a little of each

A family's cookbook

Spiced Oatmeal Cookies November 7, 2013

Filed under: Desserts — alittlemoreofeach @ 12:46 pm
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Aunt Doris says these cookies are just the thing to bring some cheer and sunshine to a grey day.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup butter softened
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
a few gratings of fresh nutmeg or 1/4 tsp
3 cups quick oats
3/4 cup currants
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

Mix flour and spices. Set aside.

Cream sugars and butter together until well mixed. Add eggs one at a time. Add flour mix in two batches, mixing well. Stir in oats. Add the currants and nuts which are optional. The original recipe called for raisins. However, I think the tiny currants are sweeter.

This may seem like a lot of spice but it is a nice blend and not too strong for the little ones. The original recipe called for twice as much spice but this is the recipe I made today and trust me, the cookies are delicious.

The other important thing is to bake them at exactly 11 minutes at 375 degrees. They will look golden around the edges and sort of raw in the middle but that is okay. Let them sit on the baking pan about two minutes before moving them to a rack. I always use parchment paper to line the baking pans, and in this case it makes for very easy removal.

Drop about a tablespoon of batter for each cookie. They don’t spread out a lot. Yield is about 5 dozen.

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Oatmeal Twist Bread March 29, 2013

Filed under: Breads — alittlemoreofeach @ 10:48 am
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The following recipe comes from a Mary Margaret McBride cookbook series of 12 volumes published in the late 1950s. It was sold in the supermarket, one volume each week. It is a favorite in Doris’s family, and if you like yeast breads, you’ll love this. It also makes great toast. Makes 3 loaves.

 

Ingredients and Directions 

Pour ½ cup lukewarm water over 2 packages quick granular yeast to soften.

 

Pour 3 cups scalded milk (low fat or non-fat works just as well) over:

1 ½ cups regular uncooked oats

½ cup sugar

1 Tbl salt

1 ½ cups dried currants (not raisins)

Cool to lukewarm.

 

Beat in 3 to 3 ½ cups sifted enriched flour (Doris likes King Arthur’s flour). Beat in softened yeast and beaten eggs. Add enough flour to make a stiff dough. (Of course, this is even easier if you have a bread hook for your stand mixer.)  Turn out on a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed until no longer sticky. Round the dough into a ball, place in greased bowl, cover and let rise until double in bulk, about 2 hrs. Punch down, turn over, cover and let rise again until double in bulk, about one hour. (Doris finds if she puts the bowl in the oven and fills a 9 x 13 baking dish with boiling water on the rack below it, the bread rises quickly.)  Punch down, divide dough into 3 parts; round each part into a ball, cover and let rest 10 minutes.

 

Flatten each dough ball into a long rectangle with rolling pin to break bubbles. Combine ½ cup sugar with 3 Tbl cinnamon and sprinkle this mixture evenly over each dough. Roll up each dough crosswise to form the loaf. Seal edges. Place seam side down in greased bread pans. Brush lightly with melted fat, cover and let rise until double in bulk, about 1 ½ hours.

 

Bake in a moderate oven (375 degrees) 40 to 50 minutes until bread is brown and begins to leave sides of pan.

 

Oatmeal Souffle January 9, 2013

Filed under: Breakfast — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:42 pm
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We served this at Girlie Weekend 2002. You can omit the raisins or add dried cranberries or blueberries instead. Yum!

1 cup milk
2 Tbl butter
¾ cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup low-fat cream cheese
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts
3 egg whites

Coat sides and bottom of 1½ quart soufflé dish with butter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Combine milk and butter in saucepan. Heat just until mixture comes to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add oats gradually, stirring constantly. Cook until thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt to oat mixture, and mix until blended. Add egg yolks gradually, beating constantly until mixed. Stir in raisins and walnuts. Beat egg whites in a mixer bowl until stiff but moist peaks form. Fold into oats mixture. Spoon into prepared dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Serve immediately with cream or heated milk. Do not discard the leftovers. This soufflé is just as tasty when cold and fallen.

 

Baked Oatmeal

Filed under: Breakfast — alittlemoreofeach @ 3:41 pm
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2 cups uncooked quick-cooking oats
½ cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins
1 Tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 tsp baking powder
1 ½ cups fat-free milk
½ cup applesauce
2 Tbl butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Combine milk, applesauce, butter and egg. Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well. Pour oat mixture into 8 x 8 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 5.