Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

I love oatmeal.  I eat it nearly every single day.  It is a great source of fiber, low on the Glycemic Index, helps lower cholesterol (though thankfully I don't have any concerns in that area of my health) and is a wonderful way to give you the energy you need to kickstart the day.  Pair it with a food high in protein, such as scrambled egg whites on the side,  and you are good to go.

This dish is not just your everyday morning oatmeal but rather a baked version that is so sweet and delicious you will want to eat oatmeal every day too.  It is excellent topped with some agave nectar and a splash of milk.

The combo of apples and cinnamon are always a warm welcome at our breakfast table.  Who doesn't love that flavor? When added to oatmeal it makes for an extremely heart-healthy and comforting meal.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins

Start your morning off right with the taste of a cookie disguised as a muffin! These have all the great ingredients you would find in your beloved oatmeal cookie. Whole wheat pastry flour is used instead of all purpose for a little dose of " healthy". And of course, a full cup of oats doesn't hurt either.

I found this recipe after a search on foodgawker for an oatmeal muffin my kids would really enjoy. When I saw "cookie" in the title I knew I had found a winner.

This recipe makes 12 muffins but if you want a higher domed version, you may want to consider going with 10 instead and filling the liners up a bit more with batter. Just give them a little longer baking time.

Some advice: there is 1/4 cup of butter in the recipe and trust me, it does make the bottoms greasy post-baked. Therefore you may want to consider using foil liners or add an extra liner after they are baked.

I opted for semi-sweet chocolate chips but dark or even milk chocolate varieties would work well too. Even leaving out the chocolate and using raisins instead would be great.


Instead of reposting the recipe I will redirect you now to How Sweet It Is and her recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins.

RECIPE LINK: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Muffins

ENJOY !


Also linked here:

Milk Chocolate Jumbo Oatmeal Cookies

Nothing like Grandma's oatmeal cookies! Yup, these contain oatmeal but that is pretty much the only remnants left of the traditional oatmeal cookie. The addition of cocoa and milk chocolate chips bring these babies up to a whole new level of YUM.

You can use any brand of chocolate chips you prefer but for me nothing beats Callebaut Milk Chocolate. 1 1/2 cups added to the batter is sheer perfection.

Are they really jumbo? Uh, ya, they are. You can squeeze in about 6 cookies per standard baking sheet and you need to leave PLENTY of room between the cookies as these spread out quite a bit during baking. 3-4" spaces is ideal.

This recipe makes approximately 18 large cookies. You will need 3 cookie sheets, each one lined with parchment paper and then you are ready to begin.

These are large, sweet, super crispy and oh so chocolatey. Simply put, I adore them.

LET'S GET STARTED!

RECIPE:
*adjusted source recipe: Family Circle Ultimate Comfort Food Cookbook

WHAT YOU NEED

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder (best quality you can find)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups large flake old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper

IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt
IN LARGE BOWL, beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar MED speed for 3 minutes
BEAT in eggs and vanilla
ON LOW SPEED add in flour mixture blending til just combined
GRADUALLY add in oats blending again til just combined
FOLD in chocolate chips

USE your cookie scoop to measure out cookies - dropping them 3-4" apart onto parchment lined baking sheets
BAKE 17 minutes
LET COOL in pan 5 minutes
TRANSFER cookies to cooling rack and let cool to room temperature

FANTASTIC !

Also seen here:

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These are an old-time favorite and seem to have a strong presence in the hearts of most families. I love the texture and taste of a really good oatmeal raisin cookie. They cannot be too crispy or too chewy. I was aiming for something in between. And of course, one that would be perfect for dunking into a cup of milk. Another option: adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to one half, sandwich with another cookie and voila, an amazing ice cream sandwich treat.

When making these cookies please opt for old-fashioned large flake oats. Do not go with the quick-cooking variety or you will be sadly disappointed in the cookie outcome. You see, quick-cooking oats are already pre-cooked and simply do not work well in baked goods. I love the large fashioned variety of oats for their nuttiness and chew. They work very well in this recipe.

As far as raisins go, why not jazz it up a bit? I decided to use half dark raisins and half golden raisins. The golden raisins almost add a floral flavor to the cookie when you bite into one of them. They are a refreshing addition to these traditional treats. These cookies would also gladly welcome the addition of dried cherries or cranberries. Play around with your ingredients and see what works for you!

So let's get started !

RECIPE:
*adapted source recipe: The Pastry Queen

WHAT YOU NEED
* this recipe makes approx. 4 dozen cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, large flake variety
3/4 cup dark raisins
3/4 cup golden raisins

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper
WITH ELECTRIC HAND MIXER OR STAND MIXER (fitted with paddle attachment), cream butter, syrup and 2 sugars on MED speed for 4-5 minutes
ADD EGGS and beat on MED speed til thoroughly blended
ADD remaining ingredients mixing on LOW speed until combined

DROP GOLFBALL-SIZED mounds of dough onto prepared sheets leaving 1 inch space between each cookie
LIGHTLY press down each cookie to flatten slightly
BAKE 7-10 minutes until golden brown
COOL on baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer to cooling rack
COOL completely.

ENJOY !