Breakfast Cookies

I made these since I hadn't been to the grocery store for the week yet and had run out of most of our breakfast staples. They were pretty much like baked oatmeal bites. Not exactly my cup of tea, but they weren't bad.  

Breakfast Cookies 
Courtesy of Wise Bread



3 mashed bananas (ripe)
1/3 cup applesauce
2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup raisins (or any other dried fruit you want to add)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar or other sweetener

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl really well. Let this mixture stand for at least 5 minutes to let the oats become good and hydrated.

Heap the dough by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes and let cool.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread

We loved this so much that we didn't get a chance to take a picture of it. Delicious.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Bread
Courtesy of My Baking Addiction 

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups strawberries, rinse, dried and chopped
 
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

With electric mixer cream butter, sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla.

In separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Blend flour mixture with butter mixture just until blended. Add buttermilk and only stir until just combined; do not over mix.

Carefully fold in strawberries. Dough mixture will be thick.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

Totally delicious.

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
Courtesy of Sweet Pea's Kitchen

For the Loaf:

1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

For the Lemon Glaze: 

1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.

While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.

Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.

To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Meh. This just wasn't my cup of tea. And it made a TON, which always seems to happen when I make a treat for which I don't particularly care. Bummer.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
Courtesy of Framed Cooks

2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

2 cups creamy peanut butter

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups jam (your choice of flavor)

1/2 cups salted peanuts, chopped into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray, line it with parchment paper, and then spray the parchment with cooking spray and flour it.

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs, vanilla and peanut butter and mix until combined.

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Turn the mixer back on to low speed and add the flour mixture until just combined.

Spread 2/3 of the dough into the baking pan, spreading to the edges (use your hands, it's easiest that way!) Spread the jam evenly over the dough.

Drop small chunks of the remaining dough over the jam. You'll have some spots where the jam shows through, but don't worry about that. Scatter the peanuts over the top and bake for 45 minutes or until the dough is golden brown.

Cool completely and then cut into squares.

Sweet Cinnamon Scones

I love how the name of this recipe sounds like some sort of exclamation. I think I'm going to start using it. Oh, and these are delicious.  

Sweet Cinnamon Scones 
Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman  

3 cups all-purpose flour 
1/3 cup sugar 
5 teaspoons baking powder 
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided 
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter 
3/4 cups heavy cream 
1 egg 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 cup cinnamon chips 
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and baking powder. Cut butter into pieces, then cut into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cinnamon chips. Mix together cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour into flour/butter mixture, stirring gently with a fork to combine.

Turn onto work surface (mixture will be very crumbly and falling apart.) Gently press together on the sides as you flatten (or roll, with a rolling pin) the top. Form either into a large circle or a large rectangle. Cut into wedges (from a circle) or triangles (from a rectangle.) Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Mix together powdered sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon with enough water to make into a thick but drizzable glaze. Drizzle on scones and serve with coffee.

Triple Chocolate Cookies with Pretzels and Sea Salt

Oh my. These are such a wonderful combination of sweet and salty. I also feel like it's some sort of personal triumph when I find something chocolatey that my husband loves. He does not exactly have what you'd call a sweet tooth, so I know I've really found something good when he can't stop eating them.

And yes, those are bunny pretzels. Since I made these right around Easter, I thought I'd be festive.

Triple Chocolate Cookies with Pretzels and Sea Salt
Courtesy of Mountain Mama Cooks



1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup crushed pretzels
Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix until well incorporated. Add vanilla and mix well. In a small separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and table salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop the cookie dough by the tablespoon onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Gently press a few of the crushed pretzels on top and sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt. Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer baked cookies to a cooling rack and let cool. Then devour.

Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

I don't know why I hadn't made these before. They are so easy and delicious. You can use any kind of prezel you want and any kind of chocolate you want. I did these for Valentine's Day, but I know I'll be making them for pretty much any holiday for which I can find fun sprinkles.

Chocolate-Covered Pretzels



4 ounces chocolate, cut into small pieces
Pretzels (I could cover 7 rods with 4 ounce of chocolate)
Sprinkles or other candy decorations (optional)

Melt chocolate for 30 seconds in the microwave in a heat-proof bowl. Stir, and then heat again for another 30 seconds. Stir, and then heat again for another 15 seconds. Stir until totally melted and smooth. (This all might depend on how hot your microwave runs, so keep a close eye on it, and make sure you stop heating it when most of the pieces have melted completely.)

Dip your pretzels and place them on a piece of wax paper. Sprinkle with candy, if desired. Let set up completely, and then enjoy!

Pop-tarts

As with the oatmeal cream pies and various other treats from my childhood, once I realized how much artificial junk was in them, I couldn't enjoy them like I did before. And I definitely didn't want my kids eating them. So it's been absolutely wonderful to find recipes for equal, if not better, homemade versions. The ones I just made have brown sugar cinnamon and Nutella fillings. I've only tried the brown sugar cinnamon ones so far, and they are even better than the ones I loved so much growing up. I'm looking forward to trying the Nutella one for breakfast tomorrow.

I agree with Deb over at smitten kitchen that these would be even better in mini form (though I know I would probably end up eating as much as one big one, I like having the option of eating less). So next time, instead of make 9 big ones, I think I'll try making 16 little ones.

The only thing that I noticed was a little off was that I needed another tablespoon of milk to make the dough come together. I'm wondering if it would have been easier if I had used a food processor the way I usually do for pie crust.

I also decided to ice them to make them more "authentic". I just used about a cup of powdered sugar and enough water to make a spreadable icing, but I'm sure royal icing would have been lovely too.

Pop-tarts
A variation on this recipe from smitten kitchen



Pastry:
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pats
2 large eggs, divided
2-3 tablespoons milk

Cinnamon Filling:
1/2 cup (3 3/4 ounces) brown sugar
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, to taste
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Jam Filling:
3/4 cup (8 ounces) jam
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water

Alternate fillings: 9 tablespoons chocolate chips, 9 tablespoons Nutella or other chocolate-hazelnut paste or 9 tablespoons of a delight of your choice, such as salted caramel or a nut paste

To make cinnamon filling: Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour.

To make jam filling: Mix the jam with the cornstarch/water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer, stirring, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool. Use to fill the pastry tarts.

Make the dough: Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Work in the butter with your fingers, pastry blender or food processor until pea-sized lumps of butter are still visible, and the mixture holds together when you squeeze it. If you’ve used a food processor, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Whisk the first egg and milk together and stir them into the dough, mixing just until everything is cohesive, kneading briefly on a well-floured counter if necessary.

Divide the dough in half (approximately 8 1/4 ounces each), shape each half into a smooth rectangle, about 3×5 inches. You can roll this out immediately or wrap each half in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Assemble the tarts: If the dough has been chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it to soften and become workable, about 15 to 30 minutes. Place one piece on a lightly floured work surface, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/8″ thick, large enough that you can trim it to an even 9″ x 12″. [You can use a 9" x 13" pan, laid on top, as guidance.] Repeat with the second piece of dough. Set trimmings aside. Cut each piece of dough into thirds – you’ll form nine 3″ x 4″ rectangles.

Beat the additional egg and brush it over the entire surface of the first dough. This will be the “inside” of the tart; the egg is to help glue the lid on. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling into the center of each rectangle, keeping a bare 1/2-inch perimeter around it. Place a second rectangle of dough atop the first, using your fingertips to press firmly around the pocket of filling, sealing the dough well on all sides. Press the tines of a fork all around the edge of the rectangle. Repeat with remaining tarts.

Gently place the tarts on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Prick the top of each tart multiple times with a fork; you want to make sure steam can escape, or the tarts will become billowy pillows rather than flat toaster pastries. Refrigerate the tarts (they don’t need to be covered) for 30 minutes, while you preheat your oven to 350°F.

Remove the tarts from the fridge, and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Cool in pan on rack. Once cool, if desired, glaze with icing.

Chocolate Cake Doughnuts

These are lovely. The chocolate flavor is quite subtle, so I'm thinking I may actually add a bit more chocolate next time. But they are delightfully moist, and, if you can avoid scarfing them down as quickly as possible, they hold up well, even after they've been glazed.

Chocolate Cake Doughnuts
A variation on this recipe from Lara Ferroni



Doughnuts:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fine grain salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
Buttermilk

Lightly grease a doughnut tin and preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda, and then whisk in the sugar, nutmeg and salt.

Add the butter, and using your fingers, rub it into the dry ingredients until it becomes coarse crumbs.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, yogurt, vanilla and egg. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix, or your doughnuts may be a bit rubbery.

Fill each cup 1/2 to 3/4 full. You can do this with a spoon, but I prefer using a piping bag to fill each cup more evenly and cleanly. It’s important not to overfill, or as the doughnuts rise, you’ll lose the hole.

Bake for 12 minutes, until the doughnuts spring back when touched. Let cool slightly on a wire rack.

To make glaze: Put powdered sugar in a bowl and slowly add enough buttermilk to make a glaze that is thin enough to drizzle easily. Generously coat cooled doughnuts.

Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts

These are okay. They taste good, but they dry out very quickly. I tweaked the recipe too because I couldn't find whole wheat pastry flour (I used a combination of all-purpose and cake flours). I also used a buttermilk glaze rather than the called-for coating of butter and cinnamon-sugar. I wonder if that coating would have added a little moisture or if it just would have made them feel greasy. I'm not sure I'm going to try them again to find out.

Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
A variation on this recipe from Naturally Ella



Doughnuts:
7/8 cup all-purpose flour
7/8 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
Buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350˚F and either butter or oil a doughnut pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients, except for the brown sugar, together and set aside. In a different bowl, whisk together the oil, egg whites, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin, and milk. Pour into the dry mixture and stir until the mixture is just combined.

Pour mixture into a piping bag (or a gallon bag with the tip cut off) and pipe an even circle so that each doughnut fairly full.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the doughnut spring backs. Remove from oven and turn out onto a wire rack. Let the doughnuts cool slightly.

To make glaze: Put powdered sugar in a bowl and slowly add enough buttermilk to make a glaze that is thin enough to drizzle easily. Generously coat cooled doughnuts.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Another lovely pumpkin treat. Though the pumpkin (as well as the applesauce) really adds more of a moist texture than a distinct flavor to the bars. Which is nice since I've found a lot of other granola bars to be on the dry side.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Courtesy of two peas & their pod



3 ¼ cups old fashioned oats
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 by 8 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk oats, spices, and salt together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour over oats and stir well, until all of the oats are moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. The pumpkin keeps the bars moist, so make sure they are golden and set-you don't want them to be under baked. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Using a sharp knife, cut into bars. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

Ruguh-Love

This was my first time ever having rugelach. And now I'm wondering why I waited so long. Holy cow, these are good. I think I just generally like doughs that are made with cream cheese, but the other flavors in here make these particular cookies especially awesome.

Jillie decided she thinks we should have them for breakfast, which I think is in no small part because of the cinnamon sugar. After eating oatmeal with cinnamon and honey for the better part of the last year, I think she's conditioned to associate those flavors with breakfast. I just might take her advice tomorrow morning...

Ruguh-Love
Courtesy of Cookie Couture via Martha Stewart



For the Coating:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the Dough:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

For the Filling:
2 cups premium raspberry preserves
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chopped walnuts

Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together butter, cream cheese, and salt on low until well combined; add flour and mix until a dough has formed. Turn out onto work surface and cut into 4 equal pieces; wrap each piece with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat; set aside.

Unwrap 1 piece of dough and place on a floured work surface. Roll into an 11-inch round and, using a pizza wheel, cut into 8 equal wedges. Repeat process with remaining pieces of dough.

To Fill: Spread 1 tablespoon raspberry preserves on each piece of dough; sprinkle 1 teaspoon nuts on the short side of each piece. Starting with the short side of the triangle, fold corners in toward the center and roll up each piece to enclose filling. Repeat process with remaining dough, preserves, and nuts.

Make the coating: In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Dip each rugelach first in melted butter and then in sugar mixture to coat, pressing on open ends to enclose. Place on a baking sheet 1/2 inch apart.

Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until browned and caramelized, about 35 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Strawberry and Rosemary Scones

I was definitely wary of these while I was making them. Rosemary can be such an overwhelming flavor, but the sweetness of the strawberry jam and the lemony glaze really helps to cut that intense woodsy flavor while not making it completely disappear. They're very tasty. And I love the holiday feeling they have.

Strawberry and Rosemary Scones
Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis



Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup strawberry jam

Glaze:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
2 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons water

For the scones: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 1/2-inch thick, 10-inch circle. Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart-shaped pieces of dough and put on the prepared baking sheet. Gently knead together any leftover pieces of dough and roll out to 1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough into more heart shapes and add to the baking sheet. Using an index finger or a small, round measuring spoon, gently make an indentation in the center of each pastry heart. Spoon a heaped 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Transfer the cooked scones onto a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.

For the glaze: In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Gradually add the water until the mixture is thin enough to spread. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the scones. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes. Serve or store in an airtight plastic container for 2 days.

Cook's Note: The dough can also be made by hand by stirring together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough.

Apple Butter Muffins

Holy cow, these are good. Flavorful. Light but satisfying. I used my favorite slow-cooking apple butter in the recipe. I love the lemon flavor that balances so beautifully with all the spices in the apple butter.

Apple Butter Muffins
Courtesy of Food.com



1 3/4 cups unbleached flour or 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (aluminum-free if available)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup apple butter (homemade if available)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
Sugar, to sprinkle

In a small mixing bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg to the sugar mixture; beat well. Beat in the apple butter and vanilla.

Stir lemon juice into the evaporated milk. Beating at low speed, alternately add the flour and the milk mixtures to the apple butter mixture until just combined.

Grease or line with baking papers. Fill each cup 2/3 full. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Cranberry-Oatmeal Bars

These are okay. Not too sweet, not too tart. But also not my favorite snack.

The only thing I did differently was use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

Cranberry-Oatmeal Bars
A variation on this recipe from Cooking Light



Crust:
4 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons orange juice
Cooking spray

Filling:
1 1/3 cups dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325°F.

To prepare crust, weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle butter and juice over flour mixture, stirring until moistened (mixture will be crumbly). Reserve 1/2 cup oat mixture. Press remaining oat mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

To prepare filling, combine cranberries, sour cream, granulated sugar, and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well. Spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust; sprinkle reserved oat mixture evenly over filling. Bake at 325°F for 40 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Bread

Alton Brown does it again. This is supposed to have pumpkin seeds in it, but I couldn't find any this early in the season. It also calls for fresh pumpkin, so once I process pumpkins this year, I will have both the elements I was missing from this try. But even without the seeds and with canned pumpkin (a 14.5-ounce can), it was delicious.

Pumpkin Bread
Courtesy of Alton Brown



2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups shredded fresh pumpkin
1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.

In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine both mixtures and fold in the shredded pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. Once the ingredients are all incorporated pour into a non- stick 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan. If your pan is not non- stick coat it with butter and flour.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. At this point a knife inserted into the middle of the loaf should come out clean. Cool for 15 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely. For muffins temperature should also be 325°F, but bake for 30 minutes.

Black Bean Hummus

Another successful lunchbox option for my big 1st grade boy. I can't believe he'll be in full-day school as of tomorrow. When I think about how his little sister will be in the same preschool class this year that he was in 3 years ago (?!), I can't believe how quickly time is going. These last few years have gone by in the blink.

*sniff* Now that I've gotten that out of my system... This is a really delicious version of hummus. One that I think I prefer to the more traditional kind that's made with chickpeas and tahini. I love black beans, so I shouldn't be surprised.

I did tweak the garlic in this recipe a bit. I've noticed that the raw garlic in other hummus gives me heartburn/reflux, so I used some garlic powder instead. Here's hoping it works... I also doubled the recipe in order to use a full can of black beans. Deliciousness.

Black Bean Hummus
A variation on this recipe from Melissa d'Arabian



1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until almost smooth. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Whole-Wheat Cinnamon-Raisin Bread

I don't know if it's because Fall is coming or because I'm highly suggestible, but when I saw this recipe in Food Network Magazine (seriously, the best food magazine I've ever subscribed to), I developed an incredible craving for it and had to try it asap. And I'm so very glad I did. It's the best I've ever had. It's a whole lot more labor-intensive than this one, but it also easily blows it out of the water, no contest. And since it makes two loaves, I'm also looking forward to when it starts to get a bit stale to try using it in this french toast recipe.

Whole-Wheat Cinnamon-Raisin Bread
Courtesy of Ellie Krieger for Food Network Magazine



2 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for brushing
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
Cooking spray
2/3 cup raisins
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

Make the dough: Measure out 1 1/4 cups very warm water and check the temperature; it should be 120°F to 130°F. Combine both flours, the dry milk, egg, canola oil, honey, salt, yeast and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix 3 minutes on the lowest setting, then increase to the next highest setting and mix 5 more minutes. The dough should be soft and sticky.

Let it rise: Transfer the dough to a large bowl coated with cooking spray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough has nearly doubled in size, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Soak the raisins: Dry raisins will rob moisture from the bread, so soak them first in boiling water until plump, about 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

Fold the dough: Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Picture it as a loose square. Lift up one side of the dough and fold about one-third of it across; press down on the dough with spread fingers to remove any air bubbles. Repeat with the remaining 3 sides of the dough.

Add the filling: Mist two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. Divide the dough in half; roll out each half into an 8-inch square. Brush each square with canola oil, then sprinkle with the cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins.

Form the loaves: Roll up each square of dough into a tight cylinder; place seam-side down in the prepared pans. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until the dough fills the pans and springs back when touched, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.

Bake the bread: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the loaves with canola oil and bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the pans and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Peach Shortbread

I was very wary of these while I was making them. They just looked like they could end up being super dry, and I was nervous they would feel like consuming dust with a layer of peaches. But they ended up being really yummy! And I totally think it was worth it to brown the butter. I loved the depth of flavor it brought to the shortbread. I'm sure these would be equally good with any other fresh fruit (especially other stone fruit, like plums).

Peach Shortbread
Courtesy of smitten kitchen



1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cups all-purpose flour (or you can measure 3 cups and remove 2 tablespoons flour)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) cold unsalted butter
1 large egg
2 peaches, pitted and thinly sliced (between 1/8 and 1/4-inch thick)

Brown your butter: Melt butter in a small/medium saucepan over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Keep your eyes on it; it burns very quickly after it browns and the very second that you turn around to do something else. Set it in the freezer until solid (about 30 minutes).

[Don't have time for all this brown butter madness? Check the head notes to use regular softened butter instead.]

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 9×13 inch pan, or spray it with a nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, baking powder, flour, salt and spices with a whisk. Use a pastry blender, fork or your fingertips, blend the solidified brown butter and egg into the flour mixture. It will be crumbly. Pat 3/4 of the crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing firmly. Tile peach slices over crumb base in a single layer. Scatter remaining crumbs evenly over peaches and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until top is slightly brown and you can see a little color around the edges. Cool completely in pan before cutting into squares.

Strawberry Cornmeal Crumble Bars

I had some strawberries that looked like they weren't going to last much longer, so I thought I'd make a fun snack. And these are fun. And surprisingly filling. I think I could probably cut the output from 9 bars to 12 bars.

The only change I made was that I substituted strawberries for the raspberries the original recipe calls for.

Strawberry Cornmeal Crumble Bars
A variation on this recipe from Martha Stewart



3/4 cup natural almonds
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides.

In a food processor, pulse almonds until finely ground (you should have about 1 cup). In a large bowl, whisk together ground almonds, cornmeal, flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter and stir until dry ingredients are evenly moistened.

Press about two-thirds the dough into dish. Scatter strawberries over top and crumble remaining dough over strawberries. Bake until top is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack before cutting into 9 (or 12) bars.