Autumn Spiced Oatmeal and Cranberry Cookies

 Now that the temperatures are cooling down a little, very little, it’s time to put some fall cookies in the freezer. You will notice these are not called pumpkin spice but autumn spice. There’s little pumpkin spice but other warm fall spices as well. I think you will enjoy them. There’s oatmeal and cranberries so they have to be healthy, right?

Don’t those look good? Follow along and you can make some too. If you don’t like cranberries you could swap out dried cherries.

Ingredients are gathered and ready to start. It’s important to gather your ingredients before you start because you could be out of something or missing an ingredient. Don’t ask me how I know this….

In the bowl if your mixer add 3/4 cup brown sugar. 

The good thing about this recipe is you are melting he butter instead of softening it. So you don’t have to plan ahead. Add 3/4 cup melted butter to the brown sugar.

Mix that well. 

Add two room temperature eggs. Mix well.

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin slice. I made mine heaping.

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups plain flour. Mix well and scrap down the sides.

A total of 4 cups rolled-old fashioned oats.

Here’s all 4 cups of oats.

Add 1 cup dried cranberries

Mix well.

Scoop on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 10-12 minutes. The rest of the dough I scooped and put in the freezer for another day.

Let cook on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before sampling.

Autumn Spiced Oatmeal and Cranberry Cookies Recipe

3/4 cup melted butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin spice

4 cups rolled oats

1 cups dried cranberries

Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 10-12 minutes.

German Chocolate Pie

 We had a birthday dinner around here this week and the birthday boy always picks this pie for any celebratory dinner. It’s perfectly fine with me because I like it too and it is easy to make. I keep the ingredients on hand so it can be made anytime.

Oh it’s so good.

Make sure you have a German chocolate bar. I’m not sure how different it would be if you used another type of chocolate.

Set out the pie crust while you are getting things ready. A frozen deep dish crust is what you will need. Now chop up the chocolate bar so it won’t take as long to melt.

Slice up 4 Tablespoons of butter to melt with the chocolate.

While the chocolate is melting, in another bowl add 1 1/2 cups sugar.

3 Tablespoons corn starch

1/8 teaspoon salt. Mix this well.

Add 2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

The chocolate is melted and smooth.

Add 12 oz can of evaporated milk and whisk to incorporate.

It’s all mixed. You want it to cool a little before adding to the egg mixture. You don’t want cooked eggs.

While it is cooling get the topping ready. 1 1/3 cup coconut

1/2 cup rough chopped pecans.

Mix them together and set aside.

Pour the chocolate into the egg mixture.

Mix well.

Deep dish pie crust.

Pour filling into the pie crust. All of it won’t fit. Just a little bit will be left over. If you put it in it will overflow the crust. That is another reason to put the pie shell on a cookie sheet with foil before filling it. Ease of cleanup.

Sprinkle the coconut-nut mixture on top.

It should cover the entire top. Place in a preheated 375 oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes. 

After about 20 minutes I checked the pie. You don’t want the coconut to get too brown. So I loosely tented the pie for the remainder of the cooking time.

Very loose foil.

It’s good hot, warm or cold.

German Chocolate Pie Recipe 

4 oz German chocolate bar

4Tablespoons butter

12 oz evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 Tablespoons corn starch

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cup coconut

1/2 cup pecans

Preheat oven 375. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Check after 20-30 minutes and loosely cover if needed.

Zucchini Tots

 Ever wonder what to do with all that zucchini during the summer? Here is a simple recipe that you will love and then you will be eager for that national holiday of Leave zucchini on your neighbors porch day.

Gather your ingredients.

Earlier this afternoon I went ahead and grated my zucchini. You want to make sure and get as much moisture out of the zucchini as you can.

I let it sit in a colander for a while.

Before I was going to use it I used a paper towel to get any leftover moisture out.

A little more came out.

Put it in a bowl.

Add some salt and pepper.

Add 1/4 cup panko. You can use breadcrumbs if you do not have have panko. Panko gives it a little crunch.

Add 1 egg.

Finely chop an onion.

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. I used freshly grated, you could use the kind in the green can.

Mix well.

Now add to a sprayed mini muffin pan. Next time I would not fill them as full. They weren’t bad just not as crispy. Next time I would end up have double the tots by spreading it out more. 

Place in a preheated 400 oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

Nice and golden brown.

They are great with a nice country vegetable dinner.

Zucchini Tots Recipe

1 cup grated and drained zucchini

1 egg

1 finely chopped onion

1/4 cup Panko

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Bake for 30 minutes.