Category: Baked Goods + Desserts + Drinks

I’m not a baker so I was very careful with this recipe I adapted from foodtv.com. It was very involved but I had fun rolling the dough like clay.

Ingredients:
2 cups of oatmeal
2 cups of flour
1 cup of raisins
2 sticks of unsalted butter, melted for a few seconds in the microwave
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp hot water
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350º. In the meantime, brush a cookie sheet with some of the melted butter. Set aside.
2. Use the remaining butter and combine with the sugars in a mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer. Add the eggs. Mix in oatmeal, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt with a big spoon. Add water, raisins and vanilla extract. Mix well to finish your dough.
3. Transfer the dough to a floured kitchen counter or table. Form a snake with your dough using your hands. Cut in several small pieces and place on prepared cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until light brown. Let them cool before serving.

This was the first dish I’ve ever cooked for the boy that impressed him. He’s a much better cook than I am and it thrilled me to watch him clean up his bowl and ask for a second serving. I was visiting him in Vermont and we stopped by his professor’s house to borrow a canoe. We harvested some ramps from the side of the lake and he gave us rhubarb from his yard. The boy cooked a nice duck dinner with the ramps while I baked the rhubarb for dessert. Top this with either vanilla or strawberry ice cream and your boyfriend will be impressed too.

Ingredients:
1 pound rhubarb, cut into pieces 3/4 inch thick
white sugar
flour
half a stick of unsalted butter
1/2 cup of plain oatmeal
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
vanilla or strawberry ice cream

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Place the rhubarb in a square glass baking dish and toss with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/8 cup flour.
3. In a food processor, pulse 1/4 flour with butter until clumps are pea-size. Add 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of oatmeal and cinnamon. Pulse to combine. Sprinkle over rhubarb.
4. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Serve warm in a bowl and top with vanilla or strawberry ice cream.

Related post/s:
Sauteed ramps with pancetta