Vegan Banana Oat and Walnut Cookies

Yields 12 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 TBSP agave or honey
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Combine banana, oats, agave, cinnamon and half of the nuts
2. Spoon onto parchment lined baking sheet and flatten each cookie
3. Press remaining walnuts onto the top of each cookie
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes

Oat Blueberry Pancakes

Yields 9-10 small pancakes

• 3/4 cup flour
• 2/3 cup quick oats
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 pint blueberries, rinsed and pricked with a fork (allowing the juices to release and the berry soften, aiding in the cooking the baking to completion

1. Combine milk and vinegar and let sit while you measure the rest of the ingredients.
2. Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl.  Stir in wet ingredients until well incorporated
3. Heat electric skillet to 275 degrees
4. Pour in batter and add blueberries to each pancake (about 7-8 each)
5. Flip over once well-browned, then remove from heat once batter is fully cooked

 

Peach Crisp (Revisited) in Ramekins with Oat Nut Topping

Served at C’s engagement party July 2013

Last night, I went back to one of my favorite summertime desserts, peach crisp. I love that the flavor is simply peachy.  I tried a new topping recipe because I wasn’t really satisfied with the one I had been using.  This new recipe incorporates nuts, which I think really add a lot to the recipe.  It also includes oats, which was a must for me.  The topping was crisp and slightly sweet, but you could really taste those nuts!

Another challenge is always making sure that the peaches and topping are neither under- or over-baked.  Cranking up the heat towards the end of the bake time really helped to crisp the topping

In preparation to serving this as individual desserts, I used six 5 ounce ramekins for this recipe.

PEACH CRISP

FILLING INGREDIENTS

4 cups (about 7 small) fresh peaches, blanched for 15sec in simmering water, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice

2 TBSP corn starch (this varies depending on the juiciness.  Mine were pretty juicy and the the peaches were well coated with a slurry)

pinch of cinnamon and salt

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger (optional)

2 TBSP sugar (optional, depending on the sweetness of your peaches)

TOPPING INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup + 2 TBSP Flour

1/4 cup oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

6 TBSP cold butter, cut into cubes

1/4 cup nuts

pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

In a food processor, pulse all of the topping ingredients until the butter is well incorporated.

Slowly add water (about 1 1/ TBSP) until the dough comes together but us still crumbly.  Set aside and work on the fruit filling.

In a medium bowl, combine the filling ingredients.  The peaches should be well coated with cornstarch, like a thin batter.

Fill the buttered ramekins with peach mixture up to the rim, then sprinkle a generous mound (don’t pack) of topping on each ramekin.

Place the ramekins on a foil-lined baking sheet for baking.

Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes, until the juice just begins to bubble

Increase the heat to 400 degrees and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the topping is crisp and golden.

Let cool till slightly warm or room temperature.  Serve with vanilla ice cream