat flour. You can buy oat flour at the store, but I recommend making it yourself because it’s just way to easy. If you have a small spice or coffee grinder that would work. I used a food processor, but you could probably even use a good blended too. I take the 2 1/2 cups of rolled oats for the recipe and grind up 1 1/2 cups to oat flour and use the rest of the oats whole, makes for a great texture and really great oaty taste. The original recipe for these also includes 4 ounces of a grated chocolate bar, yeah my grandma new where it was at, but I was unfortunately out and while I have been known to run up to the store in these kinds of situations, there was snow all over the road and I didn’t really want to mess with that.

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups rolled oats, 1 1/2 cups of this will need to be ground
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips
4 ounces grated chocolate
1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment or silpat or lightly grease, set aside.

In a large bowl sift together flour, rolled oats, ground rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the vanilla. Slowly stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Form into a rounded tablespoon of dough (golf ball sized) and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 11-14 minutes, don’t over bake. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Desserts + Sweets, Grains

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