Cinnamon Maple Granola

A Parker summertime tradition, homemade granola. My husband’s favorite is cinnamon, my favorite is dark chocolate peanut. It’s great for snacking, eating as cereal with milk, or sprinkled on yogurt or ice cream (especially delicious on homemade ice cream!). You can follow the basic recipe and make it your own by adding your favorite ingredients.

 

5 cups rice krispies
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup rough chopped walnuts
2 cups raisins
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup craisins
3 Tbl cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°.  In large bowl, mix together rice krispies, oats, walnuts, raisins, coconut, dates, craisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  In saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar together.  Add maple syrup, salt, and vanilla.  Pour over dry ingredients and stir gently until thoroughly combined.  Spread out evenly on two cookie sheets that have been sprayed with nonstick spray.  Bake for 8 minutes, remove and gently stir and spread out again.  Bake another 8 minutes, remove, gently stir and spread out again.  Bake 8 minutes more.  Remove and cool completely.  Store in airtight container.

More Granola!

 

Rocky Mountain Cookies

Quarantine is a little happier with cookies. If you are quarantined alone with that batch of cookies, you may want to get on the elliptical a couple more times (speaking from experience).

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 cups oats
2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl of mixer, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, whip until incorporated and creamy. In another bowl, stir together flour, oats, Rice Krispies, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips. Add dry ingredients to mixer with creamed mixture, mix just until all ingredients are incorporated. Drop scoopfuls of batter onto baking sheets. Bake for 9-10 minutes, careful not to over bake.

Oatmeal Cookies

I love oatmeal cookies, so I was glad to see this recipe in kingarthurflour.com‘s Best Basic Recipe Collection. As bakers, I think we tend to have our favorite go-to recipes, so it’s fun to bake through this collection and try some new things. I love raisins in oatmeal cookies, but in my family there are a few who think it is a crime to put raisins in cookies. A poor, unsuspecting person sees dark brown lumps in their oatmeal cookie and they think they will bite into a chunk of chocolate and then aaaaahhhhhh! It’s a raisin! Trickery of the worst kind! This is why I usually put butterscotch or chocolate chips in my oatmeal cookies. ;o)

4 Tbl butter
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1¼ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vinegar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup flour
1½ cups oats, old-fashioned or quick
1 cup raisins (or other mix-in, chocolate chips, nuts, etc)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets, light-colored preferred. Beat together the butter, shortening, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vinegar until fairly smooth; a few tiny bits of butter may still show. Beat in the egg, again beating until smooth. Add the baking soda and flour, beating until well incorporated. Add the oats (and raisins), stirring to combine.

Drop the dough in 1 1/4″ balls onto the prepared baking sheets; a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here. If you’re measuring, this is about 2 level tablespoons (using a tablespoon measure, not a dinner spoon). Space the cookies 2″ apart; they’ll spread. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, reversing the pans halfway through (top rack to bottom, bottom to top). For softer cookies, bake the lesser amount of time; for crunchier, the longer amount. At 12 minutes, especially if you’re baking on a dark pan without parchment, a few of the cookies on the edge should just barely be showing a pale brown around their edges. At 14 minutes, they should be starting to color all over. Remove the cookies from the oven, and let them cool right on the pan. Yield: 22 to 24 cookies.

More Oatmeal Cookies!

    

Peanut Butter Oatmeal M&M Cookies

One of my all time favorite cookies. Make a double batch and wrap some up to give to somebunny. ;o)

3/4 cup oats
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar with electric mixer. Add egg and vanilla, mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture, and mix just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and about 1/2 cup M&Ms (save some for top of cookies). Drop large scoop of batter onto cookie sheet and press a couple M&Ms into each cookie mound. Bake for 9-10 minutes, do not overbake.

Peanut Butter Fudge Oatmeal Cookies

It’s my favorite! Well, I probably say that about quite a few cookie recipes, but really, this is right up there at the top.

1½ cups oats
1¼ cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together oats, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar with electric mixer. Add eggs and vanilla, mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixer, and mix just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Drop large scoop of batter onto cookie sheet, press down just a bit to make a disc shape. Bake for 9-10 minutes, do not over-bake. I bake mine exactly 9 minutes, take out of oven, then leave on the cookie sheet about 10 minutes to finish their bake and cool. Makes approx 2½ dozen.

Peanut Butter & Banana Oatmeal Bake

This is a delicious way to eat your oatmeal!

4 cups old fashioned oats
1½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2¹⁄3 cups almond milk (or other milk)
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy

Preheat oven to 375°. In medium bowl, stir together oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In large bowl, stir together milk, brown sugar, vanilla, maple syrup, and lemon juice. With electric mixer on lowest setting, mix in bananas and peanut butter. Add oat mixture and mix just until incorporated. Pour mixture into sprayed 13″x9″ baking pan, spread evenly. Bake 20-25 minutes, until set. Serve while hot on a plate or in a bowl with syrup, cream, milk, bananas, raisins, you decide! Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in refrigerator for 5-7 days and reheated. You can make half a batch and bake in 8″x8″ or 9″x9″ baking pan. Recipe from shelikesfood.com.

Other Breakfast Ideas:

 

 

Halloween Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

A festive Halloween treat!

Oatmeal Cookie Base & Topping:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups old fashioned oats
2½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2  tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl with electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.  Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt; mix into creamed mixture. Press two-thirds of the dough into a sprayed 9″x13″baking pan.

Creamy Orange Peanut Butter Center:
2 Tbl butter
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup Reese’s Peanut Butter chips
1 cup Ghirardelli White Melting Wafers
1 tsp vanilla
7 drops each red & yellow food color
Halloween sprinkles

In a saucepan, combine butter, sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter chips, and white wafers.  Cook and stir over low heat just until chips and wafers are melted. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and food color. Spread over crust. Using your hands, sprinkle remaining oatmeal dough evenly over creamy mixture, sprinkle with Halloween sprinkles, and pat down gently.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown (you may want to lay a piece of foil over for the last 10-15 minutes so it doesn’t get too brown). Cool. Cut into squares.

One Year Ago: Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

Two Years Ago: Sweet Honey Butter Rolls

Three Years Ago: Apple Oatmeal Spice Cake

Raspberry Red Velvet Crinkles

Happy 4th of July!

Recipe coming soon! These are somewhat of a fluke, I am trying to remember how I made them. I will light off some fireworks and try to spark my memory! ;o)

One Year Ago: Cream Filled Red Velvet Cupcakes

Two Years Ago: Maple Nut Sheet Cake

Three Years Ago: Bacon Cheddar Pull-Apart Bread

Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Bread

This is a new favorite of mine. If I had to live on bread alone, I think this might be it!

1 cup raisins
1 cup oats
1¼ cups hot water
1 pkt (2¼ tsp) dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water (110°)
3 Tbl sugar
3 Tbl oil
2 tsp salt
1 Tbl cinnamon
3-3¼ cups flour

30 minutes before mixing up bread, put raisins in small bowl and cover with hot water. Also 30 minutes before, put oats in another small bowl and pour the 1¼ cups hot water over. Let both sit.

In bowl of mixer, pour the 1/3 cup warm water, sprinkle yeast, and then sprinkle sugar over yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes or until bubbly. Add oats, oil, salt, cinnamon, and 3 cups flour. Mix thoroughly. Drain raisins and add; mix in. Add up to 1/4 cup more flour if necessary. You want the dough to come together as it is mixed, slightly sticky, but manageable. Definitely not too stiff! Turn out into sprayed bowl, turn dough over to coat. Let rise in warm place 45-60 minutes. Shape into loaf and put in sprayed loaf pan. Let rise in warm place about 30-45 minutes or until dough has domed above the edge of the pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until interior temp is about 185°. Makes one large loaf. Recipe adapted from thefreshloaf.com.

One Year Ago: S’more Ice Cream Cake

Two Years Ago: Mini Oreo Cheesecakes

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware such as the Mini Muffin Tray and Perforated Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Coconut Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies

Chewy coconut oatmeal heaven!  This is an excellent cookie, perfect to bake and share.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups coconut
2 cups white vanilla chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°.  In large bowl with electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.  Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in coconut, vanilla chips, and chopped walnuts.  Drop by scoopful onto Silpat lined or lightly sprayed cookie sheet, bake for 11-12 minutes.  Makes about 5 dozen.

One Year Ago Today:  Humming Bird Bread/or Cake

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as the Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.