Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies

This is the recipe that was on the lid of the Quaker Oats box for a long time. But I haven't seen it lately, so here's the recipe that's probably on their on-line site.

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 TBS of unsalted butter, softened 

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups Quaker Oats, quick or old fashioned, uncooked

1 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350F

2. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy.

3. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.

4. Add combined flour, soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix well.

5. Stir in oats and raisins and mix well.

6. Drop by rounded tablespoons, (or use mall icecream scoop) onto ungreased cookie sheet. 

7. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. 

8. Cool 1 minutes on cookie sheet and remove to wire rack. 

About 4 dozen. 

It's good to do a couple of 'test' cookies. If they spread too much - add more flour and test again. 

If they stay round and are dry, you can add a bit more softened butter or egg white.

Optional:  Add 1/2 cup of chopped semi sweet chocolate and use only 1/2 cup raisins. 

Nonni's Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (room temp.)

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs  well beaten (room temp.)

2 cups cake flour (sifted)

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup milk (room temp.)

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add beaten egg.  Add dry ingredients alternately with milk.  Add vanilla.  Grease and flour 2 (9 inch) round cake pans, or line with paper.  Bake in a 350F oven (325F if your oven cooks hot) for 20-25 minutes or until knife comes out clean.   Cool and ice with your favourite icing recipe.  

Pumpkin Loaf

Ingredients: 

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar 

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350F / 175C. Grease one 9x5x3 loaf pan. 

Put softened cream cheese, butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Cream together well. Beat in eggs one at a time until blended. Mix in pumpkin. 

In another bowl combine flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nuts. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour all at once over the batter. Stir just enough to moisten. Turn into the pan. 

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

Cool 10 minutes in the pan. Remove to rack to finish cooling. Dust with icing sugar.

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Makes 10-12

Ingredients

• 6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (reduce by 1/4 if desired)
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk or yogurt
• 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh/frozen cranberries, or dried if fresh is not available
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• Cooking spray

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through cloves); stir well with a whisk. Combine granulated sugar and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl; beat with a whisk till smooth. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; mix well just until combined. Fold in cranberries and nuts. 

3. Place 12 muffin cup liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack. 

Note: You can use two teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice instead of the 3 spices listed. (Cinnamon, ginger, cloves).

To make buttermilk add 1/2 Tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1/2 cup of milk. 

Pistachio & Cranberry Cookies

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients: 

1 ½ c flour

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

1 ½ sticks (3/4 C) unsalted butter – softened

¼ c and 2 tbs of sugar

½ tsp grated orange zest

½ cup shelled pistachios (unsalted)

1/3 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries

1 large egg- beaten

¼ cup coarse sugar (demerara sugar)

Directions: 

Mix flour, cinnamon and salt.  Beat together, the butter, sugar, zest in a large bowl –about 3 minutes with a mixer.  Reduce speed to low, add the flour in 3 batches.  Mix in the nuts and cranberries and divide into 2 pieces.  Roll into 1 ½ “ diameter logs.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Brush with egg and roll in course sugar.

Slice into ¼ “ cookies.

Bake in upper & lower 3^rd of oven at 350F on parchment paper.

Bake 15-18 minutes.  Let cool slightly on sheets and then transfer to rack to cool.

Cranberry Apple Crumble

Cranberry season in Muskoka is a great time to pick up bags of these little tart berries. They freeze well (8-12 months), and can be added to muffins and salad recipes.

Serves 6-8 

Ingredients: 

1 -12 oz package of fresh cranberries

2 granny smith apples – chopped 

2 tbs orange juice

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup flour

½ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

Topping

½ cup unsalted butter, chilled and diced (1 stick)

¾ cup of brown sugar/white sugar combined

Pinch of salt

½ cup of large flake oatmeal 

¾ cup flour

Mix the cranberry/apple filling together in a bowl.  Put into a 9” pie plate or 9x9 pan. 

Mix the topping ingredients and spread over the cranberry filling. 

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown. 

Serve warm with vanilla icecream – or on it’s own. 

Turkey Chili

Serves 8 

You can make ½ of this recipe. 

Ingredients:

2 TBS vegetable oil

2 lbs of ground turkey  (or 1 ½ lbs of ground turkey and ½ lb of Spanish chorizo sausage cooked).

1 large red bell pepper, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

1 large yellow onion diced

2 15-16 oz cans OR 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes

2 15-16 oz cans dark red kidney beans

2 12 oz jars of chili sauce

2 cups of water

2 TBS of chili powder

1 tsp tabasco

1 TBS worcestershire sauce

½ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

1 TBS salt

Directions:

Heat the pot on medium and add the oil.  Saute the onion and peppers for 5 minutes.  Add the turkey and cook until no longer pink.  Add the spices and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  If you’re using the sausage, add it now.  Reduce to a simmer and cook over low to medium heat for 30-45 minutes.  Serve topped with a little sourcream, cheddar cheese and tortilla chip.

This recipe is from Chef Wilhelm in Naples, FL.