Oatmeal Cupcakes – For Now or Later

We just had our third baby (and third boy!) on Friday morning. We are overjoyed and happily adjusting to our newest family member.   As we try to get used to a new routine once again we’re looking for easy, healthy snack foods.  My wife found this recipe the other day and we made them and were very happy with the results.  They feature a good number of Bailey’s staples (oats, applesauce, maple syrup, oil), are easy to prepare, and good for saving in the freezer for whenever you need a little bit of breakfast.

The batter can be made the night before and allowed to soak in the fridge which will help to further soften the oats, adding to the ease of baking in time for breakfast.

Oatmeal Cupcakes – For Now or Later

Recipe adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie

Makes 24 cupcakes

• 5 cups oats
• 2 ½ cups applesauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 4-6 tbsp. maple syrup
• optional: ⅔ cup mini chocolate chips
• 2 ⅓ cups water
• ¼  cup plus 1 tbsp. oil
• 2 ½  tsp pure vanilla extract
• optional add-ins: chocolate chips, dried fruit, cinnamon, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, ground flax or wheat germ, pumpkin puree with pumpkin pie spices, etc.

Preheat oven to 375 F, and grease cupcake tins.  Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix together well.  In a second bowl combine and mix together the wet ingredients.  Mix the two bowls together then spoon into the cupcake tins, filling until just full (they won’t expand like normal cupcakes).  Bake for 20 minutes and check to see that they’re beginning to turn golden on top.  If you like you may give them a quick broil for 1-2 minutes at the end to crisp up the top.  Allow to cool for a few minutes until they can be pried out of the cupcake tins.  (The cooler they are the easier they are to remove.)  

If you are going to freeze the cupcakes just freeze them in the cupcake tins before removing them and and then you can transfer them to a freezer bag.  Reheat them when you need a quick and easy breakfast (or any meal), and top them with fresh or frozen fruit (in the photo they’re topped with frozen blueberries), or maple syrup, or anything else that sounds good!

Recipe adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie, pictures from Jon Spee who blogs about localism at The Local Kitchener (although he’s taking a break to readjust to life with a new baby!).   

Maple Custard - 99% Local

I’m always on the lookout for desserts that utilize 100% local ingredients (well, if you use vanilla it’s not technically 100% local, but pretty close).  When I realized that my maple ice cream would work as a baked custard it was great because during the winter ice cream appeals slightly less than it does in the summer (but really, ice cream is always welcome…).  Anyways, this is a very simple recipe and is incredibly rich and tasty.  

When you make this custard you can make it in small ramekins or a large ovenproof bowl.  If you make it in ramekins feel free to fill them with a small amount of maple syrup, about 1 tablespoon in the bottom of each.  Then flip them out onto plates to serve as maple flan.

Baked Maple Custard

• 3-4 eggs (or 2-3 eggs and 1-2 egg yolks)
• ½ – ¾ cup maple syrup
• Dash of salt
• 2 ½ cups milk (or 2 cups milk and ½ cup cream)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract, or scraped seeds from a vanilla bean

Preheat the oven to 325 F.  Heat the milk (and cream) over medium-low heat until just steaming.  Meanwhile whisk the eggs (and yolks) with the maple syrup and salt until blended.  When the milk is hot gradually whisk it into the egg and syrup mixture.  If you want you can pour the new mixture through a mesh sieve to strain out any large egg chunks, which will make for a much smoother custard.  Pour the mixture into a large ovenproof bowl or ramekins.  

Bake the custard in a water bath for 40-60 minutes.  The time really depends on the shape and size of your bowl or ramekins.  The custard is done when the top is set and has begun to caramelize.  According to Betty Crocker, the custard is set when a “knife inserted halfway between center and edge comes out clean.”

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.  If using ramekins the custard can be flipped out onto a small plate when served.

Guest Recipe Post by Jon Spee

The Local Kitchener