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 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Total time: 1.5 hours.
2 cups leftover steel-cut oatmeal
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened, OR 1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and both types of sugar until smooth. Add vanilla and egg, mix until smooth. Add salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, mix until smooth.
In a small bowl, combine half the flour and all the baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to the dough.
Continue to add remaining flour slowly. If your dough starts to become “dry” before you finish, stop with the flour and move on.
Mix in oatmeal. Fold in chocolate chips and other optional ingredients.
Spoon out dough by large tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie.
Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets before moving to cooling rack.
Super moist deliciousness. Was it the cooked oatmeal? The shortening? I’m not sure, but my cookies were super soft, whether in the oven for 10 minutes or 18 minutes. They looked “undercooked” when I pulled them out at 13 minutes, but I found that 13 was definitely the magic number.
Be sure to let these cool on the cookie sheet before trying to move them, and if you’re using chocolate chips, make sure your spatula is tough enough to scoop the cookies off without ripping them in half.
 Spicy Grape Wonton Dessert Total time: 4 hours.
The Daring Cooks‘ October challenge of phở and dessert wontons comes from Jaden of the Steamy Kitchen.
2 cups seedless grapes, halved or mashed
1/2 an apple, finely chopped
Juice from one lime
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
water
4 Tbsp flour, divided
1 egg, whisked (optional)
1 Tbsp butter, melted
Combine the first 6 ingredients in a saucepan. If necessary, add enough water to almost reach the top of the fruit (I used 1/2 c, but it all depends on the width of your saucepan!).
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
Mix 2 Tbsp flour and 1/4 cup of water until most or all of the flour is dissolved. Slowly stir into fruit mix. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until your compote feels slightly thick.
Cool completely. (I let mine cool on the stove for an hour, in a bowl on the counter for an hour, and then in the refrigerator for a third hour. You could probably pop it straight into the refrigerator and save yourself 90 minutes.)
Preheat oven to 350. Place one teaspoon of compote in the center of your wonton wrapper. Sprinkle compote with flour. Fold creatively, and use the whisked egg to seal them shut. Baste the folded wonton with melted butter.
Bake at 350 for 13 minutes or until golden brown.
I used my cupcake tin because I wasn’t sure of any possible explosions that might occur. 🙂 I could have probably used my cookie sheet and done 30 at a time instead of just 12.
My grapes were Concord grapes. I’m not really interested in revealing how many hours it took me to remove the seeds from four very large bushels of grapes. Let’s just say I’ll never do it again, and I don’t recommend you do it, either. #^_^# Just use seedless grapes or another type of fruit.
Yes, I’ve left out my version of phở, intentionally, based on a personal view that the internet is an oyster from which anyone may slurp the succulent meat.
Total time: 20 minutes.
1 cup (120gm/8oz) spelt flour (or all-purpose, gluten free flour)
½ tsp (2½ gm) salt
½ tsp (2½ gm) baking powder
½ tsp (2½ gm) curry powder
½ cup (125ml/4oz) almond milk (or soy, or rice, etc.)
¾ cup (175ml/6oz) water
cooking spray, if needed
1.Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, slowly adding the almond milk and water, whisking until smooth.
2.Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray your pan with a thin layer of cooking spray, if needed.
3.Ladle 2 tablespoons of batter into the center of your pan in a circular motion until it is a thin, round pancake. When bubbles appear on the surface and it no longer looks wet, flip it over and cook for a few seconds. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining batter. Makes 8 pancakes.
Total time: 20 minutes.
This recipe works best if you have a sandwich maker.
~ 4 bread slices
~ 2 eggs
~ 1 tsp vanilla extract
~ 1/4 c milk
diced ham (I like to cook ham slices first, and then dice it)
cheddar or a mix cheese (shredded is my preference, but sliced works as well)
powdered sugar
Fix your mixture of eggs, vanilla and milk to your preference for French Toast. Coat one side of the bread and place wet side down on the sandwich maker. Pile on the cheese and the ham. Dip another slice of bread on one side only. Place the undipped side on top of the meat and cheese, and close your sandwich maker. Let it ‘cook’ to your desired doneness.
Repeat with remaining bread slices.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve with scrambled eggs.
This recipe is completely off the top of my head. I had it once at a nice diner that no longer exists, and while craving it like a pregnant woman, I just created the recipe.
 Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting Total time: 1 hour.
Adapted from the Devil’s Food Cake Cockaigne recipe found in the Joy of Cooking. Makes two 9-inch round pans.
5 ounces semisweet chocolate (about a cup!)
2 cups cake flour
1 cup milk, divided in half, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs, separated (means separate the yolks and the egg whites), room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup water, room temperature
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla, room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 350.
In a double boiler, cook and stir chocolate, 1/2 cup milk, brown sugar and 1 egg yolk until smooth and thick. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, sift or mix together baking soda, salt, and flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter until soft. Add sugar and mix until smooth. Beat in the other two egg yolks one at a time until smooth.
Add about 1/3 of the flour mix to the butter mixture. Mix until smooth. Add the vanilla and water, mix until smooth. Add another 1/3 of the flour mix, mix until smooth (see a pattern here?). Add 1/4 c of milk, mix until smooth. Add the remaining flour mix, mix until smooth. Add the remaining milk, mix until smooth.
Stir in the chocolate mix (until smooth!!).
In a separate bowl, whip two egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold them lightly into the cake batter.
Bake in greased pans about 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Shown here with cream cheese frosting (3/4 c powdered sugar, 4 T cream cheese, 1 T heavy cream).
I always use semisweet chocolate morsels when I bake cookies, so that’s what I had on hand. The original recipe calls for 2-4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate and an additional 1/4 cup white sugar.
I realized *after* I mixed everything together that I don’t own 9 inch round cake pans… so I used my brownie pans instead.
 Crunchy and chewy goodness Total time: 20 minutes or 30 minutes.
Traditional Haystacks
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup salted peanuts
2 cups dry chow mein noodles
1. Melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter on low on top of a double boiler (takes longer), or in a microwave. Blend together.
2. Stir peanuts and noodles gently into the melted peanut butter mixture.
3. Drop dough by forkfuls onto waxed paper. Cool until set.
Make it a beaver dam:
Replace 1/2 cup of peanut butter with 2 T peanut butter and 2 cups of marshmallows.
For “softer” beaver dams, use the traditional haystack recipe and add 1 cup of marshmallows (shown).
I didn’t have peanuts one day, and so I thought I’d throw in marshmallows – I melted them with some chocolate peanut butter chips. It turns out, when you chill marshmallows with any kind of chip (especially chocolate!), they get REALLY solid. My Canadian friend almost lost some teeth in his enthusiasm. Once they “warmed up” a little bit, no problem. That’s why we called them beaver dams instead of haystacks
 Dog & Bone crater toast Total time: 8 minutes.
1 Slice of Bread
1 Egg
1 tsp Butter
Butter one side of the bread.
Use a small cup or cookie cutter to cut a hole in the center of the bread.
Place bread and cutout piece in frying pan buttered side down. Crack egg into the hole in the bread. Cook on medium heat until egg is done sunny side up or over easy (it’s important to have the yolk). Serve on plate with cutout piece for dipping.
Works best if, when breaking the yolk open, you make erupting sounds 😀 -Chris
I used my doggy and bone cookie cutters, and they worked like a champ. Even the boy wanted one (even though he eats his eggs scrambled). Fast, convenient, and amusing!
Total time: Approximately 2 hours, plus overnight time to stale bread.
This comes to me via my friend Will, whose grandma writes in the notes: New Orleans recipe since that’s where I’m from, don’t judge.
10 slices day old bread, broken in pieces
4 cups milk, scalded
1 cup cream
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup seedless raisins
Combine bread, milk and cream. Beat eggs; add sugar and mix well. Stir in bread mixture and add vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in butter and raisins. Pour into buttered 2 quart baking dish, set in a pan of warm water about 1 inch deep. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. 8 servings.
Whiskey Sauce
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 ounces brandy
In a saucepan slightly beat egg yolks then add the next three ingredients and blend well. Cook over low heat until mixture comes to a boil. Blend cornstarch in water and stir into hot mixture. Continue cooking until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in brandy. Serve when cooked.
The first bread pudding dessert I tasted had raisins in it. As with everything raisin, I’m nervous… but I want it…).
Total time: 2 hours, plus overnight to stale your bread.
Lots of sugar and a hint of brandy, make sure you have lots of time available to do this one.
Via my friend Luke.
Ingredients:
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large beaten eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups cubed Italian bread, allowed to stale overnight in a bowl
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
For the Sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup brandy
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Grease a 13 inch by 9 inch by 2 inch pan.
Mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl; add vanilla. pour over cubed bread and let sit for 10 minutes.
In another bowl, mix and crumble together brown sugar, butter, and pecans.
Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and bake for 35 – 45 minutes or until set. remove from oven.
For the Sauce:
Mix together the granulated sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. stir together until the sugar is melted. add the brandy, stirring well. pour over bread pudding. Server warm or cold.
I can’t wait to try this. -cuppy
 Breakfast Biscuit with bacon, eggs, and cheese Total time: Approximately 20 minutes, plus any meat or egg cook time & assembly time
2 cups Bisquick or baking mix
1/2 cup milk
Preheat oven to 375F.
Blend mix and water together. Knead on a floured board. Roll or pat dough about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out biscuits and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes or until golden. (Don’t wait for them to be brown on top! Brown = Burned!!)
Don’t feel like rolling and cutting? Add 1/4 cup milk and make drop biscuits.
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