Oatmeal Muffins

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil or softened butter

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 400°F.  Lightly grease a standard muffin pan, or line the pan with papers and grease the papers.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat together the milk, oil or butter, eggs, and vanilla.  Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to blend. Spoon the batter into 12 muffin cups.

Bake the muffins for 20 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Remove them from the pan and cool completely on a rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

From King Arthur Flour

Mushroom-Barley Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 pounds mixed mushrooms

1/4 cup sherry 

8 cups beef stock

1/2 cup pearl barley

2 teaspoons thyme leaves

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

Heat oil in a 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic, celery, carrots, and onion, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook, stirring, until mushrooms give off their liquid and it evaporates, about 14 minutes. Add sherry, and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add stock, barley, and thyme, and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until barley is tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in juice and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley.

Serves 4 to 6.

From Saveur, with some changes

Paprika-Spiced Cauliflower and Dumpling Soup (Karfiolleves)

1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cubed
1 egg
1 1/2 tablespoons Hungarian hot paprika
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
6 cups vegetable stock
1 small head cauliflower, large stem removed, cut into florets
1 to 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, stemmed and finely chopped (optional)

Make the dumplings: In a bowl, stir together flour and salt.  Add 2 tablespoons butter and, using your fingers, rub into flour until pea-size crumbles form.  Add egg and stir until dough forms.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a 6-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add paprika and onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add vegetable stock, cauliflower, and carrot. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.  Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, portion out and drop all dumpling dough into the simmering soup.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until dumplings are cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Garnish with parsley and serve.

Serves 4.

From chef Andrea Nemeth via Saveur

Toasted Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (1/2 pound) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats or steel-cut oats
1 cup white chocolate chips (optional)

Heat oven to 350° F.

Toast coconut to taste in a dry skillet over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy.  Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until well-blended.  Gradually add the flour mixture, then the oats and the toasted coconut.  Beat just until well-mixed.  Stir in white chocolate chips, if using.

Place dough by rounded teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet.  Bake for approximately 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1 minute on sheet before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.


From Tea Travels by Ellen Easton, with a few changes

Bread-Machine Brioche

1/3 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk
2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons gluten
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces

Place the ingredients, except the butter, in the pan of the bread machine.  Set crust on medium and program for basic cycle; press start.  (This recipe is not suitable for use with the delay timer.)  The dough will be soft and sticky.

About 8 minutes into the knead cycle, open the lid while the machine is running.  Add a piece or two of the butter, allowing it to be incorporated before adding more pieces.  It will take a minute or two to add all the butter.  Close the lid.

When the baking cycle ends, open the lid and let the bread sit in the pan for 15 minutes.  Gently remove the loaf from the pan and place it on a rack.  Let cool to room temperature before slicing.

Makes one 1 1/2 pound loaf.

From The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook by Beth Hensperger

Apple and Maple Bread Pudding

Custard:

6 large eggs

1/2 cup pure maple syrup (preferably Grade B)

1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons thinned boiled apple cider, apple brandy, or apple cider

1 1-pound loaf brioche, all crust trimmed, bread cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes (6 1/2 to 7 cups)

Apples:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 1/2 pounds Cortland or Granny Smith apples (about 5), peeled, quartered, cored, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices (about 7 cups)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup plus additional for brushing (preferably Grade B)

1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

For custard:
Whisk eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt in large bowl. Add milk, cream, and cider and whisk until well blended. Add bread cubes and press to submerge into custard. Let soak at least 30 minutes, occasionally pressing on bread cubes to submerge.

For apples:
Meanwhile, position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously butter 9x5-inch glass or ceramic loaf pan with at least 3-inch-high sides. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple slices and sauté until deep golden and beginning to soften, stirring and turning apple slices frequently, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup maple syrup, then brown sugar. Simmer until sugar dissolves and mixture thickens to syrup, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Mix half of apple slices into bread and custard mixture. Transfer bread pudding mixture to prepared pan. Arrange remaining apple slices atop bread pudding in 2 lengthwise rows. Spoon any remaining syrup from skillet over apple slices. Place loaf pan on rimmed baking sheet (to catch any spills during baking).

Bake bread pudding until puffed and cracked on top, apples are deep brown, and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pudding registers 170°F to 180°F, about 1 hour 30 minutes (pudding will rise high above top of pan). Remove from oven and let rest at room temperature 45 minutes to 1 hour (pudding will fall). Brush apples on top of pudding with additional maple syrup. Spoon pudding into bowls and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

From Bon Appetit via Epicurious

Sesame Soy Dressing

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

⅓ cup canola oil

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon sesame oil

a squeeze of lime juice

Put garlic and ginger in canola oil and allow flavors to infuse for an hour or so.  Remove garlic and ginger and discard.

Whisk remaining ingredients into oil until emulsified.