My Creations- Week of August 21st, 2005

Crispy Oatmeal Bake

Category: Oatmeal
Rating: Good

I tried it first straight from the baking dish, then with milk. Liked it much better with milk as it brought out the sweetness of the brown sugar, chocolate chips and coconut.

2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 cups old-fashioned oats
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup flaked coconut
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Combine eggs, oil and brown sugar. Combine oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon: add to egg mixture, stirring just until moistened. Stir in coconut, raisins and chips.
Spoon into greased 13x9x2 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Serve with milk if desired.



Peachy-Orange Yogurt Shake

Category: Beverage
Rating: Good

Don’t let the shake title fool you, this is all healthy.



All-Purpose Cornbread (right)
Spicy-Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread (left)

Category: Bread
Rating: Good

Cook’s Illustrated’s acceptable interpretation of this classic has more of a denser, drier texture. The second is a variation that adjusts the batter and adds diced jalapeno, cayenne and cheddar with more cheese on top. It was barely spicy and the cheese was a nice addition.

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour1 cup yellow cornmeal2 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp baking soda3/4 tsp table salt1/4 cup packed light brown sugar3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed1 cup buttermilk2 large eggs8 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightlyAdjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 8-inch-square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl until combined; set aside.In food processor or blender, process brown sugar, thawed corn kernels, and buttermilk until combined, about 5 seconds. Add eggs and process until well combined (corn lumps will remain), about 5 seconds longer.Using rubber spatula, make well in center of dry ingredients; pour wet ingredients into well. Begin folding dry ingredients into wet, giving mixture only a few turns to barely combine; add melted butter and continue folding until dry ingredients are just moistened. Pour batter into prepared baking dish; smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until deep golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes; invert cornbread onto wire rack, then turn right side up and continue to cool until warm, about 10 minutes longer. Cut into pieces and serve.

Spicy Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread: In flour mixture reduce salt to ½ t, add 3/8 t cayenne, 1 medium jalapeno, cored seeded and chopped fine and 2 oz shredded sharp cheddar. Reduce sugar to 2 T and sprinkle 2 oz cheese over batter before baking.



Santa Fe Pizza

Category: Pizza
Rating: Good+

The many ingredients did well melding together and included sharp cheddar, roasted chicken strips, red onion, cumin, jalapeno, corn, and cilantro; with only the cilantro more prevalent. The addition of salsa after baking created a nice variance in temperature.



Ballpark Baked Beans

Category: Side
Rating: Good

Stupid easy to make, but with the exception of the sweet spikes of pineapple didn’t taste any different than usual baked beans. Mix together 32 oz baked beans, ¼ c brown sugar, 2 T ketchup and 2 t mustard and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Mix in 20 oz of drained pineapple tidbits and bake for 30 more minutes.



Root Beer Float Granita

Category: Dessert
Rating: Good+

Intensely sweet reduced root beer syrup, creamy ice cream and granular granita all came together as an updated version of the classic treat.