Oatmeal Frangipane

Frangipane is a sweet, almond-based confectionery topping. It begins with a creamy butter sugar mixture, adds several eggs, and then almond flour which gives it texture. Sometimes a little flour is added for stability, but if not frangipane is gluten-free. Frangipane can also be flavored with lemon zest or an extract.

I wanted to find a similar alternative to frangipane that did not use nuts. I decided to use rolled oats and tested it out on my apple tart from yesterday's post. It worked quite well. Both oats and almonds pair well with apple so if preferred, substitute ground almonds for the oats in the recipe below for a regular frangipane.

Oatmeal Frangipane

170 grams salted butter

170 grams granulated (white) sugar

4 large egg

170 grams quick-cooking rolled oats

Cream butter and sugar together well until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in oats.

Caramel Apple Oat Frangipane Tart

Caramel Apple Oat Frangipane Tart
one freshly baked nine inch pie crust
one can or jar dulce de leche
6 medium cooking apples, peeled and cut into eighths
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon water
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
one recipe oatmeal frangipane (see tomorrow's post)

Preheat oven to 320◦F.
Spread the dulce de leche over the crust bottom.
Place the apples, sugar, water and cinnamon in a wide pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until apples are just beginning to soften. They will continue to cook in the oven. Drain well.

Arrange the apples over the dulce de leche.
Spread with oatmeal frangipane.

Bake for about 40 minutes until frangipane is golden and set and a toothpick inserted in the frangipane comes out clean.

Serve hot, warm, cooled, or even cold. If reheated, the oven is much better used than the microwave.

Individual Oatmeal Applesauce Cake

Individual Oatmeal Applesauce Cake
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup nondairy milk
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1 Tablespoon nut butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cloves

Mix all ingredients together well, transfer to a large mug or small microwaveable bowl (grease if desired) and microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 2 minutes until just set. This is meant to be soft. Like oatmeal more than cake. Just not liquidy. Feel free to add flavored extracts, nuts, other spices, maple syrup, etc. Or swap applesauce for mashed banana and chocolate chips for raisins. 

For the frosting, I simply microwaved a little maple syrup to make it thick and caramel-like, then added some almond milk to thin it out, and sprinkled with ground cinnamon. 

Strawberry Jam Oatmeal Thumbprint Cookies

This is a really easy cookie recipe that just happens to be vegan and relatively healthy. The rolling and filling of the cookies is a little time-consuming but well worth the effort. These cookies are filled with oats and whole wheat flour, use oil instead of butter, and are naturally sweetened by molasses and maple syrup. They also contain a hint of spice for flavor, but this can be omitted for a plain cookie. They keep well and freeze well.

Strawberry Jam Oatmeal Thumbprint Cookies
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup maple syrup
strawberry jam (or your favorite flavor)

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, salt, and spices.
Stir in the oil, molasses, and syrup; mix well.
Roll dough into walnut-sized balls, using about 1/2 tablespoon dough for each. Alternately, you may make these cookies as large or as small as you wish.
Place cookies slightly apart on prepared baking sheets.
Using your thumb or the opposite end of a mixing spoon, press a small indent into the center of each cookie. 
Fill each cookie with one teaspoon or so of jam - fill it straight to the top but don't overfill. The jam will reduce slightly when baked and doesn't tend to overflow like in some cookies, so be generous.
Bake for 15 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned. Let cool on the cookie sheet for a couple minutes to firm up.

Makes approximately small 60 cookies.

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Banana Oatmeal Muffins
2 large eggs
3 large, overripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 cup oats
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400◦F. Grease or line muffin cups.
In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, banana, milk, and oil.
In a separate large bowl,  stir together all the remaining dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and stir until just moistened. 
Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes twelve muffins.

Spider Cookies

Spider cookies, macroons, haystacks, boiled cookies, no-bake cookies, chocolate oat drops, mud cookies - whatever you call them, they all refer to the same type of easy, delicious chocolate no-bake cookie. Of course there are variations out there, peanut butter, butterscotch, using chow mein noodles, adding chopped nuts or chocolate chips, but all operate under the same principal - boil some sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa, then stir in oats and/or coconut. My version uses rolled oats as well as some cooked oatmeal, which provides some more moisture and texture and is a good way to use up leftover oatmeal. It can be hot or cold, but should be on the thicker side. Drop onto cookie sheets and chill until firm (unless you can't wait and choose to eat the mixture hot from the pot like I do).

Spider Cookies
1/2 cup butter or hard margarine
2 cups granulated (white) sugar
1/4 cup milk or cream
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup thick cooked oatmeal
2 cups shredded coconut
3 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, waxed paper, or aluminum foil.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the sugar, milk, cocoa, and oatmeal, and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut, oats, and vanilla. Quickly drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Chill until firm.

Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This is a nice, soft and chewy oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. The type of cookie perfect for a snack with a glass of milk. The type of cookie you can convince yourself is healthy, but really isn't. The type of cookie that always gets stolen from the cookie jar. 

Soft Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
1 1/2 cups butter or hard margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
6 cups oats
3 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 375◦F. Grease or line baking sheets.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and both sugars together well until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, then the water and vanilla. Stir in the flour, cinnamon, and soda, followed by the oats, then the raisins.
Drop dough by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Cookies will be soft, but will firm slightly if left to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes. 

Overnight Nutella Oatmeal

Overnight Nutella Oatmeal
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon hazelnuts
1 Tablespoon chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon nutella
3/4 cup milk
additional nutella, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips

In a small bowl or mug, stir together the oats, cocoa, nuts, and chips. Stir in the nutella and milk. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, enjoy cold or heat in the microwave. Garnish as desired. 

The fourth nutella breakfast. This one ended up making a smaller batch than I had thought, so I would suggest using more oats, using more milk for a thinner, but more filling bowl of oatmeal, or bulking up and enriching the oatmeal with a little ground flax seed or wheat germ. This breakfast can also be prepared the night before, and enjoyed warm or cold. 

Apple Pie Overnight Oatmeal

Apple Pie Overnight Oatmeal

½ cup old-fashioned oats

1 Tablespoon whole grain hot cereal mix (see {Hot Cereal Mix} )

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts

1 small apple, diced
3/4 cup milk

Combine all ingredients in a jar, bowl, or large mug. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate overnight to thicken. Enjoy cold or microwave until warm.

When will I stop posting overnight oatmeal recipes? I suppose not until I run out of ideas and different flavor options, which isn’t likely to be anytime soon. I love overnight oatmeal recipes for the convenience, portability, speed, taste, and nutrition they provide. It’s one complete breakfast in a bowl, already ready to eat in the refrigerator when you awake. 

Fruit and Nut Overnight Oatmeal

Fruit and Nut Overnight Oatmeal
1/2 cup oats or whole grain cereal mix
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup mixed fruit, fresh or frozen
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup milk

Combine all ingredients together in a jar or bowl. Refrigerate overnight. Enjoy warm or cold in the morning. 

This overnight oatmeal recipe could be varied within itself, depending on what type of fruit and nuts used. My version here is more of a tropical oatmeal - using melon and pineapple. But you could also use berries, bananas, apples, or whatever you wish!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chip Drop Cookies

Peanut butter - yum! Oatmeal - yum! Chocolate chips - yum! Cookies - yum! So put them all together and make one amazing, flavorful cookie that is quite easy to make, doesn't take long, and is a good cookie jar keeper.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chip Drop Cookies
1 cup butter, hard margarine, or shortening
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated (white) sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 Tablespoons hot water
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, followed by the peanut butter. Mix together the hot water and soda and add into the mixture. Stir in the oats, flour, and salt, then the chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, bake for about 15 minutes. 

Overnight Pumpkin Oatmeal

Overnight Pumpkin Oatmeal
1/3 cup pure pumpkin purée
3/4 cup milk of choice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup large flake rolled oats
chopped pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds

Stir all ingredients together in a mug or small bowl and allow to refrigerate overnight to thicken. Enjoy as is, or microwave until warm. 

Another pumpkin spice breakfast! Prepare the night before and enjoy in the morning. It does not have to be refrigerated overnight, but will be much thicker if you do so, and should be especially if you plan to eat it hot, which will thin it out a little more. 

Apple Oatmeal Parfait

Apple Oatmeal Parfait
1/2 cup hot whole grain cereal (see NOTE)
2 Tablespoons Greek yogurt (I used plain)
1 large apple, chopped 
2 Tablespoons hazelnuts
honey or maple syrup, to taste
ground cinnamon, to taste

NOTE: For this recipe, you will need about 1/2 cup of prepared hot cereal. I use my favorite hot cereal mix, see {Hot Cereal Mix}. You will need 1/4 cup dry mix and 1/2 cup water, then cook according to recipe directions. Alternatively, you can simply use 1/4 cup rolled oats and 1/2 cup water or milk and cook them.

Prepare the cereal as required. The cereal can be used hot or cold. If you desire a cold parfait to transport, I recommend either allowing the cereal to cool, or making it up the night before and putting it in the fridge - even less prep work in the morning. Some people do not like the combination of the cereal and yogurt - as the cereal heats up the yogurt and the yogurt cools down the cereal. I happen to like this mixture of flavors, textures, and temperatures, but do as you wish.

I just kept this in a bowl and didn't layer it in a glass or parfait dish, but do this if you wish, or wish to transport it. Simply layer all ingredients as desired!

Quick Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Quick Banana Oatmeal Cookies
1 small overripe banana, mashed
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 Tablespoons chocolate chips (or butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, chopped nuts, raisins, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, mix together the banana, oats, and cinnamon. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until firm.

This has got to be one of the quickest and easiest cookie recipes out there - only four ingredients! These cookies are a healthier option as well - no added fat or sugars. Of course, they are much healthier if you use nuts or raisins and not chocolate, but a little chocolate does a lot of good! This makes a really small batch, only eight cookies - perfect for one to two people, but you can easily scale up the recipe. 

Homemade Porridge Bread

This is an old-fashioned, homemade bread that I was taught to make recently. This is different from most of the breads I have been making lately - no bread machine involved! This bread is so soft and moist and simply, homey. It has a beautiful rich texture, and is hearty without being too heavy. Unfortunately, I do not have the actual recipe, because this recipe was never actually written done, simply done from touch, look, and memory. Here is my best crack at it.

Heat up one cup of leftover porridge (or plain oatmeal). Heat two cups of milk with a little lemon juice until hot and bubbly. Add a little sugar and a little margarine, and 4 Tablespoons of yeast. Add in a little whole wheat flour, then white flour. Mix this all up using a stand mixer, until it is well mixed and forms a soft dough. Dump it onto a counter dusted with white flour, and dust the top with more white flour. Knead just very briefly until it is smooth, then put it in an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let rise in a warm spot until it is risen. Then oil six loaf pans and divide the dough evenly among them, let rise again. Once risen, bake the bread, and remove it from the pans. Then brush with margarine and cover with a tea towel immediately for a soft top crust. 

Pecan Molasses Oatmeal

Cook up a bowl of oatmeal using almond milk and make it creamy. Halfway through cooking, add a handful of pecan pieces and a drizzle of dark molasses on top. Cook again until caramelized, topping with more molasses if desired. Creamy, chewy, crunchy and smooth. It is almost like having caramelized toasted pecan brittle on top of hot oatmeal. What a treat!

Peanut Butter Overnight Oatmeal

Peanut Butter Overnight Oatmeal
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon oat bran
2 Tablespoons natural smooth peanut butter 
1-2 Tablespoons sugar, honey, or maple syrup
3/4 cup milk
1 Tablespoon natural crunchy peanut butter

Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl or jar, except the crunchy peanut butter. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy in the morning, hot or cold, spread with the crunchy peanut butter. For more similar recipes, type "overnight oatmeal" into the search bar of this blog.

The presentation on this post definitely could have been better. Oatmeal is hard to capture in order to make it look really good. Also, the thing about overnight oatmeal recipes, is that I usually make them when I know I won't have much time in the morning. So I either snap a quick photo, or as in this case, take the photo the night before. That is why the oatmeal looks so liquidy - it had not set overnight yet and absorbed all of the liquid. 

Date and Walnut Oatmeal

Dates and walnuts. They are just one of the classic, no-fail, always tasty combinations. They can be paired with other foods as well, but i would be happy with a handful of dates and walnuts. They are used in a lot of recipes, specially healthy dessert recipes, energy bars, and no bake brownies. Walnuts can be ground and used as a "flour" and dates can be puréed and used as a sweetened paste for sugar and/or eggs.

This is a simple bowl of microwaved oatmeal, which I jazzed up with some walnuts, dates, and a hint of cinnamon. Doesn't look like much, but these two simple ingredients add flavor, crunch, sweetness, and chewiness - welcome textures to oatmeal! This is one of my "baked" oatmeal recipes - all ingredients are combined and microwaved, creating a dryer, firmer oatmeal. This is different than my overnight oatmeals, which aren't cooked at all and tend to be a bit runnier. 

Chocolate Mousse Overnight Oatmeal

Chocolate Mousse Overnight Oatmeal
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon oat bran
1 Tablespoon wheat germ
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter 
1-2 Tablespoons sugar, honey, or maple syrup
3/4 cup milk

Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl or jar, cover and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy in the morning, hot or cold. For more similar recipes, type "overnight oatmeal" into the search bar of this blog. 

This overnight oatmeal has a slightly different texture that reminds me of eating a bowl of chocolate mousse, in this case, a bowl of healthy chocolate mousse. I didn't use much sweetener, so I had a dark chocolate mousse. I would even eat this for dessert. 

Apricot Hazelnut Oatmeal

So, you just moved in to a new place, you don't have all of your kitchen stuff unpacked yet, and you only bought a few groceries. What do you eat for breakfast? That is a good question! Here is my answer, though it does depend what ingredients you do have on hand, a bowl of oatmeal with a glass of milk is usually an easy option (if you have a microwave). This is oatmeal with ground flaxseed, ginger, dried apricots, and hazelnuts. A good balance of healthy whole grains, protein and beneficial fats from the nuts, dried fruit, and a dairy product if cooked with milk or enjoyed with a glass of milk! The enxt day's breakfast may be more extravagant...