Passing The Relish - Sharing, inspiring celebrating the nuances of life

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Passing The Relish

Sharing, inspiring celebrating the nuances of life

About / ContactRandom OrtRecipesHome GardenTravel AdventuresFlourless Oatmeal Monster CookiesOctober 10, 2014 by Gigi Leave a Comment

I have the day off! Oh the places I could go, the adventures I could seek.  Reality is: Oh the leather furniture thirsts for polish, the cob webs on the ceiling arent Halloween decorations. Should I do chores on my day off? Nah, life is too short to not bake and bake I did. Soft, chewy, flourless oatmeal monster cookies. It was just the right remedy to ease the almost got rear-ended on the freeway kind of week I had. Thankfully, the dude in a taupe SUV screeched to a halt a few millimeters from my bumper. People, lets pay attention! There have been far too many accidents from negligence and a fatality last week at that!

Public service announcement is now over and Im back to being happy on my day off with sunny skies, crisp air, bright autumn colors (ignoring the ones on the ground that need raking), and a spread of warm, freshly baked flourless oatmeal monster cookies across my island counter. Life is good.

Im not baking these cookies for the band at large, like the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies or the chocolate revel bars that I made in the past. These flourless oatmeal monster cookies are for next weekend. The last high school homecoming for my baby whose friend group has decided to enjoy the Friday football game and ditch the Saturday night dance, and eldest Beauty and friends will be home for the weekend to relish the fun with their siblings, friends, and beloved former band mates.  And where will the collective group go on Saturday night? Oh the place they will go is the place where they know they will find plenty of food. (See what a morning of baking does to me?)

There will be a scattered montage of shoes in assorted styles and sizes at the front door, sprawled out legs covering the family room floor, and the sound of laughter and camaraderie filling the air and two cheesy hearts. (Hunky Hubby and I are oozy cheesy that way and proud of it!) The mound of flourless monster cookies will surely be devoured along with a variety of other sweet and savory noshes and I will likely need to gulp a few times and bat away misty eyes because my baby is checking off some of her final high school events.

For now Ill just enjoy cookie #2 with a cup of coffee and tell you all about these yummy flourless oatmeal monster cookies. If you too are a chewy cookie lover who will take soft-baked over crispy any time, you will need to call in the will power reserves to only eat just one. Okay, only eat just two. These cookies are scrumptious and kudos to my friend, May, for sharing her recipe that I halved and only tweaked a tiny bit. I used light pancake syrup in place of plain corn syrup simply because that is what I had on hand and with such a teeny tiny amount no one will know the difference. I also added one-half cup of mini chocolate chips and one cup of colorful chocolate candy pieces as to not overpower the peanut buttery-ness of these decadent cookies.

I just may go polish furniture, clean away cob webs and rake some leaves.  May day has been full of sweetness and may yours be too. Enjoy!
Print Flourless Oatmeal Monster Cookies Author:Gigi | Passing the Relish Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 45 mins Serves:3 dozen Ingredients ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup white sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 ½ cup creamy peanut butter 3 eggs teaspoons light maple syrup (corn syrup is a fine substitute) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons baking soda 4 ½ cups rolled oats (not quick oats) 1 cup candy-coated milk chocolate pieces cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips Instructions Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until smooth. Add peanut butter, vanilla and syrup and beat again until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, lightly stirring in between.. All at once, add baking soda and rolled oats and mix until well incorporated. Add all of the chocolate and mix again. Using a cookie scoop, drop onto ungreased pans at least 2-inches apart. Bake 13-15 minutes. Carefully transfer to wire rack to cool. 3.2.2807
 

Share this:EmailPrintFacebookPinterestMoreGoogleTwitterFiled Under: Cookies Bacon and Blue Cheese Potato SaladOctober 4, 2014 by Gigi Leave a Comment

I have a horrible habit of not deleting photos after downloading them. I need to be sure and double, triple check before I delete. Drives Hunky Hubby crazy.  Well, this time my paranoia has served us well. Me, and you.  As the cold October winds are beginning to blow,  I was swept away to warmer days as I clicked through the photos on my camera. Thats when I saw it: this scrumptious bowl of bacon and blue cheese potato salad and was reminded that I was remiss in sharing it with you.

We skipped a true family vacation this summer what with my starting a new job late last fall and skimping on vacation time. So I stayed behind while eldest Beauty took in the sights, sounds, and tastes of Paris and Barcelona and Hubby and baby Beauty heeded the call from the Rocky mountains.  Sometimes a mom stay-cation isnt such a bad thingespecially when one scores  a 5 lb bag of Maytag blue cheese directly from the Maytag Dairy Farms in Newton, Iowa. This hand made, cave-aged cheese is well-deserving of its world famous, prize-winning notoriety and is the star ingredient of this completely addicting bacon and blue cheese potato salad. At first bite any notion of low carb eating will be out the window.

Bacon and blue cheese are two flavors that are meant to be married and deliciously compliment each other. The crispy, salty bacon paired with creamy, pungent Maytag blue cheese. My mouth is watering as I type.

I intended to make a small, dinner-sized bowl of bacon and blue cheese potato salad to pair with grilled beef kabobs. I must have been really hungry as we had ample servings of leftovers for the next two days. No complaints from me but that is my disclaimer for the recipe that follows. It really does yield upwards of 10 servings. Not a fan of blue cheese? Substitute goat cheese or feta cheese for a milder flavor.

Im off to go delete photos from my camera. Enjoy!
Print Bacon Blue Cheese Potato Salad Author:Gigi | Passing the Relish Serves:6-10 Ingredients 6 large baking potatoes 6-8 slices low sodium bacon, cooked and crumbled. 4-6 green onions, finely diced Cup extra virgin olive oil 2 Tbsp white vinegar Cup crumbled Maytag blue cheese tsp black pepper Instructions Boil potatoes until fork tender. When cool, peel the potatoes and dice into cubes. In a medium size bowl, add potatoes and remaining ingredients. Using a spatula, gently fold to thoroughly combine. Chill until ready to serve. 3.2.2807
 

 

Share this:EmailPrintFacebookPinterestMoreGoogleTwitterFiled Under: Salads Sides Graduation Cake PopsSeptember 14, 2014 by Gigi Leave a Comment

A post about graduation cake pops in September? Why yes. The maker of these literally and figuratively sweet graduation cake pops will be the one donning the cap and gown next June. That leaves yours truly and firstborn Beauty to make the next round of graduation cake pops and we will need this time to prepare.  Actually, I will need this time to prepare. Being that mom, my thoughts are already wandering and emotions are already fluttering over the next wave of change to envelop our home in the coming scholastic year.

Youngest Beauty is by and large the family baker who has a seemingly unending supply of intricate-cake-decorating patience. Though it took her the better part of a day to make over 60 of these treats (with the help of dear friends), she tells me making graduation cake pops is really a piece of cake. (Ha!)

I have seen graduation cake pops with milk chocolate squares for the motar board, but that wont do. My baby is all about authenticity and her graduation cake pops need to match the completely red colored regalia of MHS. In true form she found a solution for making edible red motar boards: red candy melts and a flexible bite-size brownie pan. Wiltons bite-size treat mold is the perfect dimension for holding exactly 1 1/2 red candy melts. Simply melt in  the microwave oven, level with a toothpick, freeze until firm and then effortlessly pop the flats out of the pan. (This is a completely free promo for Wilton and well deserved for making such an awesome pan.)

As for the cake itself, both of my daughters insist that there isnt a better batter than Amish white cake.  Its firm but not too heavy and wonderfully rich tasting.

Decorating the graduation cake pops is a long process and patience is a necessary virtue. Begin by dipping the cake pop into a bowl of melted white chocolate and allow to dry. Next, dip only the top portion of the cake pop into a bowl of melted red candy melts and spread to replicate the hat portion of the motar board using a knife or a cake decorating paint brush. Allow to fully dry and then re-dip the very top of the cake pop once again to attach the square top.  When fully dry, pipe a fine line of black frosting for the tassle and pipe on a happy face. Voila!

May the cake pops eldest beauty and I make next June be just as pretty as these!

Share this:EmailPrintFacebookPinterestMoreGoogleTwitterFiled Under: Cakes Cupcakes Cheesecake Fruit TartAugust 16, 2014 by Gigi Leave a Comment

Hello Blog World, its good to be back! Here we are a few days shy of 4 months since my last post and what a 4-month ride it has been.

Earlier in the year I was beginning to blubber over my firstborn babys high school years coming to an end and life soon taking a new turn and a new rhythm. Had I not had the experiences I did these past months, I would be a soggy mess. Admittedly, I had a few mom-moments as my eldest accepted her diploma, but my heart wasnt heavy. It was and still is swelled with sheer joy and thankfulness at the opportunities that lie ahead for both of my beauties.

And who knows? Maybe this new chapter in life will mark a new beginning for me and Ill post with some degree of steady frequency. One can always hope. Meanwhile, today Im sharing a recipe for the cheesecake fruit tart our family enjoyed after graduation, a longtime family favorite.

Youll need a true tart pan for this cheesecake fruit tart recipe as the sugar-cookie crust is filled with a light cheesecake filling that is not firm enough to use as topping should you make the crust flat as for a fruit pizza. It is not runny cheesecake filing,  it does firm up, but if youre like me and you like a lot of filling it wont work for fruit pizza. Having a border crust helps to hold the cheesecake filling in, providing a yummy bed for whatever fruit toppings your little ol hear desires. In my case,  it is a limited selection of fruit toppings that will not send my sister to the ER with anaphylaxis.

This cheesecake fruit tart recipe is a combination of two recipes;  a perfect marriage of flavors that makes for a delightful and versatile dessert. Note: You will have cheesecake filling left over that I urge you to consider as reward for preparing the dessert. Enjoy those smooth-and-creamy-spoonfuls of cheesecake filling without a teaspoon of guilt over not sharing. Tell yourself you deserve it!  Works for me every time.
Print Cheesecake Fruit Tart Author:Gigi | Passing the Relish Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 35 mins Serves:14-16 Ingredients Sugar Cookie Crust: cup butter, softened cup confectioners' sugar 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour Cheesecake Filling: 1-8 oz pkg cream cheese at room temperature C lemon juice 1 can sweetened condensed milk of 1-8 oz container of lite whipped topping Fruit topping as desired Instructions Begin by preparing the crust. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add flour and mix until well blended. Press into an ungreased 11- or 12-in. fluted tart pan with removable bottom or 12-in. pizza pan with sides. Bake crust at 300° for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire rack. In a large mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk until well blended and creamy. Fold in whipped topping. (I use of an 8-oz container but you prefer an even lighter and even sweeter cheesecake filling.) Carefully pour filling into cookie crust leaving room for fruit topping. (There will be leftover filling to enjoy

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