Drop Cookies: Pumpkin Oatmeal

These cookies are delicious! I am not a major oatmeal cookie fan- but these cookies have just the right amount of oats to embellish the drop cookie texture. I also added chocolate chips to this recipe- but I plan on making another batch with dried cranberries and serve around Thanksgiving. I adore drop cookies because I have come to love the aesthetic imperfection of these cookies. They look great and although they are a more complicated cookie- it is a simple process to follow.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

1 cup white sugar 

1 egg

¾ cup butter    

1 cup pumpkin (canned)

1 3/4 cups rolled oats

1 cup chocolate chips

Process

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, spices, salt and sugar.  Add the butter and mix.  Add the egg, vanilla and pumpkin and mix.  Add the oats and chocolate chips and stir to combine.  Place in the fridge until the dough is firm (30-45 minutes).  

On a baking sheet lined with parchment place heaping tablespoons of cookie dough.  Bake for approximately 15 minutes until the tops of the cookies are lightly browned. 

These cookies are fantastic to freeze! If you want to freeze the cookies, simply let them cool completely, then place in a freezer bag with the date and let become frozen in the freezer. 

Apple Muffins

 As fall is winding down, I have realized I may have gone a little crazy apple picking this month! Spending time at the orchard is one of my favorite things to do every fall, and this was no exception! Although now I have the dilemma of left-over Macintosh apples, and a husband who claims he can't eat another bite of apple pie or apple crisp. I'm sure he can't refuse that spicy cinnamon aroma that fills the kitchen- but I would rather not take the chance.



So I set out to make some apple muffins, which I have only made once before and it was a total flop. But, after a few tries in the kitchen, I think I may have finally created an apple muffin recipe worth sharing (and eating!) The true test is bringing these muffins to work, and my fellow educators ate them up before lunchtime! If you have made my pumpkin muffin recipe before, then you will notice the similarities (I based this new recipe off my best recipe) If you haven't made my pumpkin muffins yet, you definitely need to!

Ingredients

2 cups flour  
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder            
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon                    
1 tsp. apple pie spice
1 tsp. Chinese Five-Spice      
1 cup sugar
2 cups shredded apple          
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup canola oil                
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs (lightly beaten)

Process

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray muffin cups inside a muffin tin.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together the shredded apple, sugar, applesauce, oil, eggs and vanilla. *If you have never baked with apples before- be sure to use a corer to core and peel the apples. Next I slice the apples in manageable pieces for my food processor to shred. Ok, so now you will add the wet bowl to the dry bowl, stirring until combined. Do not over-mix.

Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes- using the toothpick test until the center comes out clean. Once completely cooled, these muffins can also be frozen for future use. They will keep up to 3 months frozen, and I would use my freezing trick of lining up muffins on a parchment paper and once muffins are frozen (8 hours) they can be stored in a freezer bag. Don't forget to write the date!

I hope you enjoy these muffins as much as my co-workers and husband did,

Michelle

Basic Pancake

This is a quick, basic pancake recipe I use when I am making batch after batch of pancakes to freeze and reheat throughout the fall/winter months. It is simple and allows for many variations to keep the morning routine from getting old. This recipe will make one batch of pancakes (using 1/4 cup-sized pancakes it will make about 8).

Google Stock Images

Ingredients


1 cup flour
1 TBSP. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 TBSP. cooking oil


Process

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add egg- beat until fluffy. Mix milk and oil with egg, then combine all ingredients. Mix batter until moistened, the batter will be lumpy.
It is important to not over-mix the batter.

Lightly spray skillet and pour batter using a 1/4 cup or an ice cream scoop. Set heat to medium, and set timer for 2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for another 2 minutes. Pancakes will turn golden brown;take care not to over-cook as they will be reheated later.

Freeze, Store, Reheat

To freeze the pancakes, line on parchment paper, being sure they are not touching each other and use parchment to separate layers. Freeze for at least 6 hours, then when frozen completely you may store in a freezer bag. Be sure to mark the date on the bag- as pancakes will last for 3 months frozen.

When it is time to reheat, simply bake pancakes in oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
If in a rush, you can zap in the microwave on high for 1 1/2-2 minutes.

As you can see, this is a basic, very quick recipe. For multiple varieties- fold in frozen fruit-such as blueberry or raspberry. I also make a few batches of chocolate chip as well. When making multiple batches of food to save for later- remember to keep it simple and avoid exotic, crazy varieties that you may not be in the mood for a month from now.

Waffles by the Dozen

Caution: This recipe will make a dozen waffles! I created this recipe this past weekend when I decided to make my own frozen, non-processed breakfast foods. Don't worry, I will include the proper freezing techniques as well.

Ingredients

4 eggs                              
4 cups flour                      
3 1/2 cups milk              
1 cup vegetable oil          
2 TBSP. sugar
2 TBSP. & 2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Variations:

I also made a dozen cinnamon waffles- follow the same recipe but add 2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg.

Process

Preheat your waffle iron while you create your batter. Beat eggs in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in all other ingredients- just until smooth.

Now that your batter is ready- here is the most time-consuming part of the process- cooking each waffle one at a time!

Tips and tricks: be sure to spray both sides of the waffle iron before pouring in the batter (do this each and every time you make a waffle!)
Pour batter slowly to avoid overfilling the waffle iron- any excess batter will spill over the sides and create quite the mess (and waste precious batter!)
Pay close attention to the cooking waffle- you want to cook right up until the waffle in a golden brown color on top Do not overcook- as you will be reheating the waffles later in the upcoming weeks!

Freezing Process

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay waffles across in one layer and be sure they do not touch. For more than one layer of waffles, separate each layer with parchment paper. Lay a final piece of parchment paper on the top and then freeze for at least 6 hours. Once frozen, you can bag waffles in freezer bags for long-term storage. Be sure to write the date on the bag! Frozen waffles will last up to 3 months in the freezer.

Reheating Process

Bake in an oven at 350 for 15 minutes or use a toaster oven for about 10 minutes. I love serving waffles with fruit on top- and don't forget the whipped cream for a special treat!!


Searching for a waffle iron? My friends have recommended these to try:
                                          

Homemade Frozen Pancakes and Waffles

Realization: cold cereal does not cut it on cold mornings

As my dog and I were wandering around on our usual hike, I realized I was already wearing a hat, scarf, and my winter coat. The Autumn weather has seemed to turn chilly overnight- and like every year it has snuck up on me.
Now that the weather is getting colder in the mornings, I am craving warm breakfast food to begin my day. However, like most of us who are busy rushing off to work in the morning- there is no time to cook that well-balanced and delicious breakfast.
So out of the woods and into my kitchen I headed, after I borrowed my friend's waffle iron for the weekend (I made an even trade with my knife sharpener for the iron).

I spent hours in the kitchen- baking up a storm- freezing waffles and pancakes to help ease the morning hustle and bustle.  I will share with you the important lessons I learned in a quick how-to guide for freezing and reheating waffles and pancakes.

How to Freeze Homemade Pancakes and Waffles

Cook pancakes or waffles using your usual recipe (or click here for my no-fail waffle or pancake recipes) 

Line a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper. After cooling the pancakes or waffles, place in a single layer on the parchment without touching each other. If food is touching before frozen, it will freeze together, making it difficult to separate later. To freeze more than one layer of pancakes or waffles, use another sheet of parchment paper in between each layer to create a barrier. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze for at least 6 hours. Once everything is completely frozen, you can stack them together in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. I prefer freezer bags because they take up a lot less space in the freezer. Before storing, write the date on the bag. Pancakes and waffles will last for 3 months in the freezer.

How to Reheat Frozen Pancakes and Waffles

Pancakes or waffles can be reheated in an oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees. You can place pancakes on foil, a baking sheet, or just on the oven rack. Bake for about 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Time Savers for the morning rush:

Pancakes:

I do not have a microwave in my kitchen, but for the many that do: heat on high for 1 1/2- 2 minutes.

Waffles:

Place waffle in toaster- but keep a careful eye so it does not burn.