AMAZING OATMEAL & APPLE SAUCE CAKE

 I picked a lot of apples in the fall thinking I could store them in the cold cellar for enjoying all winter. I discovered that I don't actually eat that many fresh apples, so I've had to get creative and cook and bake with apples. This cake is my latest experiment. It's so good, I've made 3 so far!! 

OATMEAL & APPLE SAUCE CAKE

1 1/4 cups organic apple sauce

1 cup organic rolled oats

1/2 cup organic unsalted butter, softened

1 cup organic coconut sugar

1 tsp real vanilla

2 organic eggs

1 cup organic unbleached flour

1/2 cup organic whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp organic cinnamon

1/2 tsp organic nutmeg

1/4 tsp sea salt

TOPPING:

3/4 cup organic unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup organic coconut sugar

1/2 cup chopped organic walnuts

1/4 cup unsalted organic butter

3 Tbsp milk of choice

Method: Preheat oven to 350*. Heat applesauce. Remove from heat and stir in oats. Let stand 20 minutes. Grease and line a large loaf pan with parchment. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to mix in two portions. Stir in oat mixture. Bake 40-50 minutes.

Combine all the topping ingredients. Spread over warm cake and broil for 1-2 minutes. Let cool in pan, then remove and enjoy!

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OATMEAL BREAD

Today was a perfect bread baking day.  An overcast January morning, lots of rain, and a big baby belly that just wants to cozy up by the fire and knit.  Although I've been subsisting on lots of delicious homemade sourdough bread the past few months, I often make the rest of the family a few loaves of delicious yeast breads to have on hand in the freezer.  Every now and then I like to make this rich Oatmeal Bread instead of our regular whole wheat loaf.  The gooey molasses adds a deep dark hue to this oatmeal studded bread.  Kind of chewy, and deeply delicious.  The perfect snack on a winter day, smothered in salty butter.  The best part of winter bread baking is setting the bread to rise by the fire while I rock my self into knitting heaven....

OATMEAL BREAD

2 cups organic large flake oatmeal

2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup organic molasses

(1/2 cup coconut sugar - optional - this will make a sweet loaf)

1 Tbsp sea salt

1/2 cup organic butter

1/2 cup lukewarm water

4 tsp instant yeast

5-6 cups organic flour (I used mostly whole wheat with some unbleached white)

Method:  Pour the boiling water over the oats, stir, and then add the molasses (sugar), sea salt, and butter.  Let cool to lukewarm.  Meanwhile, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour, a few cups at a time, and then scrape the dough onto a well floured surface, sprinkle it with flour and knead it. Gather the dough together in your hands and push it away from you with your palms. Fold it in half towards you, then turn and turn and repeat pushing, folding, and turning, sprinkling flour on the dough to keep it from sticking, this may take up to a cupful more. Keep kneading for several minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

After kneading, put the dough in a large oiled bowl, and flip to coat both sides with oil. Cover the bowl with a pot lid, and place in a warm place (near a woodstove or in a gas oven that has a pilot light).  Let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled. Punch the dough down to remove air bubbles, then divide into 2 parts. Shape each into a loaf and place into a greased loaf pan. Cover each loaf with a large upturned mixing bowl and return to a warm place again to rise the second time. The loaves should double, about 1 hour. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. When bread is golden brown on top and bottom and bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, it is done.

MAPLE OATMEAL SCONES

     I had a request from my husband Scott to make some more oatmeal scones.  Is it because they are so amazingly delicious, or just so handy to grab on the way out the door when he leaves so early in the morning?  Both.  We've been enjoying these scones for many years now.  What I love about them is that they're just like eating a nice bowl of oatmeal smothered in real maple syrup.  They freeze really well, sometimes I eat them frozen when I am too impatient to pop them in the toaster oven.  Last week before I started my modified cleanse I ate two in a row, warmed up and smothered with honey.......

     My father in law likes to pick wild cranberries each fall.  One day I am going to go out with him, but until then I just enjoy the bounty he provides.  To switch things up a bit, I decided to add some to the mix, along with some ground almonds and almond extract....delicious!  Feel free to experiment with other additions like blueberries, walnuts, hemp nuts, raisins, currants, cinnamon........

MAPLE OATMEAL SCONES

2 cups organic whole wheat or spelt flour (please note spelt makes a crumblier scone)

1 1/2 cups organic quick oats

1 1/2 tsp aluminum and GMO free baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup organic unsalted butter

1/2 cup organic whole milk

1/2 cup pure maple syrup or brown rice syrup or honey

1 organic free range egg

(optional - nuts, dried or fresh fruit, spices)

Method:  Preheat oven to 375*.  Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl until combined.  Cut in butter and mix with a fork or your fingers until butter is mixed in with the flour and marble sized.

     Combine milk, maple syrup, and egg.  Add to the dry ingredients and mix until dough comes together.  

     Flour your work surface liberally and pat dough out about 2 inches thick in a log shape.  Use more flour if necessary to dust the surface.  Using a knife or pastry scraper, cut the log into triangles.

     Place on a greased cookie sheet in a 375* oven and bake until light brown, about 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.

Oatmeal Blueberry Pancakes

These pancakes get made very often in our house.  Whole grain goodness, made even better with the addition of blueberries.  Great topped with maple syrup, fruit jam or applesauce. Sometimes I even add a wee bit of spirulina to the batter too.

OATMEAL BLUEBERRY PANCAKES

1 cup organic oats

1 1/4 cup organic whole milk (you can also use rice/soy milk)

1/2 cup organic whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of sea salt

1 organic egg

2 tsp organic vegetable oil

1 Tbsp milled organic flax seed

1/2 cup organic fresh or frozen blueberries

1 Tbsp maple syrup

organic butter

Method: Combine the oats and milk in a mixing bowl and allow to stand and soak for 10 minutes.  Whisk in the egg, oil and maple syrup.  Sift in the flour, baking powder and sea salt. Stir in the flax seed and blueberries.

     Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add a dab of butter to pan, swirl it around and then pour in about 1/4-1/2 cup batter, shake pan to distribute the batter and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the edges begin to dry out a bit and little bubbles start to form on the surface.  Flip and cook the other side 1-2 minutes.  Serve hot!