Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Note: Because there is enough sugar in the dough to sweeten things, be sure to use unsweetened applesauce. Applesauce made from nothing but apples can be found at most supermarkets and health food stores.

Special equipment: baking sheets, whisk, parchment paper

Ingredients

serves makes 24 cookies, active time 10 minutes, total time 1 hour 25 minutes plus cooling

• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (see note)
• 2/3 cup peeled apple pieces, cut into 1/8 inch pieces, from about 1 Granny Smith apple
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts

Procedures

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla, followed by applesauce. Stir in dry ingredients. Add apple bits and walnuts and stir to combine. Cover dough with plastic wrap (I do this in the bowl as it's very wet) and let rest in refrigerator for 1 hour.
   
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden at the edges, about 15 minutes.
   
4. Let cookies cool completely on pan—they are slightly sticky but will dry out as they cool. Store in an airtight container, layering with wax paper.

Oatmeal with Cranberry Orange Hazelnut Compote

Liven up your morning oatmeal with this sweet-tart compote made from fresh cranberries, orange, and hazelnuts.

Notes: To make orange puree, wash and quarter a medium sized seedless orange. Place quarters (with rind) in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped but still with visable chunks. A medium orange should produce about 1 cup puree.
This will make about 12 servings of compote. It is also good spread on toast, stirred into yogurt, or poured over ice cream.
Feel free to use any oatmeal that you like—if plain instant is your choice, that's fine. Personally I prefer old fashioned rolled oats for their hearty texture.

Special equipment: saucepan, food processor

Ingredients

serves serves 1 (with extra compote), active time 10 minutes, total time 30 minutes

• For Compote
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) fresh cranberries
• 1 scant cup orange puree (see note above)
• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
•  
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, cooked (see note)
• 1 tablespoon milk

Procedures

1. Make compote: Place water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Let cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally, then add cranberries. Bring to a boil then lower heat to medium and vigorously simmer until cranberries have popped and mixture is reduced in half, about 20 minutes.
   
2. Add orange puree and hazelnuts and cook 2 minutes more. Take off heat and let cool slightly before adding to oatmeal. Any unused compote can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
   
3. To assemble: Place cooked oatmeal in a bowl and stir in milk. Top with 1/3 cup compote and serve immediately.

Oatmeal Pancakes With Pears and Pecans

Oatmeal adds hearty texture to these simple fall pancakes served with pan-roasted pears and pecans.

Note: Pulsing half the oats in a food processor refines the texture of the final product, but if you don't feel like getting out an extra piece of kitchen equipment, just skip that step. You'll end up with a heartier final product, which is pleasing in its own way.

Special equipment: Large non-stick skillet

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 25 minutes, total time 25 minutes

• 1 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
• 3 ripe but firm pears, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Procedures

1. Pulse 1/2 cup quick cooking oats in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl, then add remaining oats, flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Whisk together eggs and milk in a medium bowl, then fold into oat mixture. Set aside.
   
2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, then add pears and remaining sugar. Cook, shaking pan occasionally, until pears begin to soften and brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from skillet and wipe clean.
   
3. Toast pecans in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat, tossing often, until browned, about 6 minutes. Remove from skillet and reserve. Reduce heat to medium-low and wipe out skillet.
   
4. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Add four 1/4-cup batches of batter and cook without moving until bubbly on top and the bottom is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook second side until golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter and butter, working in batches, until all pancakes are cooked. Serve immediately with pears and nuts.

Oatmeal and Fresh Berry Parfaits with Chantilly Cream

Ingredients

serves Serves 6, active time 35 minutes, total time 2 1/2 hours

• 6 cups fresh blueberries, blackberries, or strawberries, or a combination
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons fruit liqueur such as pear brandy, elderflower liqueur, or orange-flavored liqueur
• 1 cup uncooked oatmeal, preferably steel-cut
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup loosely packed light or dark brown sugar
•  
• Chantilly Cream
• 1 quart heavy (whipping) cream
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedures

1. About 2 hours before assembling the parfaits for serving, if using strawberries, stem them and cut into pieces about the same size as the other berries. Put all the berries in a medium glass, ceramic, or stainless-steel bowl. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and liqueur and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the sweetened liqueur to the berries and stir gently with a rubber spatula until the berries are well coated with the syrup, being careful not to break up the berries. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve, stirring very gently about every 45 minutes with the spatula.
   
2. Meanwhile, cook the oatmeal according to the package directions. Then cover and set aside at room temperature until ready to serve.
   
3. Just before assembling the parfaits, gently rewarm the oatmeal over low heat; thin with a little water, if needed. (It shouldn’t be too hot, or it will melt the Chantilly cream.) Add the butter and brown sugar and stir to mix well. Cover to keep warm and set aside.
   
4. Also just before assembling, make the cream: In a large bowl, combine the heavy cream, sour cream, liqueur, and vanilla. Whisking by hand or using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the mixture just until soft peaks form, 5 to 10 minutes if beating by hand or about 3 minutes if using an electric mixer.
   
5. To assemble the parfaits, layer in each glass 2 tablespoons oatmeal, then 2 tablespoons drained berries, then 2 tablespoons Chantilly cream, then another 2 tablespoons oatmeal. Top with more berries, dividing them evenly, and end with 1 tablespoon Chantilly cream on top of parfait with a few more berries for garnish. Serve at once, with long-handled spoons.