No-bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

 

No-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies. Sounds unassuming, right? Maybe even sounds a touch healthy. But these little gems just melt in your mouth and taste absolutely amazing. I'm not even sure where I got the recipe. Many moons ago, I got a similar recipe from my high school English teacher who had made something she called boiled cookies. It is a very similar recipe, but just slightly different. Here's the card I filled out at least 30 years ago... and this one has definitely survived the test of time. If you've never tried them, you'll want to hurry to the store for the ingredients, because they are so worth it!

2 cups sugar (400 grams)
1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa
4 ounces evaporated milk (1/2 cup)
4 ounces unsalted butter (1/2 cup or 1 stick)
1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (180 grams)

3 cups oatmeal

I rarely ever make a single batch of these cookies, so you will see that my measurements look rather large. I made a quadruple batch in these photos.

In a pot large enough for your ingredients, combine the sugar, cocoa, butter, and evaporated milk and turn heat to medium-high. 

While that begins to heat up, measure out the vanilla, peanut butter, and oats to ensure a smooth and swift mixing process. You will also want to lay out parchment paper on several baking sheets or your counter. I normally just use the kitchen counter.

Bring the cocoa mixture to a roiling boil, stirring frequently. Not a light bubbling boil, but you want the mixture twisting and turning and bubbling everywhere. 

Add the vanilla and peanut butter and stir until smooth and creamy and you no longer see ribbons of peanut butter.

Stir in the oats and ensure they are disbursed throughout the mixture evenly.

Use a cookie scoop to make your cookies consistent and evenly sized. The scoop also makes it easier to get through the mixture before it cools and hardens. And you will want to move quickly. Once the mixture cools, you're just going to get crumbs - not cookies.

Let the cookies cool at least 30 minutes before trying to move them. Once you're able to pick them up, store the cookies, minus what you eat while packing them, in a sealed container. These will last for a couple of weeks if stored properly.

Pineapple Donuts with Coconut Glaze

I wanted to call this donut a Pina Colada because it's full of pineapple and coconut deliciousness, but since there isn't any alcohol, I decided to wait until I can experiment with making them with Rum to call them Pina Colada donuts. Until then these are a very acceptable substitutes. The pineapple donut is tender and flavorful, and the coconut glaze made with coconut milk is light but packs a gentle punch. Topped with toasted sweetened coconut and you have a wonderful bite.

2 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
2 egg
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 cups pineapple juice (reduced to 1/2 - 2/3 cup)

2 cups sweetened coconut

If you'd like to make this an adult version, add 2 Tbsp on pineapple rum to the batter. I tested this once and it was delicious!

Toast about 2 cups of sweetened coconut in a large skillet over medium heat. At the same time start reducing Pineapple juice over med-high heat until you have 2/3-1/2 cup remaining. Once done, set aside to let it cool.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. 

In a small bowl, whisk together milk, egg, melted butter, and reduced pineapple juice. This keeps you from having to overmix your batter, which is horrible for donuts.

Add to the dry ingredients and stir lightly just until moistened.

Pour batter into a freezer ziplock bag. 

Snip the corner and squeeze the batter into well greased donut pans. 

Bake at 425° for 8-9 minutes or till lightly browned. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely. While they cool, mix up the glaze.

3 Tbsp cream cheese

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 oz of coconut milk

2 cups powdered sugar

Combine ingredients until smooth. Warm frosting in the microwave in 15 second intervals until frosting just warms to a nice dipping consistency.

Carefully dip each donut halfway into the glaze, then set aside and allow glaze to drip off and firm up.

Every several donuts, while the glaze is still wet, top with toasted coconut.

Allow the glaze to set before trying to stack these. Share and enjoy their deliciousness!

Pumpkin Pecan Rolls

Cinnamon rolls are a decadent treat that bring back fond memories. Delicious dough smothered in cinnamon and cream cheese frosting... the thought of it makes my mouth water! What can be better than that? Well, I've got just the thing for you... Before I tell you about it, I have a funny story to share.

Several year ago I found a recipe for Pull Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread. It was an enriched pumpkin dough that was covered in cinnamon sugar and sliced and stacked in a loaf pan for baking. I've made it a few times, and it's always quite tasty. Late last year, I suddenly realized that it actually was just a pumpkin cinnamon roll! So, I made that recipe again, but after I rolled it out, I rolled it into a log and sliced it for rolls. I put the same glaze on that I used with the Pull Apart Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Bread. It was good, but I thought it could be better.

The second attempt, I added more spices, switched from white sugar to brown sugar, replaced the sugar in the dough with maple syrup, changed the frosting to a maple cinnamon cream cheese, and filled the inside and the top with toasted pecans. These are so very rich and decadent. If you like all things fall, such as maple, pumpkin, pecans, and fall spices, you're going to want to try these. If you do, please tell me how you like them!

Bread ingredients

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream (room temperature; I microwaved mine for 20 seconds to warm it up)
2 1/4 tsp (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour

Inside sugar and spice mixture

2 cups brown sugar
4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups chopped pecans, toasted (reserve 1/2 cup for topping)



In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn (turn black).



Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the milk, return to the stove and heat through.



Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool so it is no longer hot but also not cool (about 100-110 degrees F). Once it has reached a warm but not hot temperature add the yeast and 1/4 cup maple syrup and allow to proof (this can take up to 8 minutes, the top will look foamy and the liquid cloudy).



Then add the the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour.

Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel.



Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.

While the dough is proofing, mix up 2 cups of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and the allspice until combined.

Also toast the 2 cups of chopped pecans over medium heat. I use a skillet on the stove and stir them frequently until they are fragrant. In another bowl, melt 1/2 cup unsalted butter.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with your hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20×12 inch rectangle.



Brush dough with melted butter.

Spread the brown sugar and spice mixture thickly and evenly across the dough leaving about a 1/2 inch border.

Spread about 1 1/2 cup of the toasted pecans evenly across the sugar. Reserve about 1/2 cup for topping the rolls.

Carefully begin rolling the dough trying to keep as much of the cinnamon sugar mixture and pecans inside. Use a little of the butter to seal the edge, rolling the edge to the bottom for cutting.



Trim off the ragged edges, then as close as possible, cut the roll into 12 even pieces. place in a 9x13 pan lined with parchment paper.

Allow to proof for 30-45 minutes until the dough is soft and puffy and nearly twice the size.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is a deep golden brown.

Icing

8 oz unsalted butter

8 oz cream cheese

2 lbs powdered sugar

2-4 Tbsps maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8-1/4 tsp salt

***1/2 tsp maple extract (if you want a stronger maple flavor without thinning it too much)

In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth and combined. Start adding the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. After about half the powdered sugar, add the cinnamon and salt. Once you've gotten most of the powdered sugar added, begin adding the maple syrup and alternate with the remaining powdered sugar until you've reached a firm but spreadable consistency.

Slather the rolls with icing and top with extra toasted pecans. Enjoy! Store leftovers in the refrigerator. When ready to eat, warm in the microwave in 15 second intervals until warm and the icing is melted.

Cinnamon Cardamom Cupcakes with Pineapple Curd and Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I have recently discovered that the base recipe I used for this cake is so very versatile! Want coconut cake, use coconut milk instead of cream and coconut extract instead of vanilla. Want strawberry cake, use 1/2 cup pureed strawberries for part of the cream. It's lovely. I'm constantly thinking of how else I can play with this recipe to come up with something new. 

This version was created specifically to accentuate the Pineapple Curd I've been raving about lately. Have you ever tried it? No? Well, you should. It is rich and decadent and flavorful and... amazing. My mouth waters just thinking about it. I searched the wonderful web to determine flavors that work well with pineapple, and when I saw cinnamon and cardamom in one list, I remembered my Cardamom Cinnamon Cookies and thought this would be a delicious combination. I was right! It's not an overly sweet cake by itself, but paired with the curd and a lucious cinnamon cream cheese frosting, these become decadent. 

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature 

6 large egg whites (3/4 cup), at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt 

4 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cardamom
12 Tbsps unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool 

Pineapple Curd (cooled and set)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl or stand mixer combine the dry ingredients: cake flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cardamom.

On low speed, mix the dry ingredients until they are fully incorporated.

While that is incorporating, prepare the wet ingredients. I use a 2-cup measuring cup, but use what you feel comfortable with. Measure out the cream then using a fork mix in the egg whites. Add the vanilla and stir once more.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients in small pats.

Using the paddle attachment on low speed, combine until the mixture resembles small moist crumbs with no powdery streaks remaining.

Slowly drizzle in all but 1/2 cup of milk/egg mixture to crumbs with the mixer on low speed. Once added, raise speed to and medium (or high speed if using handheld mixer) for 1 1/2 minutes.

Add remaining 1/2 cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer. 

Portion cupcakes into muffin tins using an ice cream scoop. Bake 12-18 minutes until set (a toothpick inserted comes out clean).

Remove cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn out of the pan, and allow to finish cooling. Once cooled, use a cupcake corer to create a well for the pineapple curd. Using a regular-sized teaspoon, spoon the curd into the cupcakes using the back of the spoon to smooth the top.

8 oz cream cheese, softened

8 oz unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks or 1 cup)

4 cups powdered sugar

1-2 tsp vanilla

1/2-1 tsp cinnamon (to taste)

A couple tablespoons of heavy cream to thin frosting if needed

Once you've finished filling the cupcakes with curd, prepare the frosting. Use the paddle attachment to cream the butter and cream cheese together. Add powdered sugar until combined. Add vanilla and cinnamon. If you need a little cream to thin it, add it at this point, but go slowly - you don't want to make it runny.

Frost the cupcakes, and enjoy!!!