Tag Archives: oatmeal

September 23, 2011 · 6:30 AM

Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal


It’s fall, y’all. And fall brings the promise of cooler weather, and that means we can finally dust off our favorite cold weather foods. Foods like chili and stew and all things pumpkin. I like pumpkin. I like it a lot. So when I dropped in on my friend Anne’s blog, From My Sweet Heart and saw that she had posted a recipe for baked wild blueberry oatmeal with maple cream, I got excited. Hot breakfast? Heck yes! Her oatmeal was gorgeous. She claimed the recipe was really adaptable and challenged readers to come up with their own versions. So what did I choose? Pumpkin, of course. So here is my version of Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, adapted from Anne’s lovely recipe. Just in time for breakfast, and just in time for fall. Thank you Anne, for your gorgeous inspiration.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 cup of chopped almonds or pecans
1/2 cup of jumbo mixed raisins (optional)
2/3 cup of packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 good pinch of pumpkin or apple pie spice

1 1/4 cups of milk
3/4 cup of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

Pre-heat your oven to 350F and grab a non-stick skillet.

Toasting the raw nuts & oatmeal gives them more depth of flavor.

I started by toasting the oatmeal and almonds in a dry non-stick skillet for about 5 minutes, or until they had a toasted, nutty smell. In a large mixing bowl, combine the oatmeal, nuts, raisins, brown sugar, baking powder and spices. Stir to combine, then make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Sun-Maid Mixed Jumbo Raisins are all that & a bag of chips.

In a smaller bowl, combine the milk, pumpkin, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Beat until well blended and pour into the dry ingredients. Stir to combine.

Lightly spray an 8″x8″ square baking pan (I used a large glass loaf pan); pour in the oatmeal mixture. I set my baking dish into a 13″x9″ pan lined with foil, just in case it bubbled over while baking but it didn’t. Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes (shallow pan = 30 minutes; loaf pan = 45 minutes).

Straight out of the oven, with Anne's Maple Cream lying in wait.

Serve warm with Anne’s maple cream:
2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 cup of pure maple syrup

Combine the cream & maple syrup in a saucepan; heat over low until warm.

I have to be honest. I toyed with the idea of making a cream cheese glaze for this so it tasted more like pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. If I had, I would have combined 4 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and beat it until there were no more lumps. Then I would have added a splash of vanilla extract and enough heavy cream or milk to thin it until it was pourable. I would have then drizzled a spoonful (or two) of the cream cheese glaze over the top of each serving. Just because I didn’t do it doesn’t mean you can’t. It would totally rock. I mean, everything is better with cream cheese frosting, am I right?

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal with Maple Cream - good morning!

The final verdict: this is delicious. It’s warm and toasty with all of the flavors of pumpkin pie. It’s perfect for a chilly fall morning or even a comfort food dinner after a bad day at work. It tastes best if you let it sit for 30 minutes or so once it comes out of the oven to give the flavors time to bloom. In short, this is a recipe you can easily FALL for. {hee hee} Yeah, I went there.

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June 9, 2011 · 7:16 AM

NanaBread’s Caramel Apple Oatmeal


This morning, as I zombie-stumbled to my coffee pot, I noticed 3 wrinkling apples in my fruit bowl. After I had my coffee firmly planted in my cup which was glued to my hand, I went back to take a closer look. You know that stage when apples have been sitting around a few days too long? When their skins become a little wrinkly and they start to feel slightly rubbery to the touch? Well, my three aging apples were staring me down this morning, daring me to do something. Choices: throw them in the trash or cut them up and see what happens. Since I hate to waste anything, I decided to peel and chop them and turn them into a lovely breakfast of caramel apple oatmeal. Have I ever cooked or eaten caramel apple oatmeal before? Nope. But that didn’t stop me.

To make this, you will need:

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
½ cup of brown sugar, packed
2 ½ to 3 cups of peeled, diced apples (I used Gala)

1 cup of water
1 cup of milk
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 cup of extra-thick rolled oats

In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar starts to melt and the mixture starts to bubble a little. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. When the apples turn a nice opaque brown and the caramel sauce is bubbling and starting to thicken, they’re done. Pour the apples into a heat-proof bowl and set aside.

In the same saucepan (don’t rinse it out), heat the water, milk and salt until it starts to bubble gently. Add the oats, give them a good stir, and place a lid on the pan. Cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until most of the moisture is absorbed. When it’s done, give it another good stir for good measure. Now grab your apples. Set aside a few spoonfuls for garnish, then pour the apples and caramel syrup into the pan of oatmeal. Stir until well combined. Spoon into serving bowls and top with the reserved apples. This smells SO good!

If you like your oatmeal slightly sweetened, eat it as is. The sweetness of the apples and caramel syrup pair beautifully with creamy oatmeal. If you like oatmeal on the sweet side, add a drizzle of maple syrup. And that’s all there is to creamy caramel goodness in a bowl. What a great way to start your day!

Note: if you are using quick cooking oats, please follow the cooking times listed on your package. Times listed above are for old-fashioned extra-thick rolled oats. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill. If you haven’t tried it yet, you really should. Bob’s Red Mill oats also make the best oatmeal cookies. (See Monday’s post for my Cinnamon Oatmeal cookie recipe.) Warm, chewy cinnamon oatmeal goodness. Judge for yourself!

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December 12, 2010 · 5:16 PM

Miss Pat’s Orange Slice Cookies

Buttery, chewy goodness - Miss Pat's Orange Slice Cookies

My good friend Pat made these for a holiday cookie exchange years ago. When I was digging through my recipe drawer the other day, I found it again. Oh, the memories. I remember these being so unusual, and yet so very delicious. And that’s when I decided to make them for Christmas. Right then and there. Butter set out to soften…check. Look to see if I had oats, coconut and pecans in the pantry…check. Orange slice candies anywhere? Of course not. I don’t keep these things around my house. Sure I loved them as a kid, but I can’t remember the last time I bought a bag. Good thing there’s a new Kroger around the corner from my house, huh? And by the time I get back, my butter will be soft! Timing is everything. These cookies are super easy to make and really, really delicious. You should make them. Like today. Here’s the recipe, thanks to Miss Pat.

• 2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1-½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 package Orange Slice candies (13 ozs.)
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Pre-heat your oven to 350F. In a large bowl, beat softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. In a separate bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, salt and baking soda; add to butter mixture and beat to combine. Cut up orange slice candies (I cut each slice into 5 pieces) and toss them with one tablespoon of flour to keep them from sticking together. To the cookie batter mixture, add the orange slice candy pieces, chopped pecans, oats and coconut. Mix until everything is combined. The dough will be really thick. I like to use a heavy wooden spoon or my hands to mix it. I also like to use a cookie scoop so these turn out uniform in size. If you don’t have one, use a spoon to scoop up about 2 Tablespoons of dough; roll it into a ball, and place dough balls about 2″ apart on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 12-20 minutes (see note below). When the cookies start to turn a little brown around the edges, they’re done. Cool on cookie sheets for at least 10 minutes before removing them from the pan to cool. Makes 4-6 dozen, depending on how large or small you make them.

NOTE: This recipe is similar to an oatmeal or chocolate chip cookie dough, so baking time is a matter of personal preference. If you like them chewy like I do, bake them 12-15 minutes. If you like them crispy, bake them 15-20 minutes. If you want to get really fancy, you can top each cookie with a thin slice of the orange slice candies. Most importantly, get a glass of cold milk ready.

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