Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal

After posting the recipe for Heidi’s Chocolate Oat Cookies, a reader asked:

Hey Sally,

Can you only use one cup of sugar?

Amber, who must watch the sugar in things, but who thinks these look really yummy and is glad SP is baking again!

Dear Amber,

Thank you for the kind words.

The sugar cannot be reduced, but here is a yummy, healthy breakfast treat with the same flavors. This, too, uses peanut butter, which has been shown to promote heart health and help prevent type 2 diabetes. You may substitute other nut butters, such as cashew or almond butter. For a treat, try substituting hazelnut-chocolate butter (such as Nutella).

Amounts are given for either one or four servings. Enjoy to you heart’s delight!

Tastefully yours,

Auntie

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal. 
Embroidery & handmade lace by Grandmother Page

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal

One Serving:
½ cup oats

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar (or to taste)

1 ½ tablespoon peanut butter

1 ¼ cup skim milk

¼ teaspoon vanilla


Small pot (approximately one quart size)

Four Servings:
2 cups oats
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup dark brown sugar (or to taste)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons peanut butter
5 cups skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Large pot (approximately 2 ½ quart size)

Place the oats, cocoa and sugar in pot. Stir to mix. Add peanut butter and milk. Stir well.

Place pot on medium high heat. Stir the oatmeal with a spatula occasionally to prevent it from sticking on the bottom. Heat until it begins to boil. The single serve recipe will come to a boil in about five minutes. The four serving recipe will come to a boil in about 15 minutes. Let it cook until to desired thickness (about 5 minutes.)

Remove from heat. Add vanilla, stir and serve. May be topped with additional peanut butter, chocolate chips, brown sugar or cream. 

Handy Hints:

Different brands of peanut butter can alter the final outcome of a recipe. In recipes, try to use a peanut butter with no added salt or sugar. If that is not possible, taste the peanut butter first and adjust your recipes accordingly.

Dry ingredients mix in much better if you mix them before adding liquid ingredients.

Using natural peanut butter? Don’t like the mess of mixing back in the oil that has risen to the top? Try this. Before opening, turn the jar upside down for a day or two. The oil will mix itself back in! 

Mixing natural peanut butter is easier when it’s at room temperature. After mixing the oil back in, refrigerate.

If something begins to stick on the bottom of a pan, cover and take the pan off the heat. Let it rest a few minutes. The moisture will loosen the stuck bits. Don’t do this if the bottom is already scorched!

Cornmeal Pancakes

Make these for breakfast. Try them with melted jelly instead of syrup. Do not question me on this.

Cornmeal Pancakes

(4 servings)

1 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup flour
Pinch salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 eggs - beaten
¾  cup milk (or buttermilk)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

In a medium bowl, dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vegetable oil.

Add liquid mixture to dry mixture.

Drop by heaping tablespoons on a greased hot skillet or griddle on medium heat. Cook until edges are brown and bubbles are in the middle. Turn and cook on other side. Serve with butter and maple, sorghum, molasses or other syrup.

Apple Fritters, Loretta and Giggling Girls

You think it's easy being a food blogger? Not on your nelly, honey.  Stove Lady challenged me to participate in NoJoMo - November Journaling Month.  I've got to write something everyday in November.

Last night, after I finally pried myself away from the computer (sometime around 1:32 am), I realized I had two problems. There was nothing to write about and nothing for breakfast.

Scrounging around the kitchen produced a bowl of granny smith apples.   Have you ever wondered who was Granny Smith?  She must have been one heck of a cook.  No matter the recipe, her apples retain their firm texture and sweet-tart taste.

Seeing that bowl of granny smiths took me right back to my college days.  Apple fritters were a regular treat for my roommate Loretta and me.  Apple fritters must have been invented at a slumber party.   They seem happiest among giggling girls.

Problem solved. I mixed up the batter and let it rest overnight.

The next morning, the fritters were a snap to make.  Good thing, too. A food blogger must also photograph every thing she cooks.  Today was one of those diamond days - a day when everything sparkles.  The fritters deserved a chance to go outside. So there I was, ladies and gents, outside in my jammies taking pictures of fritters on my iPhone.

I had to endure the ridicule of the neighbors to bring you this recipe, so you'd better darn well make 'em.

Apple Fritters

Wet ingredients:
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon oil or butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Dry ingredients:
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup flour

2 cups chopped apples
2 egg whites

Combine wet ingredients. 

Sift together dry ingredients.

Combine liquid and dry ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least two hours.  Remove from refrigerator and stir batter. Stir in apples.

Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold into batter.

Have a pot of deep oil heated to 375º.  Carefully drop batter by spoonfuls into hot oil, making sure not to splash oil. Do not crowd pan. Cook until brown on one side. Turn and cook on other side. Total cooking time should be around 3 – 5 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.  Dust with powdered sugar.