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!

Heidi's Chocolate Oat Cookies

Well, my dear nieces and nephews. I’m long over due in giving you a recipe for something yummy. Time to change that.

The kitchen has been the center of much painting, unpacking, washing and organizing. Not a whole lot of cooking going on. However, in celebration of finding the baking sheets and pots, I whipped up a batch of Chocolate Oat Cookies. Actually, these are not cookies in the truest sense. They are more like fudge candies with oats added in. Whatever they are, they were immensely popular years ago. Now, my dear nieces and nephews can rediscover an easy-to-make retro treat.

This recipe was given to me by childhood friend, Heidi. In fact, I call them Heidi Cookies. Heidi and I were best friends in fifth grade. We had a terrible fight (probably over a boy. It always is.) We stopped being friends and have never seen each other since. Every time I make these cookies, I wish we could find each other again and rekindle our friendship. So, Heidi, I hope you are out there and I’m sorry.

Love,

Aunt Sally

Heidi's Chocolate Oat Cookies

CHOCOLATE OAT COOKIES

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa (1 ounce)

1 stick butter (½ cup) (or cholesterol-lowering margarine)

½ cup milk

(½ cup peanut butter) (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups oats

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cocoa. Stir well to combine. Add butter and milk. Over medium heat, bring to soft boil. Let boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Add peanut butter (if using) and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add oats.

Spoon out quickly onto wax paper, parchment paper or aluminum foil lined baking sheets. Cookies will harden as they set.

Handy Hints:

I use skim milk and cholesterol-reducing margarine so I can at least believe they are healthy-ish. Don’t use lower calorie margarine, since it contains too much liquid.

Cholesterol-lowering spread

Use a buttered disher (ice cream scoop) to make even sized cookies. I used a number 100 size, available at restaurant supply stores. 

Since these do not bake, you can use waxed paper instead of parchment. Much cheaper!!

I prefer them without peanut butter, yet both option are quite good.  The peanut butter will not melt completely.

Peanut butter melted in

Whisk the sugar and cocoa together first. It helps the cocoa mix in better. 

Whisk Sugar & Cocoa

Snow Ice Cream

Ben in North Carolina wrote back after trying the hot chocolate recipe. Now, he wants some snow ice cream to go with his hot chocolate. I can't blame him. What a great combination!

Dear Aunt Sally,

Absolutely Delicious! Made the recipe with the truffles. It is like dessert in a cup. Used mostly sugar free ingredients. Thank you, Aunt Sally. In the near future since Wilmington has between 4-6 inches of snow; how about a recipe for snow cream!

Ben in North Carolina 

Dear Ben,

Thank you for your kind compliment! I only wish I could see Wilmington in the snow. It's such a beautiful place.

A snow ice cream recipe is merely a suggestion. The exact amounts depend upon taste and the density of the snow. The one constant is the snow must be freshly fallen and clean.

This is the basic recipe. Adjust to your tastes. Low calorie sweetener may be substituted for the sugar. Adjust sweetener amounts according to package instructions.

Fondly,

Aunt Sally

Snow Ice Cream
1 gallon freshly fallen snow
1 cup milk or cream
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Place snow in large mixing bowl.

In another bowl, stir together the milk, sugar and vanilla.

Gently pour over the snow and stir to combine. Taste and adjust ingredients to your liking. Serve immediately. 

Variations
Follow the above recipe, but change the ingredients to one of the variations listed below. 

Dream Snow Ice Cream (tastes like a Dreamsicle)
1 gallon freshly fallen snow
1 cup milk or cream
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 - 2 teaspoons grated orange rind

Maple Snow Ice Cream
1 gallon freshly fallen snow
3/4  cup milk or cream
1/4 cup maple syrup

Fruity Snow Ice Cream
1 gallon freshly fallen snow
3/4  cup milk or cream
1/4 cup fruit syrup (strawberry, peach, blueberry, lingonberry, etc.)

Chocolate Snow Ice Cream
1 gallon freshly fallen snow
3/4  cup milk or cream
1/4 cup chocolate syrup

My yard: Snow on Cactus and Yucca

Homemade Hot Chocolate

Dear Aunt Sally, 

Do you have a recipe for Homemade Hot Chocolate?

Ben in North Carolina


Dear Ben,

But of course!   First, we need some definitions.  Hot cocoa is made with cocoa powder and is less rich. Hot chocolate is made with melted chocolate and is the sweetest, smoothest thing this side of heaven. For you, my dear friend, I will give you only the very best -- Hot Chocolate!

Hot chocolate is based on ganache. Ganache is nothing more than hot cream poured over chocolate, then stirred to blend. This simple mixture can be turned into frosting, glaze, pastry filling or chocolate truffles. You know that creamy center in boxed chocolates? That's ganache. 

To make hot chocolate, take two ounces ganache (or to taste) and place in a mug. Heat one cup milk over medium heat, being careful not to scorch. Pour hot milk over ganache, stir and enjoy.

Not in the mood to make ganache? No problem! Just pop over to the store and pick up chocolate truffles. This time of year, they can be found on sale just about anywhere, including drug stores and groceries. Take about two ounces of truffles (or to taste) and chop coarsely. Then, pour hot milk over, stir and enjoy.

To make a larger batch, heat milk on stove and add truffles to the milk in the pan. Increase amounts accordingly. 
 
Fondly, 

Aunt Sally