Savory Oatmeal Cookies

I have a confession to make... I'm pretty obsessed with Pinterest. I may have disclosed this at some point in the past couple of months, but seriously, this obsession has gotten worse (yes, I'm aware gotten isn't proper english and this is my caring face heehee). Any way, seriously, I check out Pinterest first thing when I wake up in the morning, at lunch time in the office, and of course lying in bed at night before I go to sleep. Now that I have the Pinterest app on my phone... well, my obsession has intensified. On one of my many Pinterest binges, I came across these amazing looking savory oatmeal cookies. And this weekend I finally got around to making them. I made some minor changes to the recipe, and the result was glorious!!

Savory Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe very slightly adapted from the Kitchn.com

Ingredients:

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• kosher salt for sprinkling
• Roasted garlic goat cheese

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line large baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Place oats in a large bowl and sprinkle with warm water. In a smaller bowl, combine the olive oil, honey, and egg until well mixed. Pour mixture over the oats and stir to combine. Set mixture aside.
3. In another mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, rosemary and black pepper. Whisk until well incorporated. Then gently stir in the parmesan cheese. Add the flour mixture to the oat mixture and stir until blended (try not to overmix).
4. Scoop onto prepared baking tray (I did about 1/8 cup portions or the size of an ice cream scoop). Flatten slightly then sprinkle with kosher salt.
5. Bake 18 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
6. Once cookies are cooled, serve spread with roasted garlic goat cheese.

Yep, they're pretty easy and use very basic ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and fridge. These are a great snack or starter to a yummy dinner and pair really well with white wine. If you have a chance, head over to the Kitchn to check out other delicious recipes and some great tips.

This post has been linked up with the recipe party over at the Sweet Spot! Head over and check out all the amazing Easter Goodies that have been linked up with the party. :)

Happy Baking my Friends!!

Parmesan and Black Pepper Biscotti

This is my favorite biscotti recipe. I've made it many, many times, but each time it has never lasted long enough to get a couple of photographs!! Hubby and sister eagerly devour it every time I make it. I know you're a little skeptical due to the fact that biscotti is usually sweet, but give this one a go! Its great with a nice chilled glass of white wine. I promise you, the entire batch will not last long in your house.

Since its Sunday and I want to go and do something today, I'm going to keep this post short! So here's the recipe - you must try this ASAP! Its a great way to use up leftover parmesan and it come together really quickly.

Parmesan and Black Pepper Biscotti
Recipe adapted from Food & Whine

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup finely grated parmesan (fresh stuff, not the powdered stuff, you need good quality for this recipe)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp freshly ground, coarse black pepper
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• extra parmesan and black pepper for sprinkling

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line large baking pan (or alternatively, two smaller baking pans) with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a large food procesor, pulse the flour, parmesan, baking powder, back pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper together until just combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with the whole milk. With your food processor running, gradually drizzle the egg-milk mixture through the feeding tube until the mixture comes together to form a slightly sticky dough.
4. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball of dough out into a 10" long log. Place logs onto prepared baking sheet(s) and press to flatten slightly.
5. Brush each log with a little whole milk then sprinkle with parmesan and additional coarse ground black pepper. Bake in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, until just golden and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
6. Transfer logs to a cutting board. Using a large sharp knife, carefully cut into 1/2 inch slices. Place slices back on baking sheet with cut side up, about 1/2 inch apart. Bake in 350F oven for 10 minutes, then flip biscotti over and bake for another 10 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack to cool completely.
8. Store between waxed paper in airtight containers for one week or freeze for up to one month.  

After sharing this recipe with you, I'm struck by the urge to make another batch of these delicious little treats.... Sunday afternoon activity?!! Enjoy your Sunday whatever you're up to!

Happy Baking my Friends!

Savory Scones

This is a really fun scone recipe! You can toss in whatever you feel like or whatever you have on hand. You can make substitutions in the recipe if you want and just be creative! This recipe is out of one of my favorite cookbooks - The Guy Can't Cook by Cinda Chavich. In the cookbook, Cinda's comments regarding this recipe are as follows:

...scones are loaded with savory stuff, from roasted red peppers and
spinach to fresh herbs. The combinations are infinite - so get creative. They're
great split, toasted, and topped with poached eggs, or simply to grab for a
portable breakfast."

And the plus side of this recipe - you'll be noshing on delicious scones within 35-40 minutes! Doesn't get any better than that! :)

Savory Scones

Recipe from The Guy Can't Cook, p. 65

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt (omit or decrease this if using salty ingredients like feta, bacon, proscuitto)
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup finely chopped savory stuff (roasted red peppers, carmelized onion, roasted garlic, finely chopped spinach, chopped steamed broccoli, crumbled bacon, slivered proscuitto, etc.)
• 1 green onion minced
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (dill, basil, oregano, or thyme)
• 1 cup shredded or crumbled cheese (aged cheddar, feta, gruyere, gouda, or blue cheese)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup half-and-half cream or buttermilk (use plain yogurt in a pinch)
• poppy seeds or sesame seeds

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. In a food processor, combine the flours, salt, baking powder, and butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, then transfer to a bowl.
3. Sitr in savory vegetables and/or meat into the dry ingredients along with the green onion, herbs, and cheese. Add just enough cream to make a soft dough (the amount you add will depend on how wet the vegetable mixture is), and stir with a fork until until the dough forms. Don't work the dough too much, the less you handle it, the flakier your scones will be. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat the dough onto and 8-inch square about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into four 4-inch squares. Slice each square crosswise to make 8 triangular scones. Set the scones on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Using a pastry brust, lightly brush the tops with extra cream and sprinkle with seeds.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a cooling rack for a short time. Serve warm with butter or plain cream cheese. Makes 8 scones.

One more tip from Cinda:

"Think about complementary and classic combinations for the scones (red pepper
with oregano and cheddar cheese; spinach with dill and feta; proscuitto with
chopped olives, basil, and parmesan; cooked and crumbled italian sausage with
carmelized onions; or just get creative)."

I used bacon, cheddar cheese and chives. Hubby & sister loved these and eagerly devoured them. :) These are easy to whip up on a Sunday morning to go with your coffee instead of going to the coffee shop to buy them or as a snack to go in your lunch. Happy Baking my Friends!