I first started making this baked oatmeal after I had my daughter because I was breastfeeding. I learned that certain foods would help promote the production of breast milk and oats was on that list. I didn’t want to submit myself to having instant oatmeal and I didn’t really have time to make (let alone eat) instant oatmeal.  I would make this once a week and typically would be rushing out the door and would be eating this in the car (of course minus the berries).

I pulled this recipe out of archive recently because we all want to be healthier and also because my beautiful cousin just recently had a baby.  If there is a way that food can work its magic in health (i.e. lower cholesterol,  boost breast milk production, etc), I am there!

Michigan Ingredients: Oats, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Homemade Applesauce

Mix your flour, dark brown sugar, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg

I know you are probably wondering… why dark brown sugar. It’s one of those things that just makes this taste better. It takes good with light brown sugar, don’t get me wrong. BUT! It takes more homelike. More… just trust me and get a package of dark brown sugar

Combine your eggs, milk,  applesauce, vanilla. Now the original recipe calls for a lot of butter. I cut that in half and replaced the other half with the applesauce. There is a slight apple taste, but not enough to overpower it; which means that you can top it with anything.

Seriously… this is the most amazing applesauce. It was difficult not eating the whole jar.

Pour half a stick of melted butter (1/4 cup) over the oats. Like I said earlier, I made this recipe probably over a thousand times as I breastfed my daughter for two years. I learned very early to pour the butter in the “dry” mixture. By doing this, you take the risk of scrambling the eggs out of the equation. I did that twice and would get frustrated and figured this was the next best step. I know some might say… temper this and temper that… but when you can take the shortcut and it still tastes amazing, do it.

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and…

Combine! Now it may look a little runny, but think about when you make instant oatmeal. It seems like there is too much liquid and poof! After being in the microwave for a couple of minutes, the oats soak up the liquid and is delicious. This is the same thing. Those beautiful oats will soak up the liquid.

Pour the mixture into your favorite  9×13 glass pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until done. For me it is always 25 minutes, but I still check it at 20 just in case my oven decides to be crazy. You will know it is done when it doesn’t jiggle (technical term). Top with whatever fruit you have or yogurt.

Baked Oatmeal

 

Author:

Michigan from Scratch

Recipe type: Breakfast

Serves: 8

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 35 mins

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Baked Oatmeal is a hearty breakfast favorite that you will want to have year round.

Ingredients

• 3 cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 cup Brown Sugar (dark or light)
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
• 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup Milk
• ¼ cup Butter (melted0
• ¼ cup Applesauce
• 2 large egg
• Couple of splashes of vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Combine your oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Combine milk, eggs, apples sauce, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
3. After you have melted your butter, pour the butter into the dry mixture. This will help prevent the dread scrambling of the eggs due to the butter being warm.
4. Add the milk and egg mixture and combine.
5. Pour the mixture into a 9x11 glass baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. You do not want to forget that.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until it reaches the firmness that you desire.
7. Top with fruits, yogurt, etc.

Notes

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

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It’s that time of year where the back to school supplies are hitting the shelves and everyone is starting to talk about donation drop of locations, if one’s school is switching to the “balanced calendar” etc.  To me… this only means one thing… the sooner we are to cooler weather, fall decorations, Halloween, and comfort food (ok, I guess a few things).

Over the last couple of months, I have learned that I am a comfort cook. I love to make casseroles, slow cooker meals, soups, etc. In the spring and summer months, we survive on grilled chicken/pork, rice and veggies. Nothing really too fancy… BUT bear with me and I will have a more diverse set of recipes come this next spring and summer.

ANY WHO….. yes back to school. I will always remember that sometimes my mom would have milk and cookies for us kids after school for when we were doing our homework.  This would be a great recipe for that first day of school for either lunches or as a way to coax information out of your child about their first day (ha!)

Michigan Ingredients: Peanut Butter, Butter, Farm Fresh Egg(s), Sugar, Brown Sugar

Seriously working it with the Meijer items eh? What can I say, I love that store.  Then of course the farm fresh eggs as you can recall from my little rant in my last post.

Combine your dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl (flour, oats, baking soda, and baking powder)

Cream your butter (which is softened) and peanut butter. I know that a lot of peanut butter cookie recipes do not include butter, but these are gourmet cookies and hey, why not?

Add your sugars….

Add one whole egg and one egg white, vanilla… and a splash of milk. The splash is maybe 1/2 a tablespoon. Not too much.

Try not to consume this.  I know it will be hard to do as *I* had a difficult time.

Add your dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Imagine a picture of me doing that here :).

This recipe is what got me my KitchenAid (Professional KitchenAid).  My husband loves this recipe and would see me struggle when I would add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. If you are using a hand mixture, it will come together; it just might fight you a bit…. totally worth the battle. If you have a KitchenAid, it will seem a little more violent rough than most cookies, but it won’t break it. PROMISE!

Another piece to the Gourmet puzzle…. One cup of peanut butter chips. I know that when I was testing this recipe out a few years ago, I started out with adding more peanut butter but decided that if I added more  I would have to had more dry and yada yada yada… so the thought of adding the peanut butter chips came to mind. It was the missing piece.

Add your peanut butter chips and mix until just combine.

Grab some dough and start rolling. You want to make them about the size of walnuts. You don’t have to measure (weigh), you can just eyeball them.  Roll them in sugar (you will not need that much sugar – I always have sugar left over which sadly gets thrown away). This is the point where I would turn my oven on to preheat to 350 degrees.

The secret to making these cookies look fancy: a potato masher. I always have had a hard time using the fork method; I don’t know why. BUT… my husband had this amazing idea to use the potato masher and see if that would work. This does wonders and the “indents” actually stay; whereas when I would use the fork method, the indents would bake out and not look fancy. Press the masher length and width wise.

Look at these beauties. When you make the indents, the cookie might separate (meaning the edges might crack and not have the perfect shape), so be sure to try and press the cookie back together to make it “shapely.”

Bake for 11-13 minutes. This recipe makes about 30-33 cookies. I know that these are not like my typical mega large cookies. It shocks me too; however, it is one of those recipes where you have to think about when you put the cookies on the pan and you have to press them down (flatten but not flatten). I would recommend eating at least 5 2 cookies. Enjoy!

Gourmet Peanut Butter Cookies

 

Author:

Michigan from Scratch

Recipe type: Cookies

Serves: 30 cookies

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 13 mins

Total time: 28 mins

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A gourmet cookie that is perfect for after school or impressing your friends

Ingredients

• 2 cups Flour
• 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ stick of Butter, softened
• 1⅔ cups of Peanut Butter
• ½ cup White Sugar
• ¾ cup Brown Sugar
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 Egg White
• 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla
• Splash of milk (roughly ½ tablespoon)
• 1 cup Peanut Butter Chips
• Additional white sugar for rolling

Instructions

1. Combine your flour, old fashioned oats, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.
2. Cream together your softened butter and peanut butter until creamy. Add your white and brown sugars and cream again.
3. Add your egg, egg white, vanilla, and splash of milk. Mix until well combined.
4. Add your dry ingredients to your creamed mixture until well combined.
5. Add your peanut butter chips and mix until just combined (don't over-mix).
6. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
7. Place some white sugar in a bowl, no more than a cup and measure the dough into walnut-sized balls. Roll the cookie balls into the sugar and place one a cookie sheet.
8. Use a potato masher and press the indents in the cookie to make it look fancy and press any cracks in the edges together.
9. Bake your cookies in your preheated oven (350) for 11-13 minutes.

3.5.3208

When I first starting drinking wine, my husband and I had some sangria and cheese; you know the typical “wine and cheese” dinner. Once we did that, I was hooked; I was in love with wine.

Then I started with the Michigan wines and never turned back. I became the quintessential “snob” of only drinking Michigan wine.

Have you ever thought about what brownies and no bake cookies would taste like if they were combined/had a baby? WELLLLL….. This is the recipe to try. I wouldn’t recommend sharing these beauties with children as the frosting has wine it is as well, and the frosting is not cooked…. so….. yeah…

This is the perfect recipe to have when you want to have something that is chocolatey and fudgey to go with wine for your girls night.

Michigan Ingredient:  Sugar and Wine

I think I prefer baking with wine because it is  a no brainer and you can believe that the “alcohol” bakes/cooks out of the baked good. I believe that I read somewhere that that is not completely true; now I must research and include said research in the next recipe involving wine (because I mean come on, cooking with wine is great and classy).

Combine 2 cups of old fashioned oats, 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.  Stir to combine and set aside.

Combine 2 cups of sugar, 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of wine, 1/4 cup of cocoa, and 2 tablespoons of milk. Bring to a rapid boil (just like you would for No Bakes). Boil for a minute and remove from the heat.  Pour over your dry ingredients and stir.

This is when you realize that you probably should use a spoon because the whisk is just not cutting it.  But please make sure you use a heavy duty plastic or metal spoon because……

I broke my favorite wooden spoon. Granted I have had it for years and it was probably considered “brittle,” but seriously…. my favorite wooden spoon to use for baking is now gone.

Add your 2 cups of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of milk. This is really thick, but trust me, it will not set up as no bakes and will not bake as cookies (believe me, I tried lol).

If you want to give a taste, by all means, please do. There is no egg, so you do not have to worry about getting “worms.”

Pour the batter into an 8×8 or 9×9 greased pan.  Bake at 350 for 32-40 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.  After your have pulled the brownies out, patiently wait for them to cool. It took a bit for mine to cool, and I was chasing light, so please don’t mind the pictures.

Once your brownies have cooled, place your powdered sugar, cocoa, softened butter, wine, and milk in a bowl. Use your hand mixer because this is not a lot of frosting and beat until well combined. If you want to add more wine or milk because you want it to be thinner, OR if you want to add more powdered sugar to make it thicker,  by all means do so. It’s like a combination of a frosting and glaze.

Spread/pour over your brownies and spread evenly. Place the brownies in the fridge for at least 30 minutes for the frosting to “crisp” up.

Now I know that it seems like this takes for.ever. But when you make brownies (from scratch) there are these same type of steps (bringing a chocolate, butter, sugar mixture to a boil, etc.)… and the waiting for the cooling is what makes it seem like it takes forever. But you do not want to put frosting on any baked good that is warm. It’s almost like part of the commandments of baking.

Enjoy these bad boys with a nice glass of Cherry Riesling wine that has been chilled (or in my case, use Michigan shaped ice cubes… I know…) with your girlfriends or alone while watching your favorite guilty pleasure show after the kids have gone to bed.

Wine Brownies

 

Author:

Michigan from Scratch

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 9

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 1 hour

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Enjoy these bad boys with a nice glass of Cherry Riesling wine that has been chilled (or in my case, use Michigan shaped ice cubes... I know...) with your girlfriends or alone while watching your favorite guilty pleasure show after the kids have gone to bed.

Ingredients

Brownies

• 2 cups of Sugar
• 1 Stick of Unsalted Butter
• ½ cup of Wine
• ¼ cup of Cocoa
• 2 tablespoons of Milk
• 2 cups of Old Fashioned Oats
• 1½ cups of Flour
• 1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
• ½ cup of Milk
• 2 cups of Chocolate Chips

Frosting

• 1½ Powder Sugar
• 3 tablespoons of Cocoa
• 2 tablespoons of Wine
• 2 tablespoons of Milk
• 4 tablespoons of Unsalted Butter (softened)

Instructions

1. Combine 2 cups of old fashioned oats, 1½ cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Stir to combine and set aside.
2. Combine 2 cups of sugar, 1 stick of butter, ½ cup of wine, ¼ cup of cocoa, and 2 tablespoons of milk. Bring to a rapid boil (just like you would for No Bakes). Boil for a minute and remove from the heat. Pour over your dry ingredients and stir (use a strong spoon).
3. Add your 2 cups of chocolate chips and ¼ cup of milk. Mixture will be thick.
4. Pour the batter into an 8x8 or 9x9 greased pan. Bake at 350 for 32-40 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
5. Patiently wait for the brownies to cool.

Frosting

1. Place your powdered sugar, cocoa, softened butter, wine, and milk in a bowl. Use your hand mixer because this is not a lot of frosting and beat until well combined.
2. Spread/pour over your cooled brownies and spread evenly.
3. Place the brownies in the fridge for at least thirty minutes for the frosting to "crisp" up. Cut into the desired size you would like and enjoy with more wine.

Notes

If you want to add more wine or milk because you want the frosting to be thinner, OR if you want to add more powdered sugar to make it thicker, by all means do so.

AND please note that the prep time does not include cooling time.

3.5.3208

Now that’s it’s starting to get hot out and you still want to indulge in something sweet and handheld, by all means make No Bakes! This is a cookie that people typically make during the holidays; but in my family, we make it all year round.  One mega bonus is that it doesn’t heat up the kitchen to a blazing million degrees. During the summer months, if we want chocolate chip cookies or any cookies that you have to use the oven, we usually either make them in the evening or early morning hours.

This recipe comes from my husband’s grandmother. The one thing that I modified with this recipe is changing the quick cooking oats to old fashion as using old fashion oats tends to have the cookie set better. I know that every other recipe I had used would not set right and this is such a simple recipe that you should have no problem.

Michigan Ingredient: Sugar

First things first, place your sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk in a pan. Bring it to a boil while constantly whisking.

Once the mixture is violently rapidly boiling, start your timer for one minute. It will seem like it will boil over, but it won’t. Do not be intimidated or scared. Trust me.  After the minute is up, remove from the heat and add your vanilla and peanut butter.

Please imagine this mixture being perfectly poured over3 1/2 cups of beautiful old fashioned oats. Mix until combined.

After it is combined, you can either use a scoop or a spoon to “spoon” the mixture onto wax paper. Try to patiently wait to let the cookies set (15-20 minutes).

If you use a scoop, there will more than likely be some left in the scoop at the end; which is ok, because you can have a tiny taste just to make sure it won’t poison your loved ones.

I love making these cookies all year round (as previously stated above) not only because of the simplicity; but also because it reminds my husband of growing up. It’s amazing to me how a smell or foods can bring memories flooding back.

No Bake Cookies

 

Author:

Michigan from Scratch

Recipe type: Cookie

Serves: 18 cookies

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

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A cookie that can be made year round and is especially great in the hot summer months so you don't have to turn on the oven.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of Sugar
• ¼ cup of Cocoa
• ½ cup Milk
• 1 stick of Butter
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla
• 1 cup Peanut Butter
• 3½ cup Old Fashion Oats

Instructions

1. Bring sugar, cocoa, milk and butter to a rapid boil. Boil for one minute.
2. Remove the mixture from the heat and add vanilla and peanut butter.
3. Pour over oats and scoop (spoon) onto wax paper.
4. Patiently wait 15-20 minutes for cookies to set.

3.5.3208

This is one of my husband’s favorite cookies. It is a “treat” when I make these as macadamia nuts are a bit on the pricier side of nuts. For almost $6, you can get a whopping 1 ½ cups of nuts. It’s worth it, by all means; but it is a far cry from the Snickerdoodle.

I remember when I stumbled upon this recipe like it was yesterday. I was in college, trying to find a “healthy” cookie (I know I know…) and somehow came across this gem. The recipe stated that it is 99 calories per cookie (and that the recipe makes 48 cookies…); which I don’t believe applies to when I make cookies because A) I make real-sized cookies and B) these taste simply divine.

Michigan Ingredient: Big Chief Sugar and Meijer Brown Sugar.

Please keep in mind that I am in the process of getting fresh ingredients for recipes, as fruits and veggies are starting to become more in season. In Michigan, not many fresh ingredients are in season during this time of year BUUUUUUUTTTTTTT….. once more items are in season here, it will be glorious.  

First things first, cream your butter and your sugars. Add the vanilla and the egg. Combine your flour, baking soda, and baking powder together. Add your dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and beat.

Combine your oats, chips and nuts and add to creamed mixture. Make sure all yummy goodness of nuts, chips and oats are distributed all throughout.  You should now have heaven in a bowl.

Preheat your oven and start getting your cookies prepped. I actually have one of those cookie scoop thingers (technical term) because I would get annoyed with using the two spoon (or let’s be honest, when no one is looking, spoon and finger) method. It works well with some cookies, and sometimes it does not as the dough will coat the inside and the cookies will get smaller and smaller as the scoop gets “clogged.” Luckily, with this recipe you shouldn’t have a problem; but if you do, my apologies.

You can tell a lot about someone by the way their cookie sheet looks. If it looks brand spanking new they either just A) bought it, or B) do not really bake a lot…or C) have one of those slip-mat things. Now I’m not saying you should JUDGE someone just by their cookie sheet…. but….. you know… with baking comes love <3

Bake your cookies for 10-12 minutes. Now keep in mind what your oven temperature is like. Mine runs a little hot sometimes, so I always check in 9 minutes to be safe.

This recipe should make roughly 18 medium sized cookies. If you want to make more, simply double the recipe.

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies

 

Author:

Michigan from Scratch

Recipe type: Cookies

Serves: 18 cookies

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

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Ingredients

• ½ cup Butter, softened
• ½ cup White Sugar
• ½ cup Brown Sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1½ cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1½ cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 cup Chopped Macadamia Nuts
• 1 cup White Chocolate Chips

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream together your butter and sugars until smooth.
2. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture.
4. Combine the oats, nuts, and chips. Add to the mixture until evenly combined.
5. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Drop cookies by whatever size you want onto a cookie sheet.
6. Bake until the tops start to become slightly golden, roughly 10-12 minutes.

Notes

Recipe adapted from All Recipes

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