Oatmeal Cookie Coffee Cake

Oatmeal Cookies make me happy. They are thick, chewy, and feel healthy enough to eat two. This coffee cake recipe takes the great aspects of an oatmeal cookie and makes them breakfast appropriate. The cake is moist and sweet, and just decadent enough to make it my new weekend breakfast favorite. Almonds, oats, raisins, brown sugar, delicious! I used almond milk to ratchet up the almondy flavor (cause I love it) and it turned out super. Hope you all enjoy!

Oatmeal Cookie Coffee Cake

from Baking Bites

2 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cup oats (regular or quick cooking)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

1 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling/Topping

1/4 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup toasted almonds, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, quick cooking oatmeal, baking powder and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half of the almond milk, lemon juice, and the vanilla.

Then, blend in add half of the remaining flour, the rest of the buttermilk, and finally the last of the flour. Set aside to prepare topping.

For the topping, combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl and stir well. Rub butter into the mixture with your fingertips (or use cold butter and grate into the mixture using a cheese grater) until mixture resembles coarse sand.

Pour half of the batter into a 9-inch springform pan. Top with half of the topping mixture.

Evenly sprinkle raisins and almonds in a single layer. Pour remaining batter on top and spread carefully to the sides of the pan.

Sprinkle all remaining topping over the batter.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow cake to cool on a wire rack until it is room temperature before running a knife around the edge and removing the springform. Store in an airtight container.

Serves 10.

Recipe Swap!

Artisan Bread in FIVE minutes!

\Something about this cold weather makes me crave warm home baked bread. The only problem with this is that bread making scares me. It seems so complex and time consuming, and time is something I have not had much of lately. So with all the hype surrounding this bread making in 5 minutes a day, I decided it was high time to try it. The worst that can happen is I lose five minutes of my day, right? Well, I am pleased to tell you that this trend lives up to the hype! I successfully made yeast bread in FIVE MINUTES (well hands on, I did have to let it rise in the fridge, but good things do come to those who wait!) When looking for the recipe I ended up on the King Arthur Flour recipe website... if you haven't checked it out, it is a goldmine of delicious recipes! All you have to do for this bread is throw some ingredients in a bowl, cover it up, put it in the fridge and let it work. I did this before I went to work, and when I came home, I took the dough out, set it on the counter for an hour, baked it, and VOILA amazing, warm, home baked bread! I LOVE this! The best part is, once you have the dough made, you can store it in the fridge and whenever you have a hankering for some bread, cut off a hunk and you're on your way! I made two variations, one with cornmeal, one without.

While both were good, I liked the cornmeal loaf best as it was a bit more substantial and the cornmeal gave it a crunchy texture that I found divine. So what are you waiting for? You are just five minutes away from fresh baked bread every day!

Original KAF Variation Ingredients

3 cups lukewarm water

6 1/2 to 7 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*

1 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast

Broa (Portuguese Corn Bread) Variation from here

Ingredients

The recipe is easily doubled or halved.

3 cups lukewarm water

1-1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast (1-1/2 packets)

1-1/2 tablespoons salt

1-1/2 cups stone-ground or standard cornmeal

5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Cornmeal for dusting the top

Directions (same for both types)

*The flour/liquid ratio is important in this recipe. If you measure flour by sprinkling it into your measuring cup, then gently sweeping off the excess, use 7 1/2 cups. If you measure flour by dipping your cup into the canister, then sweeping off the excess, use 6 1/2 cups. Most accurate of all, and guaranteed to give you the best results, if you measure flour by weight, use 32 ounces.

Combine all of the ingredients (either original or cornmeal variety) in a large mixing bowl, or a large (6-quart), food-safe plastic bucket. For first-timers, "lukewarm" means about 105°F, but don't stress over getting the temperatures exact here.

Mix and stir everything together to make a very sticky, rough dough. If you have a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with the beater blade for 30 to 60 seconds. If you don't have a mixer, just stir-stir-stir with a big spoon till everything is combined.

Next, you're going to let the dough rise. If you've made the dough in a plastic bucket, you're all set — just let it stay there, covering the bucket with a lid or plastic wrap; a shower cap actually works well here. If you've made the dough in a bowl that's not at least 6-quart capacity, transfer it to a large bowl; it's going to rise a lot. There's no need to grease the bowl, though you can if you like; it makes it a bit easier to get the dough out when it's time to bake bread.

Cover the bowl or bucket, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or for up to about 7 days. (If you're pressed for time, skip the room-temperature rise, and stick it right into the fridge). The longer you keep it in the fridge, the tangier it'll get; if you chill it for 7 days, it will taste like sourdough. Over the course of the first day or so, it'll rise, then fall. That's OK; that's what it's supposed to do.

When you're ready to make bread, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour; this will make it easier to grab a hunk. Grease your hands, and pull off about 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough — a 14-ounce to 19-ounce piece, if you have a scale. It'll be about the size of a softball, or a large grapefruit.

Plop the sticky dough onto a floured or cornmeal covered work surface, and round it into a ball, or a longer log. Don't fuss around trying to make it perfect; just do the best you can.

Place the dough on a piece of parchment (if you're going to use a baking stone); or onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sift a light coating of flour or cornmeal over the top; this will help keep the dough moist as it rests before baking.

Let the dough rise for about 45 to 60 minutes. It won't appear to rise upwards that much; rather, it'll seem to settle and expand. Preheat your oven (and baking stone, if you're using one) to 450°F while the dough rests. Place a shallow pan on the lowest oven rack, and have 1 cup of hot water ready to go.

When you're ready to bake, take a sharp knife and slash the bread 2 or 3 times, making a cut about 1/2" deep. The bread may deflate a bit; that's OK, it'll pick right up in the hot oven.

Place the bread in the oven, and carefully pour the 1 cup hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath. It'll bubble and steam; close the oven door quickly.

Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown.

Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Store leftover bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

Yield: 3 or 4 loaves, depending on size.

Crunch crunch!

Heavenly.

Butter Pecan Praline Bars or Why I'm a butter groupie...

Butter is just one of those things... that I love... which may be the reason I so often find myself perusing the Land O Lakes butter website. I think I may be a butter groupie, butters biggest fan, I just really really like it. Ok, so now that I sound like a complete crazy. Let's get to the recipe. Buttery, brown sugar shortbread base, covered by a layer of pecans, covered by a layer of homemade brown sugar caramel, covered by decadent swirls of creamy white chocolate. These bars are SWEET, cut em small folks. They will knock that sweet tooth right out of the park. That said, they are kinda fabulous.

Crumbly shortbread, buttery sticky caramel... the PECANS... oh man.. must. resist. eating. whole. batch...

Caramel Pecan Praline Bars

Adapted from here

Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup Butter, softened

1 cup pecan halves

Caramel Layer

2/3 cup Butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350°F.

Combine all crust ingredients except pecans in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until mixture resembles fine crumbs.

Press onto bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan.

Place pecans evenly over unbaked crust.

Combine 2/3 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar in 1-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until entire surface of mixture begins to boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Pour evenly over pecans and crust.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until entire caramel layer is bubbly. (DO NOT OVERBAKE.) Remove from oven.

Immediately sprinkle with chips; allow to melt slightly (2 to 3 minutes).

Swirl chips leaving some whole for a marbled effect.

Love.

Cool completely; cut into bars.

TIP: Store at room temperature in loosely covered container.

What are you all cooking up this week? Anything good??

Cranberry Fritters

Remember all those cranberries I bought? Well here comes recipe number two! And it's a good'un... You know apple fritters? You like apple fritters? Well, meet their delicious holiday cousin, CRANBERRY FRITTERS (aka cranberry doughnuts). They are quick, festive, AMAZINGLY SCRUMPTIOUS and sorry to say, not the least bit healthy (actually I'm not sorry to say it, everything in moderation, right?)

Cranberry Fritters/Doughnuts

from Taste of Home

Ingredients

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

Oil for frying

Additional sugar

Directions

In a bowl, beat egg; add sugar and butter.

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; add to sugar mixture alternately with milk.

Fold in cranberries. Heat oil in an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer to 375° (I don't have either of these so I just used a good ol non stick pan! Just make sure your oil is at 375).

Drop tablespoonfuls of batter into oil. Fry doughnuts a few at a time, turning with a slotted spoon until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels; roll in sugar while still warm. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

Hope your week is amazing!

Inside-out Peanut Butter Cups

Reeses peanut butter cups are some of my favorite candys. Peanut butter is one of the greatest pleasures in life, in my humble opionion. So when I saw this post from cakespy on Serious Eats, I knew I had to try it! Inside out peanut butter cups?! I'm in!

The outer cookie cooked up nice and peanutbuttery, and the inner feeling was kind of reminiscent of peanut butter fudge or pudding. All together the combo was great. I think I would need to come up with a way to get a creamier outer peanut butter shell to truly be able to see these are inside out peanut butter cups. But these turned out more of like a cookie with a creamy chocolate filling. Which is pretty darn good too! Enjoy!

Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups

Thanks to Cakespy!

For the cups:

4 tablespoons butter (softened)

6 tablespoons brown sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup flour

Filling

2 tablespoons milk (I used heavy whipping cream)

1 tablespoon butter (softened)

1 tablespoon peanut butter

2 1/2 teaspoons baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Line 24 mini muffin tins with liners. Set aside.

Cream together butter, sugar, peanut butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Gradually add the flour in (I did a fourth cup at a time), mixing to incorporate. Mixture is very crumbly. Take about 2/3 of the mixture and press into 12 of the muffin cups, being sure to cover the bottom and sides. This took me longer than I thought it would but I persevered ☺

Take the remaining mixture and press it into the bottom of the rest of the muffin liners (you will later crumble this for topping). Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven. Mine were too puffy at first and didn't look "cup-like" enough so I let them cool for a minute or two and then pressed in the middle, molding them into more of a cup shape. Let cool.

While shells are cooling, mix up the filling ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds or until melted together.

Stir to incorporate all ingredients.

Spoon this mixture into your peanut butter cups.

Take remaining peanut butter dough (remember, the stuff you cooked to be the topping) and crumble it over the top of each cup, completely covering the filling. I recommend setting the cups in a muffin tin to catch runaway cookie crumbles.

You could also, as Cakespy suggests keep the little cookies whole and use them to top it off, but crumbling worked better for me!

Please excuse the poor lighting and focus on the yumminess...

Happy New Year!