Jenn’s Cook Book

From 5:30 AM: First-Shift Foods, the authors call this chapter “foods to beckon us from bed.” The original recipe calls for coconut, sunflower seeds, and pecans, which I substituted with dried cherries and mini-chocolate chips. The add-ins are open to interpretation as long as you keep the proportions the same, although I would highly recommend keeping the wheat germ, it adds a nutty flavor and gives the granola texture. I’ve posted the original recipe, and then my remake.

2 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pecan pieces
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries or golden raisins

Preheat oven to 300F and coat a 13×9 baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, toss the oats, coconut, sunflower seeds, pecans, and wheat germ.

Combine oil, maple syrup, and salt in a glass measuring cup and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Add the vanilla.

Pour the syrup over the dry ingredients and toss to coat everything evenly. Spread mixture over prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Add the cranberries or raisins and allow the mixture to cool.

Jenn’s Chocolate-Cherry Granola
2 1/2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup mini-chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300F and coat a 13×9 baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, toss the oats and wheat germ.

Combine oil, maple syrup, and salt in a glass measuring cup and heat in the microwave for 1 minute. Add the vanilla.

Pour the syrup over the dry ingredients and toss to coat everything evenly. Spread mixture over prepared baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Add the dried cherries. Add the chocolate chips while the mixture is still warm and stir to melt the chocolate into the granola, or add the chocolate chips after the mixture has cooled to keep in pieces.

Sprinkle granola on top of yogurt and fruit.

Celebrate National Peach Cobbler Day with this easy impostor. Okay, this is more of a crisp than an actual cobbler, but it’s the thought that counts! Since cherries and peaches are a distant memories here in mid-April Michigan, I used frozen fruit and it tasted great. Be sure to thaw fruit completely first. Wheat germ adds a toasted, nutty taste to the crumbly topping.

2 bags (16 oz each) unsweetened frozen sliced peaches, thawed
1 bag (12 oz) unsweetened frozen dark sweet cherries, thawed
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup brown sugar, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1/2 cup flour
1 cup quick oats
2 tbsp wheat germ
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
frozen yogurt, for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F and coat a 13×9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Pour thawed peaches and cherries into prepared pan, including any juices from the bags. Toss fruit with cornstarch and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Set aside.

In a food processor or chopped, combine flour and butter. Pulse until butter is in pea-sized pieces. Add remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, quick oats, wheat germ, and cinnamon. Pulse until just combined.

Sprinkle topping over prepared fruit. Bake 20-25 minutes, until topping is golden and fruit mixture is bubbly. Serve warm with frozen yogurt, if desired.

Shown below, served with vanilla frozen yogurt and garnished with mint:

Here’s another crisp recipe, this time a combination of the Spring strawberry and late Fall persimmon. Persimmons are just starting to come out of season, so I snagged what might be the last batch. Think of this as a meeting of the season, a way to celebrate moving from cold, dreary weather to the bright, cheerfulness of Spring. This recipe would be great with any berry coming into season, such as blueberries or blackberries. Add in some sliced peaches, fresh or frozen.

Crisps and crumbles are great for fruit that looks past its prime but still taste good. The combinations are endless, today it’s strawberries and persimmons, but tomorrow it could be blackberries and peaches or raspberries and nectarines. Update the recipe based on the fruit that’s in season, creating new combinations over the summer. See Jenn’s General Crisp Recipe for tips and ideas.

2 pints fresh strawberries
3 fresh persimmons
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour

Topping:
1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt 

Preheat oven to 350F and coat a 13×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.

Rinse strawberries and remove tops. Cut into halves or quarters if large and place in prepared baking dish. Cut persimmons in half and scoop flesh into a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth and add persimmon puree to baking dish. Toss puree and strawberries with sugar and flour. Spread strawberry mixture into an even layer.

In a clean food processing cup, combine flour and butter. Pulse several times until butter is in pea-sized clumps. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse until combined. Sprinkle topping mixture over strawberries.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Want to make your own crisp? Follow this easy recipe:

Topping:
1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Filling:
3-4 cups fresh or frozen fruit, coarsely chopped or sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup lemon or orange juice

Preheat oven to 350F and coat a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray or butter.

Combine flour and butter in food processor. Pulse until butter is in pea-sized clumps. Add quick oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse 3-4 times to combine.

Toss cut fruit, sugar, flour, and lemon or orange juice in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit. Top with chopped nuts, if using.  

If you would like both a topping and a bottom crust, double the topping ingredients (except nuts and salt). Press half of mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Add nuts into second half of mixture and use as topping.

Mix up the ingredients for different fruit combinations, for example:

Strawberries and rhubarb with walnuts
Frozen cherries, ginger, and sliced almonds
Fresh or frozen sliced peaches, blueberries, and pecans
Pears, nutmeg, and chopped hazelnuts
Plums, honey (in place of juice), and mixed nuts  

Is it Spring yet? I’ve decided that it is. So, to celebrate the beginning of Spring (albeit a week or so early), I made a yummy, fruity, crispy dessert to enjoy the first tastes of the season. Last week, my local paper ran a great article on Cobblers, Crisps and Crumbles, the easy alternative to pies and tarts. Last summer, I made a Rhubarb Crisp that turned out awesome, so this time I modified a recipe from Simply in Season to make this Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp.

While I used fresh fruit, you could certainly use frozen fruits and berries of nearly any variety. What is great about these desserts is the versatility and ability to swap flavors and spices so readily to make a completely personalized dessert. Rhubarb is just now available, and will be until early to mid-summer, and pairs wonderfully with fresh strawberries. Serve this dessert warm and bubbly with vanilla ice cream.

10 stalks rhubarb, roughly chopped
1 pint strawberries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened  
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F and coat a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray.

Combine chopped rhubarb and strawberries in a large saucepan. Stir in sugar, orange zest and juice, and vanilla extract. Over medium heat, bring mixture to a boil and stir frequently for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, rolled oats, sugar, butter, salt and cinnamon. Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat until crumbly and moist. Press half of the flour mixture into the bottom pan to create a crust. Pour fruit mixture over crust and spread into an even layer.

Mix walnuts into remaining half of flour mixture. Sprinkle mixture over fruit filling. Bake for 25-35 minutes until topping is golden brown and fruit mixture is bubbly. Allow to cool 10-15 minutes, then serve.

Another book from the same author of No-bake Cookies, here is the first recipe I’ve tried from Cake Mix Cookies (check out the Books for Cooks section for more information). All of the recipes in this book start with a simple box of cake mix, just add a few extras and bake, then you have cookies! Make sure that the butter and eggs are at room temperature, the batter will be creamy and consistent. Also, keep your brown sugar moist with a “brown sugar saver” or another gadget designed to keep brown sugar soft, as this is where cookies get their chewy and soft texture. Variation: substitute dried cranberries for raisins and add 1 tablespoon of orange zest for an Autumn-flavored treat!

1 box (18.5 oz) Spice cake mix
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup raisins
2 cups quick-cooking oats

Preheat oven to 350F and spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine half of the cake mix, brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and raisins. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, blend ingredients for 1-2 minutes, until well combined and smooth. Scrap down the sides of the bowl.

Gradually add the other half of the cake mix and the oats, stirring with a wooden spoon. The dough will become still.

Drop by level 1/4 cup-fuls, 2 inches apart, on prepared cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a measuring cup or glass.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are browned and the center is just set. Allow to cool 1-2 minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to a cooling rack. Makes about 2 dozen large cookies.

Enjoy with a tall glass of milk!

These no-bake cookies are made with white chocolate pudding mix and instant espresso, giving it a sweet, subtle mocha-like flavor. Inspired by the Coffee Toffee Cookies.

2 cups sugar 
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 small package instant white chocolate pudding mix
2 tsp instant espresso (or 1 tbsp instant coffee)
2 1/2 cups quick oats

Line cookie sheets with waxed paper.

In a large heavy-duty saucepan, combine sugar, butter, evaporated milk, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a full, rolling boil. Remove pan from heat.

Stir in pudding mix, instant espresso, and quick oats. Mix well until all the oats are coated.

Drop mixture by rounded tablespoons onto lined cookies sheets. Allow to cool and become firm, about 30 minutes.

Another tasty dessert from Everyday Food’s book “Great Food Fast,” from the Kitchen’s of Martha Stewart. This dish is best served warm with ice cream on the side. The tart taste of rhubarb goes well with fresh strawberries or, like this recipe, strawberry ice cream. The book points out that though rhubarb is a vegetable, it is usually used in desserts or jams.

2 lb rhubarb
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
3/4 cup flour, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into pieces
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Strawberry ice cream, for serving, or vanilla (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 F

Wash and remove leafy ends of rhubarb. Cut into diagonal pieces 3/4 inch thick. Place in a 9×13 baking dish. Toss with 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour.

In a food processor or chopper, pulse remaining 1/2 cup flour with the butter until the clumps are pea-sized. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, rolled oats, and cinnamon. Pulse just to combine. Sprinkle over rhubarb.

Bake until the rhubarb is tender and the topping is golden, 25-35 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.

The recipe calls for 35 minutes, though mine was bubbly and brown at about 25 minutes, so cooking time will vary. The strawberry ice cream complimented the rhubarb well, the picture below shows my serving with a small scoop of strawberry and vanilla.

These cookies are truly no-bake! No oven, no stove, and no microwave required. This recipe is the first recipe in Camilla V. Saulsbury’s book “No Bake Cookies.” As she says, “Your only dilemma with these cookies will be deciding with whom to share them.”

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups quick oats
2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Line cookie sheets with wax paper.

In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla with a wooden spoon, mixing until well blended. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto wax-paper-lined sheets. Allow cookies to set. Store tightly covered in an airtight container between layers of wax paper.

Here is another quick and simple recipe from my no-bake cookbook:

1 1/4 cups maple syrup
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups quick oats

In a large saucepan, combine maple syrup with corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Continue boiling for 3 minutes, stirring.

Remove from heat. Stir in butter until melted. Stir in pecans, vanilla, and oats. Press mixture into a greased 9×9 inch pan. Let stand until firm (couple hours).

This recipe was originally suppose to be drop cookies, but the cookies would not hold together so I pressed them into the baking pan (how’s that for salvaging?). One of the tricky things in baking is that recipes are very exact, so you must measure carefully and following the recipe step-by-step, but no-bake recipes typically have a little wiggle room. Next time, I would add a bit more butter to make the “batter” easier to work with, and also a pinch of salt to balance the sticky sweetness. But in whatever form, these still taste great!