Amaretto Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

amaretto oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

utensils

cookie sheet or pan, covered (or not) with foil
large mixing bowl
sturdy mixing spoon
smaller mixing bowl
fork or egg beater

ingredients

DRY
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup of dark brown sugar

LIQUID
1 large egg
1/3 cup of canola oil, and another 1-2 tablespoons
1 shot of amaretto

procedure

1.  preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  spread foil on cookie sheet or baking pan bottom, spread 2 tablespoons canola oil on bottom to "grease."

3.  mix your dry ingredients together in the large mixing bowl.

4.  beat your egg with the rest of the canola oil and amaretto.

5.  add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly, using your hands (clean, of course) for convenience.

6.  then shape 9-12 cookies and lay them out on the foiled pan.

7.  bake for about 17-20 minutes, depending on your oven and the size you have selected.

Cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan;  enjoy!

Serve with milk, coffee or tea.

discussion

Amaretto, the key ingredient I added to this recipe, is  described by wiki as a sweet, almond flavored Italian liquer made from a base of apricot pits or almonds .. and sometimes both .. the legend being ..

In 1525, a Saronno church commissioned artist Bernardino Luini, one of Leonardo da Vinci's pupils, to paint their sanctuary with frescoes.^[4] As the church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Luini needed to depict the Madonna, but was in need of a model. He found his inspiration in a young widowed innkeeper, who became his model and (in most versions) lover. Out of gratitude and affection, the woman wished to give him a gift. Her simple means did not permit much, so she steeped apricot kernels in brandy and presented the resulting concoction to a touched Luini.

For a variation of this recipe, leave out the oatmeal.  You can also use about 1/2 the semi-sweet chocolate chips (more manageable!).  For even more flavor, add some walnut dust (from the bottom of the walnut bag), or crush up a walnut or two very fine, and mix in.

For more amaretto recipes, try my decadent hot cocoa.


-- o.s.r.
 

*photo credit, top, via wikipedia, "Adoration of the Magi," detached fresco by Bernardino Luini, 1520-25 (Musée du Louvre); bottom, via wikipedia, photographer: Father of Nehrams2020, "An almond shaker shaking a tree during harvest. The first image shows the shaker grabbing onto the tree, and the second shows the shaker knocking the almonds off the tree."

The Bottom 99%

Rhiannon Giddens of Carolina Chocolate Drops in The Bottom 99%.

 

may day trails

courtesy of wikipedia

photographer:  Plàcid Pérez Bru

almond tree with ripening fruit,

majorca, spain

simple may day trails mix snack


utensils

1 zip lock baggie per demonstrator (alternatively, 1 small tuperware container, paper bag, or cloth satchel)

ingredients

one or two handfuls of the following:

almonds (any variety; roasted, raw, etc.)
dry cranberries
chocolate or carob chips

procedure

1.  wash your hands and put your handfuls of each ingredient in the zip lock container/s, zip, and distribute. 


enjoy, and have an energetic and healthy may day!  this fast food snack goes well with a nutricious banana or apple. 

Hit 'Em Up Style

Carolina Chocolate Drops shows how, in Hit 'Em Up Style.

Mango Smoothie

courtesy of wikipedia

posted by Vinayaraj
a mango tree in full bloom in kerala, india

mango smoothie

appliances

blender

tablespoon or large spoon

tall serving glasses

ingredients

about the equivalent of one-two frozen mangos, depending on size, the fruit chopped into bite-size chunks

1 fresh banana

1/2 - 1 cup non-fat plain yogurt (alternatively, plain greek yogurt)

a couple of cups of orange juice (preferably not from concentrate, no pulp)

condiments, to taste

chocolate syrup

non-fat whipped cream in a can

chopped walnuts (alternatively, chopped almonds or pecans)

spices, sprinkled

cinnamon
nutmeg

courtesy of wikipedia

photographer:  Magnus Manske

Banganpalli mangoes sold at Guntur, India

procedure

1.  clean your hands and break your banana up in the blender.

2.  add your frozen mango chunks, spoon in your yogurt, and pour in your orange juice.

3.  blend to desired thickness, pour in glasses, leaving some room for your condiments.

4.  in the following order, add to each glass a few swirls of chocolate syrup, then a twist of whipped cream, sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg, and top with chopped walnuts.

Enjoy!  Serve with spoons on plates for any spillage or mess.

courtesy of wikipedia

posted by Böhringer

walnut seed shell inside its green husk

variations

instead of mango, use frozen raspberries or strawberries or blackberries.  frozen blueberries work too.

other stuff

health benefits of mango here, banana here, berries here. 

the 1913 nobel prize winning poet from India, Rabindranath Tagore loved mangos, and uses lovely imagery from the trees, fruits, and blossoms in his poetry. a example via poemhunter and beneath a photo of Rabindranath and Gandhi ..

The Gardener XIII: I Asked Nothing

I asked nothing, only stood at the
edge of the wood behind the tree.
Languor was still upon the eyes
of the dawn, and the dew in the air.
The lazy smell of the damp grass
hung in the thin mist above the earth.
Under the banyan tree you were
milking the cow with your hands,
tender and fresh as butter.
And I was standing still.
I did not say a word. It was the
bird that sang unseen from the thicket.
The mango tree was shedding its
flowers upon the village road, and the
bees came humming one by one.
On the side of the pond the gate of
Shiva's temple was opened and the
worshipper had begun his chants.
With the vessel on your lap you
were milking the cow.
I stood with my empty can.
I did not come near you.
The sky woke with the sound of
the gong at the temple.
The dust was raised in the road
from the hoofs of the driven cattle.
With the gurgling pitchers at their
hips, women came from the river.
Your bracelets were jingling, and
foam brimming over the jar.
The morning wore on and I did not
come near you.

Easy Snack

courtesy of wikipedia

photographer: Marian Szengel

banana tree showing fruit and inflorescence

banana and assorted condiments

appliances

1-3 teaspoons, depending on number of condiments

optional plate, depending on how messy it gets

paper towel or napkin

ingredients

banana

condiment of choice such as chocolate, peanut butter, or nutella

procedure

1.  peel your banana.

2.  open your condiment of choice and scoop out a tablespoon. (or just open your chocolate bar and break off a piece of chocolate.)

serve on plate with condiments.  enjoy with a glass of non-fat milk!

courtesy of Kronke Ranch

hazel nuts growing

nutella is made with hazelnuts

variations

add other pieces of fruit or raw vegetable on the plate, such as strawberries or slices of apple or carrot. 

you can also serve with the fruit or vegetable slices dashed with a bit of peanut butter or nutella in lieu of the teaspoons.

additional thoughts

a quick and delicious snack that nourishes your sweet tooth, while providing real energy and nutrition. 

consider this as an alternative to pastry as that fast breakfast treat with kick before you run out the door. 

easy to serve children!  and while getting picky eaters to down fruits and vegetables.

if you are especially keen on the chocolate part, more here. 

if you didn't know (some) chocolate was good for you, see this John Robbins article on Chocolate's Startling Health Benefits. 

- o.s.r.

Hot Cocoa

Courtesy of Wikipedia

A Mayan Chief forbids a person

to touch a jar of chocolate

decadent hot cocoa

appliances

a small pot

a tablespoon

cup and saucer

ingredients

2 tablespoons 100% dark cacao

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 cup of fat free milk

low-fat whipped cream in can

1 shotglass of whiskey (alternatively, 1 shotglass amaretto)

sprinkling of cinnamon

a touch of nutmeg (optional)

a few crushed pecans or pecan pieces (alternatively, walnut)

procedure

1.  put your cup of milk in the pan, and heat on a very low temperature, while stirring in cocoa and sugar.  continue stirring until liquid is steaming hot, but not boiling.

2.  add a shotglass of liquor to your serving cup on saucer.  add hot chocolate.

3.  decorate with a swirl of whipped cream, aiming your spray can at the outer rim of the cup and spiraling inward and up.  sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg, and your nuts.

4.  serve immediately as alcohol content evaporates rapidly.

Savor and sleep well!  Nice with some quiet music in the background and candlelight.

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Cocoa Beans

additional thoughts

hot chocolate is a sacred drink with a long history.  Smithsonian reports anthropologists discovering cacao residue on pottery excavated in Honduras in 2007 possibly dating back as far as 1400 B.C.E.  Mayans and Aztecs believed the bean had divine properties for special events and rituals around birth, marriage, and death.

as thanksgiving rounds the corner, this is a beautiful evening indulgement, either leading up to the holiday, or at some point in the evening following a meal.  it is also a lovely drink cozying down during any cold or stormy night.

for children, of course, you leave the alcohol out entirely.

cocoa production is fraught with controversy, so choose your cocoa carefully, even if costs more, or don't buy it at all, as some companies employ child labor and slaves in order to harvest and produce.

Courtesy of Tree Hugger

Kuapa Kokoo Union farmer

more information on child labor and slavery in your chocolate here and here with a slave free chocolate list.

as a wise food philosopher once said, "what is divine can easily become demonic."  so make your hot cocoa truly a divine experience, don't support the evils of slavery, and buy slave-free chocolate.

- o.s.r.