19*52 Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

I heard Joy and Tracy mention this cake in one of their podcasts. And I had to try it.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

Adapted from Shutterbean

225 g (8 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon water or bourbon

2 tablespoons flour

100 g (1 cup) rolled oats

114 g (1 stick) butter

2 eggs

160 g (3/4 cup) sugar

250 g (1 1/4 cups) brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

210 g (1 1/2 cups) flour

Frosting

55 g (4 tablespoons) butter, room temperature

170 g (6 oz) cream cheese

125 g (1 cup) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• In a small bowl, mix chocolate chips with water (or bourbon) and 2 tablespoons flour. Set aside.
• Put oats and butter in a medium bowl and pour 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) boiling water over them. Stir and set aside for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F)
• In a big bowl, whisk together eggs, sugars, salt, baking soda and powder, and cinnamon. Fold in oatmeal until well combined. Fold in flour and chocolate chips.
• Pour into prepared 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) baking pan. Bake 25-45 minutes (see comment below) until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
• For the frosting, beat all ingredients together until smooth. Spread evenly over cooled cake. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes before serving. Store covered cake in the fridge for up to 3 days.

My modifications:

None. But I did use water (and not bourbon).

The original recipe says to bake the cake for 40-45 minutes. I did the toothpick test after 25 minutes because I already thought the top looked brown enough and it did come out clean so I took it out after 25 minutes. Just keep an eye on the cake and do the toothpick test when you feel it could be done. Adjust the baking time accordingly.

The taste:

It is good. But I have to say that the frosting is my favorite part. Maybe I will omit the cake next time. No, that's a bit too harsh. I guess I'm saying that I probably won't make the cake again but the frosting I definitely will.

Have you heard people talk about a recipe and then want to try it right afterwards?

7*52 Chocolate-Oat-Cookies

Yes, I know... Valentine's Day was 3 days ago.
But there was and is no sign of it here on this blog. Let me explain:

I was planning on baking and posting something pink and heart-shaped before Valentine's Day.
But then I got the flu and I just couldn't bake or taste (or do pretty much anything else for that matter). And while I do feel better today, I really couldn't bake anything complicated or time-consuming.

So this is the point where we just pretend that we didn't even know about Valentine's Day and feel totally excited about simple, fast, straightforward Chocolate-Oat-Cookies. Okay?

Chocolate-Oat-Cookies

Adapted from Green Gourmet

Makes 20 big or 40 small cookies

100 g chocolate chips

60 g butter

120 g oats

30 g flour

1 egg

50 g sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• Melt butter, mix with oats. Combine with remaining ingredients.
• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Using 2 teaspoons (or your hand), form balls, put them on the prepared baking sheet and flatten them a bit. 
• Bake for 9-12 minutes (depending on the size of the cookies).

My modifications:

I added the cinnamon to the original recipe. I just thought it would add a nice flavor.

The taste:

Well, as I said above, I can't taste that much right now. But what I did taste was good (and very chocolaty). The hubby agreed.

What is your quick & easy go-to baking recipe?

48/52 Banana-Apple-Oatmeal-Muffins

I'm back from a beautiful vacation in sunny California, being thrown right into Christmas.
And snow. Today.

There is no sign of Christmas or even advent in our apartment yet but I hope to change that today. Happy 1. advent, by the way! Hope y'all will do some candle burning today.

So before all the christmas-cookie-baking-and-eating-extravaganza commences, I thought that baking something quick and light and healthy would be good. Oh I know, that's totally not how it works, 1. advent and all. But that's just the way it is this year. I promise you will get to read tons of Christmas recipes right here, just starting next week.

Until then I will (hopefully) enjoy some healthy muffins, take endless trips to the basement to make this apartment look christmassy....

Banana-Apple-Oatmeal-Muffins

Adapted from Jess Jones

250 g (2 1/2 cups) oats

250 g (1 cup) yoghurt (low fat if you like)

2 eggs

150 g (3/4 cup) sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 banana

1 apple

• Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
• Blend all ingredients in your food processor or blender or blend with your immersion blender until oats are smooth.
• Pour batter into muffin tin (greased or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray) or silicone muffin pan. Try to avoid paper liners as the muffins will stick to those.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes.

My modifications:

I used 1 banana and 1 apple instead of 2 bananas. Just felt like doing that. But you can of course use 2 bananas and no apple like the original recipe suggests.

The cinnamon is also my addition.

The taste:

Like solid oatmeal (if that makes sense). I love the taste of apple in them, so I would definately use the apple again. It's a perfect breakfast muffin and it tastes healthy but very good.

What's your favorite healthy snack at the moment?

11b/52 Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies

I am a person who feels guilty pretty easily. Especially for not having done things that I should have. Which doesn't necessarily mean that the guilt wins and forces me to take care of those things. I just continue to feel bad about them. Sometimes for a long time.

I honestly don't want this to happen in regards to this blog. So I couldn't just leave you this week with my last post and the admitted cheating that was involved (= no baking). So I baked something. And I feel better now. Not guilty anymore. I should remember this feeling.

Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies

Adapted from Martha Stewart

110 g (1 1/4 cups) oats
105 g (3/4 cup) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
113 g (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
100 g (1/2 cup) light-brown sugar
55 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100 g (3/4 cup) dried apricots, roughly chopped
60 g (3/4 cup) almonds, slivered

• Preheat oven to 180 °C (350°F).
• Combine oats, flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
• On medium speed, beat together butter and sugars until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract.
• On low speed, add oat-flour-mix until just combined.
• Mix in apricots and almonds using your hands.
• Form small balls, put them on a lined baking sheet with enough space between them and flatten them a bit.

• Bake 25-30 minutes until edges begin to brown.

•  Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

My modifications:

None, except for the baking time: my cookies were done in 18 minutes.

Next time I might omit the granulated sugar, try different dried fruits, and/or possibly add a bit of chocolate (grated or chips).

The taste:

They smell and taste delicious. Fruity. Sweet. A bit healthy. Comforting. Filling.

What about your guilt trips? And what's your favorite cookie? 
(Yes, two questions that are totally related. At least after this post.)