Oatmeal Cream Pies

Apr 21, 2013 by Lindsey

A rare, but wonderful, series of circumstances caused both me and my husband to move into new offices this month at our same jobs. Despite the marvelous technology that  allow us to remain connected to our jobs from anywhere, it is still hard work to stop our momentum and transfer our whole businesses to a new location. We have both experienced growing pains and joys in the last month due to the changes. Suffice to say though, we are absolutely giddy over the shiny, new feeling of each of our new digs. It makes getting up in the morning thismuch easier, if you know what I mean!

This morning is Jason’s first day at his new office. To give him and his colleagues a little pep while they enjoy their new surroundings, I baked them a batch of oatmeal creme pies with maple filling. Nothing says “welcome” on a sunny morning like homemade oatmeal cream pies, right?

These are better than the Little Debbie version you can buy in your local grocery store. Not only are they made with whole oats and fresh ingredients, but the high-grade maple syrup in the cream will knock your socks off. These oatmeal cream pies are crowd-pleasers in our tiny home. I’m sure they will have the same effect in yours too! Here is how you do it.

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 sticks butter
• 1/2 brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1tbsp milk
• 3 tbsp pure, high-grade maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat to 350.

First, you will make the cookies. In a mixer, beat together 1/2 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, and 1/4 cup sugar until fluffy.

Next, add in eggs and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. Set aside. (not pictured)

Take out your food processor. Pulse 3/4 cup of oats until it resembles a fine flour-like powder. This gives the cookies a smoother, more refined texture.

 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the contents of the food processor the remaining whole oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, until evenly mixed. When baking, always mix the “dry” ingredients separately to ensure that the baking soda, salt, and seasonings are equally distributed throughout the batter.

Slowly pour the contents of the food processor into the mixer bowl with the sugar, eggs, and butter. Beat together until just combined.

Place exactly one tablespoon of dough on a lined cookie sheet, two inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes until set.

The cookies will come out perfectly golden brown. Let them cool while you bake the next batch.

Next, prepare the maple filling. In a mixer bowl, beat together the remaining 1 stick of butter, 2 cups of powdered sugar, milk, and maple syrup. Beat until very fluffy.

When the cookies have cooled, you are ready for the final product: Spread one tablespoon of filling onto one cookie, and top with another cookie. Repeat.

This recipe creates about 16 cookies, or 8 cream pies. I recommend making the cookies very small since they will be enjoyed two-at-a-time.

 

Yum I know you are going to love these delightful oatmeal cream pies. They are a perfect pick-me-up for the 3:00 slump, or a welcome treat to share with your friends.

I enjoyed my fresh-from-the oven oatmeal cream pie on the patio, finishing up my latest book, Proof of Heaven by Eban Alexander. Thought-provoking books like this one make me want to join a book club! Any takers?

Happy spring!

Lindsey

 

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Cloud 9 Chocolate Bundt Cake

Sep 3, 2012 by Lindsey

Hi, readers!

I am so happy to be posting today as a married woman! Jason and I were married on August 11, and are still on Cloud 9 from all of the love and celebrations that surrounded us last month.

I am not only happy to have a husband, but I am also happy about all of the Williams Sonoma wedding presents we have stacked up! Talk about a happy girl! We had so many duplicates of a few items, that I stopped by Williams Sonoma yesterday to make some returns. By the time I left, I had amassed such a large amount of store credit that I had purchased the kitchen item that I have been ogling for years! A KitchenAid stand mixer!

I have lovingly named her Lucy.

To break in my new gadget, I made a quick, easy, and oh-so-impressive triple chocolate bundt cake. The secret to a good bundt cake is to make it as dense and moist as you can. Therefore, I almost never make one without throwing a good ‘ol packet of Jello pudding mix into it! The four eggs, jello pudding, and sour cream in this recipe ensure that you will have a rich, decadent bundt cake ready in no time! This Cloud 9 cake is so chocolatey that it does not even need a glaze on top – just a few sprinkles of powdered sugar are enough.

This cake has helped keep me on Cloud 9 after my wedding while I adjust to the realities ahead of work and the changing seasons. Here’s how I did it!

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup of oil
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 package of chocolate cake mix
• 1 package of jello pudding mix
• 1 cup of milk chocolate chips
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

This cake is so easy that it barely classifies as cooking! All you do is mix everything together and put it into a bundt cake pan. Lucy did a great job on her maiden mixing job- usually box mixes leave clumps of mix in the batter that are difficult to work with, but my stand mixer had this cake batter smooth and creamy in a matter of seconds.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and let it cool completely before trying to get it out of the pan. Putting it in the fridge will help.

Wow! I am on Cloud 9 just looking at it. The inside is perfectly moist and has the perfect chocolate balance – not too sweet, but not too bitter.  It is just begging for a scoop of Blue Bell ice cream on top, and the chocolate chips provide tons of texture!

I made this cake while finishing a knitting project and researching my next one. I have decided on a little baby football coccoon– how cute is this? All of my friends who are having babies.. this might be coming your way soon I’m praying that JoAnn’s is open on Labor Day so I can get some brown and white yarn!

I die. Anyways, y’all are going to love this cake! It will put you on Cloud 9 just like being a newlywed. Enjoy y’all!

Mrs. Overcooked

 

 

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Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cake

May 1, 2012 by Lindsey

What would life be like without weekends? They are more than just “time off” from work, they provide me with a whole different mentality from the rest of the week. I cherish my time off by catching up on any neglected projects in my life (there is always something to do) and recharging for the week ahead. One of my favorite activities to do on the weekends is cook. It inspires me, amuses me, and always has a way of bringing people together.

This Saturday, I invited some friends over to grill a healthy, creative menu outside. Our casual dinner consisted of some perfectly seasoned Mahi Mahi tacos with an avocado-lime salsa, black bean quinoa, and dessert of grilled pineapple upside down cake. It really hit the spot! I photo-blogged the pineapple upside down cake, but realized that am going to need to re-make these tacos for the blog after I tasted how good they were. More on those later! The cake, on the other hand, is a fun way to use your gas grill and is so sweet and tasty. It has a caramel-vanilla flavor, accented perfectly by the tart grilled pineapple and savory brown sugar. Here is how you do it!

INGREDIENTS

• A seasoned cast-iron skillet
• 1 pineapple, cut into rings
• 2 tbsp +1/4 cup softened bytter
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Grilling always provides an interesting “twist” to cooking because I have to take everything outside and cook on a small surface, usually surrounded by friends and wine. The most unpleasant of this is the process of taking everything outside. Therefore, this cake is made in three “parts” all of which can be easily transported outside to your grill for convenience.

First, slice and core the pineapple. Set it in a tupperware or bowl to carry outside.

Next, mix the brown sugar, heavy cream, and cinnamon in a Pyrex cup or bowl. This will be the “top” of your upside-down cake and ensure that the heavy pineapple sticks to the rest of the cake.  Reserve 2 tbsp butter with this, but do not mix it in yet.

Lastly, use a mixer to cream the remaining 1/4 cup butter, flour, eggs, and everything else. Put it in a bowl to carry outside. When you are all “prepped,” it will look like this:

When you are outside, preheat the grill to about 400 degrees and keep it there. Melt the butter on the skillet while you grill the pineapple.

While the pineapple is getting that nice sear on the outside, pour the brown-sugar and cream mixture into the skillet. When it starts to bubble around the edges, you are ready to put the pineappple into the skillet using some tongs.

When everything is inside of the skillet, pour the cake batter on top and move the pan to indirect heat. Cover and let it cook for 45 minutes to one hour.

During this time, we ate a lot of delicious mahi mahi tacos, talked about our jobs, compared our successes with various fitness “fads” (I am starting P90X this week!), and enjoyed the gorgeous weather outside. It was a truly lovely dinner.

What better to top off a good meal than a light and healthy dessert? One hour later, our cake was ready.

We were in SUCH  a rush to eat that we failed to turn our “upside down” cake upside down! What a great blog photograph that would have been, huh? Imagine our beautiful square cake with a brown crumble top and rings of pineapple poking through. Keep imagining… because that is not what it looked like.

Okay, so I admit that I am not the best photographer after a few glasses of wine. We were so excited about this little masterpiece that we dug right in and were amazed at how delicious it was! The brown sugar adds a caramel flavor that is so sticky and delightful with the fresh pineapple.

If you are in the mood for something amazing to create on the grill, this cake is for you. It is really, really good and polishes off a BBQ like nothing else.

I hope you all are having a lovely week! Lots of love!

Lindsey

 

 

 

 

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Caramel Surprise Cookies

Dec 5, 2011 by Lindsey

This is the recipe for Jason’s favorite cookie, just in time for the holiday baking season. These delicious sugar cookies are simple on the outside, but have a chocolate-covered caramel in the middle.  When they emerge from the oven, you will see peeks of the melted chocolate and caramel through cracks in the cookie dough. I always add a pinch of salt on top of them to really accent the caramel flavor within. These easy goodies will certainly please a crowd!

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 c flour

2 c sugar

2 eggs

2 sticks butter, softened

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

12 or more chocolate covered caramels (I used Dove)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat to 350 and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Set aside. In a large bowl, use a mixer to combine the sugars and butter until fluffy. Mix in the flour in small batches. Mix in the eggs.

Use a tablespoon scoop to create 12 tablespoon-sized dough balls. Set them on the prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart.

Press one chocolate-covered caramel in the middle of each bit of cookie dough. Then, top the caramel with another tablespoon-sized cookie dough ball. Pinch the edges together and press down to 3/4 inch thickness.

I only made 12 cookies, so I rolled the leftover cookie dough in parchment paper and froze it for anytime cookies.

Put your cookies in the oven for about 13 minutes or until they are completely set. When you take them out of the oven, immediately sprinkle the tops with salt. Let cool on a wire rack.

These cookies are sure to brighten your day. You’ll love how easy they are to make and how much joy they bring to those who eat them. My fiance sure liked them… He ate two right off the wire rack while they were cooling!

Happy Monday everyone. I’m off to learn Constitutional Law for finals next week!

Lindsey

 

 

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Pumpkin Cookies

Nov 21, 2011 by Lindsey

Happy Thanksgiving week!

I hope everyone is gearing up for a short work-week and anticipating the holiday ahead. Jason and I bought our Christmas tree this weekend (it’s fake, don’t judge!) and I finished one of my final exams by presenting a full trial at a federal courthouse with a partner. It was a stressful, but fun experience. I’m glad it’s over and am grateful for everything that I learned and the friends that I made in the process.

These two accomplishments really put me in the holiday spirit this weekend,  compelling me to whip up a batch of these easy, fluffy pumpkin cookies last night. They have the spices of cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, and are so soft you’ll wonder if it’s actually cake you’re eating. Because they are so light, I think these are a fantastic after- (or pre-) Thanksgiving dinner treat. They’ll satisfy your sweet tooth without filling you up.

Here’s how I made these wonderful holiday cookies.

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 heaping teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Glaze:

2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

 

INSTRUCTIONS

I did not take a lot of pictures while cooking this recipe since I made them while also cooking a casserole for dinner. Here’s the instructions on how to make the cookies, and if you have questions, just E-Mail Me!

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper or a Silpat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt.

In a mixer bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar using the paddle attachment. Beat in the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla to butter mixture until thoroughly combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

Drop cookies on baking sheet using a 2TBS cookie scoop.

Bake for 12-15 minutes in a preheated oven, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cookies completely on a rack.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whisk until smooth.  Dip the cookies top side down in the glaze, then set on a rack to dry.

See how fluffy and cake-like they are? These are a great holiday cookie for a Thanksgiving spread, or to leave out for Santa.  The sweet glaze compliments the pumpkin and spices in the cookies perfectly, so don’t skip that step. It is worth the extra calories.

I hope you enjoy and are thankful for many things this year. One of the things I am most thankful for is the success that my blog has had this year. I couldn’t imagine my life without it. Keep coming back for more Holiday recipes and musings every Monday!

Happy Thanksgiving y’all,

Lindsey

 

 

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