rolled oats – Backdoor Hospitality

Energy Bars

I can recall ubiquitous labeled ‘energy bars’ everywhere in the 90s. It seemed like they popped up in all shapes, sizes, flavors or non. I also recall most them making me want to gag. They were full of healthy ingredients, but a little too healthy that you wondered why they didn’t just call it a multi-vitamin bar instead.

That being said, I’ve never been a big fan of Luna bars or crunchy granola bars. What was left was soft, yet sugar filled granola bars. All of them lacked various components. When I think about an energy bar, I don’t want to see sugar on the label, or carob, alfalfa or cooked so long that it chips a tooth. Luckily, I married a man who agrees with me on all accounts, which is probably why he found Great Harvest Bread’s energy bar stellar. It was chewy, a bit moist, but not crumbly, rounded flavor and filling. Everything an energy bar should behold.

Here are the ingredients in order on the G.H.B.’s energy bar: rolled oats, dates, natural peanut butter, honey, almonds, oat bran, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, vanilla & sea salt. Of course, we don’t know how much, but that’s what my job is–right?! I cracked a code and came up with a pretty darn close replica. I used a full 6 cups in this recipe, but after baking them, I think 5 cups would have been better. I had planned on using 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter, but only used 1 cup. If I had used 1 1/2 cups, then the 6 cups of oats might not have been a problem. But enough with what I did–go on and make them and let me know what you think. They’re sure to be a hit and be gone more quickly than you can make them.

Energy Bars (printable recipe)

These are great to tie you over and quite filling. If you’re vegan, then try using maple syrup or agave nectar. If you have a peanut/tree nut allergy, you could always use sunbutter.

Ingredients:

5 – 6 cups; 17.5 – 21 oz; 500-600 grams rolled oats

2 1/4 cups; 8 1/2 oz; 236 grams medjool dates (seeds out)

1/2 cup hot water

1 cup; 8 oz; 226 grams natural smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup; 6 oz; 170 grams honey

3/4 cup; 3.5 oz; 100 grams almonds

1/2 cup; 2.5 oz; 65 grams oat bran

1/4 cup; 1.25 oz; 34 grams whole wheat flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp kosher salt

Directions: Soak your pitted dates in a bowl with the hot water and cover with a plate for about 10 minutes. Drain the water and dump dates into a food processor. Puree it up. You will need to scrap the sides occasionally. Add the peanut butter to the dates and puree again. While the machine is running, add about 1/3 of the honey (save the rest for later). The mixture will clump into a ball and that’s okay.

Remove as much of the date mixture into a small bowl–set aside. Put in the almonds and pulse at 3 second intervals until they are coarsely chopped.

In a large bowl, combine 5 cups (or 500 g or 17.5 ounces) of rolled oats, leaving the additional 1 cup of oats aside, oat bran, w.w. flour, almonds & salt. Mix it all up.

Put the date puree mixture into the rolled oats bowl. Add the vanilla now & using your hands, begin to mix the ingredients altogether. This will take a bit to incorporate the oats into the date puree. You want the oats to be completely bound by the date mixture. Go ahead and add the rest of the honey to help soak more of the oats & bind it all together–mix some more.

Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and press mixture into the pan. You will want them to be about 3/4 inch thick.

Bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. The underside of the bars will have more of the toasty look. (You can cut them and turn them over & bake for an additional 5 minutes) Cut them into squares (or bars). Serves about 12-15.

My Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies

Ben and I just got back today from San Diego, while our girls were graciously taken care of by Ben’s folks. The downside of our trip was recovering from the sickness that invaded our family & I still carried the first couple days in southern California. It was great though. I got to read without interruption, enjoy sunshine & the salty breeze from the ocean, and spend a lot of time with my wonderful, dear friend Veronica. It was a real treat (thank you Steve & Cherie!).

These cookies are also a real treat. They are addictive with that last note of saltiness to draw you in to take another bite. As far as the real Little Debbie’s in the sealed bag found in the white box–not completely a fan. Ben on the other hand is a fan. Once when we were in the store he picked up a box of Little Debbie’s Oatmeal Cream Pies and said he wanted to buy them. In my haste & grandiose perception of what may not be so easily attainable I say, “Oh, don’t buy that…I could make that!” The problem being–is I have been known to say those last four words many a times, especially at the moment when (specifically) Ben wants the designated said item right then (not two weeks later).

However, there was a time when I followed through on my “I could make that,” by making these Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies. And you would do everyone in your household or work a favor by chanting, “I did make that!” My girls were sure to speak the praises through continuous, “MMMM!”

Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies (printable recipe)

This recipe is revised from one online (one of those copycat kinds); however, as I truly don’t like using shortening if at all possible–I omitted it from the filling & used butter instead. If you want a more firm filling like that found in the store kind, then use shortening where you see butter in the creme filling portion. These cookies are very moist. If you want them a bit more firm, then try putting them in the fridge for a while to firm them up.

Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature
¾ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup rapadura sugar
1 Tb molasses
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, room temperature
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups Quick Cooking Oats

crème Filling

2 tsp very hot water
¼ tsp salt
2 cups marshmallow crème (7-ounce jar)
½ cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla

Directions for Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugars, molasses, vanilla & eggs for 1 minute. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda & cinnamon. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just combined. Mix in the oats.

Using a cookie scooper (2 Tb), drop onto lined baking sheet, two inches apart. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until the cookies are just starting to darken around the edges. They will still appear moist in the center. Be careful not to over bake them. Transfer cookies on hot sheet to a wire rack and let sit for 10 minutes and transfer to foil.

Filling: While your cookies are baking, prepare the filling. Use a small bowl to dissolve the salt in 2 teaspoons of very hot water. Set this solution aside to cool. Combine the marshmallow crème, ½ cup butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl and mix well with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Add the cooled salt solution to the filling mixture and combine with the mixer.

Assembling: Distribute the crème filling evenly amongst half of the cookies. Take the other cookie and put on top of the crème cookie, pressing gently to make a sandwich.

Grandma’s No Bakes

I can recall Christmas time in AZ as a little girl typically wishing I was someplace in the movies where snow wasn’t a foreign concept. But, despite my lack of cold powdery stuff anywhere within my perimeter, one of my fondest memories entailed a box awaiting my departure from the school bus.

My parents owned a mattress/bedding store growing up. I would ride the bus home, or shall I say, ride the bus to the store everyday. I was in the first grade, walking to the store anticipating the coming Christmas break (I was a huge daydreamer, so not being in a routinized setting meant the world to me). Upon my arrival, there was a package waiting for all of us to open. It was a big cardboard box from Oregon, which meant it was from Grandma Cox.

My grandma was one of those iconic grandmother types. She embodied everything grandmotherly (i.e. warm hugs, cards sent for every holiday, and that aura). I loved her more than just for what she gave us, but how she loved. She loved with an unconditional love. If she didn’t like someone, you would never know it, because she loved them immensely. So, whenever we received anything in the mail from her, it was as if we were getting a bit of her there with us.

And on that December day, when I walked through the store’s back door and scrounged through that box with my brother, the round tin was our golden ticket. My mom trying to enforce some constraint on our behalf, but I can still recall the chocolate peanut butter no bakes. I feel like these are the quintessential Christmas nostalgia cookie for me, because of my grandma.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bakes (printable recipe)

I used gluten-free oats, in order for my gluten intolerant friend to eat them. However, I did notice these had a bit of a chew to them. I think it’s because they were Bob’s Red Mill Oats. They were still wonderful and reminiscent of Grandma’s. This recipe is adapted from here.

Ingredients:

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1/2 cup whole milk

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 cups oats (I used gluten-free)

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter, cocoa & milk and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until mixture begins to boil. Allow it to boil without stirring for 2-2 1/2 minutes. Then, add the peanut butter, vanilla & oats, stirring it all together. Remove from heat and continue to stir to allow the mixture to coat thoroughly. Using a teaspoon or tablespoon (depending on what size you want), drop mixture onto wax paper. Allow to sit and firm up. Eat & drink with milk.

Oatmeal Caramelitas

This past Saturday I sold food at a Craft Bazaar. It’s a pretty amazing cause as 5% of the vendor’s profit helps families adopt children. The Adoption Connection sponsors the event, which is a group of families within our church body who have either adopted or are looking to adopt children. I got involved in this four years ago by selling homemade chili and my baked goods. As the years have progressed, so have the Health Department’s operating procedures for permits and what you can and cannot sell at bazaars.

This dials out to me not selling any soup next year, because I could only sell soup from a can. Unless of course, I wanted to pay an $85 dollar permit for a one day event, then I could make soup from scratch. But anyone who’s ever worked in selling food knows that the permit plus cost of food and packaging would not meet the overhead costs. I have done baked goods every year though and my oatmeal carmelitas are a permanent fixture on the menu. People can’t get enough of these and you truly cannot have just one bite.

It’s the gooey goodness of the caramel, the richness & texture of biting into the chocolate chips, and the buttery, salty, crumble of the compacted crust. Yes, it’s seriously that good. I’m salivating just thinking about them. I have realized that food not only has to taste good, but have a wonderful texture to keep me wanting more…especially desserts.

There’s a couple other reasons they’re so gosh darn good.

One they’re not time consuming, but people will think you slaved in the kitchen.
Two, they’re bar cookies (I’m totally a fan of the bar cookie if I know they can taste better than a drop cookie–time saver).
Three, when people eat them, they’re one of those sweet treats that make people’s eyes pop and then the, “OHHH MY Goodness! (with a MMMM added in)”

I implore you to add these to your shopping list, holiday baking, or simply because you need to eat sweet oatmeal love with caramel & chocolate.

Crust mixed together

Bottom crust baked for 10 minutes

The caramel and chocolate chip filling

Top crust and ready to bake for 18-22 minutes.

Oatmeal Carmelitas (printable recipe)

I have been making these for over many, many years now and they’re ALWAYS a hit. The recipe came from a college housemate’s cookbook, but I don’t know the original source. Whoever it was is genius.

Ingredients:

Crust

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups quick cooking oats

1 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling:

12 ounce caramel ice cream topping

3 Tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper. Combine all of the crust ingredients into a large bowl and mix together on low speed until nice and crumbly. It should resemble a fruit crisp topping. Put about 1 1/2 – 2 cups of the mixture into the parchment lined pan. Your pan should have a layer of packed in crust without making it too thick and not ultra thin. Bake this for 10 minutes.

While the bottom crust is cooking, combine the caramel topping with the 3 tablespoons of flour, till no streaks are left. Once the 10 minutes are up and you’ve removed the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the 1 cup of chocolate chips over the half-baked crust. Then, drizzle the caramel syrup as evenly as possible over the chocolate chips. Take the remaining crust mixture, using your hands and crumble over the filling mixture. You want to try and cover all of the caramel and chocolate chips as if you’re sealing them in.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes. Cool to room temperature on a cooling rack. Once cooled, cover and put in refrigerator for 2 hours. Cut into bars as big or small as you’d like and relish the goodness.

**The original recipe uses walnuts or pecans as well in the filling, but I never put them in. I think it’s about a 1/2 cup of chopped nuts if you’d like to add them. You might want to toast them to make them even better.

**I have interchanged rolled oats with quick oats and I think the quick oats produces a better texture. However, it’s not a big deal at all if you only have rolled on hand.