Baby Shower: Oatmeal Cream Pies

I'm having a baby tomorrow! That is something I never thought I'd say or type. It's taken us a long time to get where we are and come tomorrow morning, bright and early, we will be heading to the hospital to bring Baby Boy H into this world. Happy September to me! We have a couple names picked out, but nothing definite. We want to wait to see him to make sure that his name fits him. We are beyond thrilled and blessed and can't wait to meet and see the little Mister. I've loved being pregnant, but it has been difficult and exhausting at times. Despite all that, I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I will absolutely share my bundle of joy with you all as I know many of you have prayed for this baby as much as I have. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will update as soon as I can, but I can't promise when that will be.

While we are both anxiously awaiting his arrival, I hope you'll enjoy these oatmeal cream pies that I made for Maranda's baby shower last month. Her baby shower was a week after mine and I was asked to bake the sweet treats for everyone. I was honored and happy to do so! I happen to know that Maranda's favorite cookies are oatmeal raisin and she loves strawberries, so I made her these simple and delicious oatmeal cream pies as well as my sister's favorite strawberry birthday cake. Both were well received and devoured. This was a sweet way to welcome Baby N into this world.

I've made these oatmeal cream pies before but it's been awhile. Believe me they were just as good as I remembered. The secret to making cream pies as opposed to cookie sandwiches is that you make them a day ahead of time and refrigerate them to get them nice and soft. This also allows the flavors meld together and the cream filling and the cookie become one. You can certainly adapt this cookie if you want. You can leave out the raisins or add chocolate chips or cinnamon chips, or maybe add dried cranberries or just leave them plain. All versions will be delicious I'm sure. If you try them, I hope you'll come back and let me know how you liked them!

Oatmeal Cream Pies from Quaker and Monica H

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For The Cookies:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup raisins
• 3 cups Quaker Oats, old fashioned, uncooked

For The Filling:

• 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 3-4 Tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

For The Cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together butter and sugars til creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Add combined flour, soda, cinnamon, salt. Mix til fully incorporated. Stir in oats and raisins.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then remove to wire rack.

For The Filling: Combine cheeses in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer til creamy and lump free. Mix in desired amount of honey. Then stir in sugar til sweetened to your liking.

To Assemble The Cream Pies: Place about one tablespoon of filling on one cookie and top with an additional cookie. Gently squeeze together to allow the filling to come to the edges. Don't press too hard or the filling will ooze out.

Refrigerate overnight to allow the cookies to soften and the flavors to meld together.

Makes about 24 cream pies.

The Easiest Apple Pie Ever and A Visit From The Fairy Hobmother

A few weeks ago I was on Lisa's blog, The Cutting Edge of Ordinary. It's a blog that I frequent but don't always comment on, but I enjoy her recipes and photography and it doesn't hurt she's got a cute little doggie named Moose- you know I have a soft spot for four-legged furry friends. Anyway, earlier in the month she was visited by the Fairy Hobmother. Ever heard of the Fairy Hobmother? I hadn't either until I stopped by her blog. The Fairy Hobmother grants wishes from ordinary hardworking people like you and me, and today is your chance to get a wish granted as well!

When it was my turn to make a wish, I selfishly wished for a healthy baby. Obviously I know that's something that can't be granted by the FH, so I asked that my wish be given to someone else. Just a couple days later, the Fairy Hobmother sent me an email and said that even if she couldn't make my wish come true, she was crossing her fingers for us. And that she still wanted to send me an Amazon gift certificate for me to spend on Baby Boy H, once he made his arrival. I really was taken aback by her generosity and graciously accepted her offer because I wanted to be able to do the same for one of you.

If you'd like a wish granted by The Fairy Hobmother, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post and make a wish. But please be reasonable, the FH is not Oprah and she will not be giving everyone in the audience a new car! She granted Lisa a new dutch oven because hers burned up and fellow friend and blogger, Girlichef, was granted a food processor after the motor went out on hers. Have you been wanting a new cookbook and didn't get it for your birthday? Or maybe you've had your eye on a new piece of cookware but can't justify the cost? Maybe you want new shelving for the family room to display your family photos and treasures on? Or perhaps you'd like to purchase a gift for someone else, but don't have the funds. Obviously your wish doesn't have to be kitchen related, just make a wish and see what happens. I will not be the one to choose the winner/winners. The Fairy Hobmother will read through the comments, select the winners and contact you via email if you win so be sure to leave your contact info, close your eyes and make a wish.

Now onto a quick blurb about this rustic apple pie. It's delicious. It's very simple. There are very few ingredients and don't need to own a pie plate to make it. There is something a little quirky about it though, as it calls for corn flakes in the filling along with the apples and cinnamon sugar. The cereal acts as a thickener and keeps the crust from getting soggy. I used premade refrigerated pie crusts but if you want to make your own, go right ahead. The whole idea is that you keep it simple and fuss free so you can hurry up and get to the pie- a la mode if you prefer. I liked it because I didn't even need a plate or fork to eat it. I just cut off a piece and ate it like a hand pie. I found it stayed fresh for a couple days, then on day three the crust got a little too soft for me. I chose to sprinkle mine with a little raw sugar before baking but you could easily add a maple glaze to it like Lisa did, if that floats your boat. If you have an apple pie lover like I do, then this is a MUST make!

Rustic Apple Pie adapted from The Cutting Edge Of Ordinary

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Crust:

• 1 double pie crust (homemade or store bought)
• 1 teaspoon flour

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups corn flakes (don’t crush them!)
• 6 cups thinly sliced Granny Smith apples, about 5 medium
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar (I used Sugar In The Raw)

Heat the oven to 350.
Place one pie crust on a work surface and sprinkle with half a teaspoon of flour. Now rub the flour all over to coat the crust. Place the crust flour side down on an ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment.
Sprinkle the corn flakes over the crust to within half an inch of the edge. Mound apple slices over cereal.
Combine the sugar & cinnamon in a bowl and then sprinkle over the apples. Brush the edge of the crust with the beaten egg.
Now take the other half of the crust and just slightly push the edges out with your fingers- you want it to be just about a half-inch bigger than the bottom crust.
Place the pie crust over the top of the crust on the cookie sheet. Fold the edge of the bottom crust over the top crust, pinch the edge to seal and flute.
Cut several slits into the top of the pie. Brush the pie with remaining beaten egg, then sprinkle the coarse sugar evenly over the crust.
Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Happy pie eating and thank you Fairy Hobmother for making our wishes come true!

Monkey Bread With A Side Of Monkey Toes

A friend of mine, Maranda of Jolts & Jollies, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy last Monday, August the 8th. Mr. H and I went to visit her in the hospital the very next day when her little man, Baby N, was just one day old (go here to see Baby N). I was so excited to meet him. I got there, smelled him and and held that little bundle of deliciousness in my arms. Then I was told to check out his feet because his toes were incredibly long and "monkey" like. They were and I teased that when he got older he was going to pick things up with his feet. ha ha! Just 3 days later, I went to the doctor and got an ultrasound. We didn't get any clear pictures of his face, but we got a good one of his foot. As soon as the ultrasound tech saw them, she said, "he's got monkey toes!"

This month, for The Cake Slice Bakers, we baked a Hungarian Coffee Cake, also known as Monkey Bread. Because of this months selection, I thought it was perfect timing to share those stinky toes with you all. This Monkey Bread also marks the end of baking from Cake Keeper Cakes from Lauren Chattman. We've been baking from this book for nearly a year already and soon we will bake from a new cake cookbook. It's a secret for now, but I hope to share it with you all next month. I hope it's a good one!

On to this cake...it's Monkey Bread. You've all had it right? Little cakey or yeasty balls of dough, coated in butter and cinnamon sugar all baked together into a Bundt. The end result is a delicious smelling and tasting cake perfect for lazy weekend mornings. I especially liked this cake because it sat out on the counter all day and it was just to easy to walk by and pull a piece off. On the other hand, maybe that's not such a good thing. I halved the recipe and baked it into a 6-cup Bundt rather than making the entire cake, after all it is just the two of us eating for now. My only complaint is that is wasn't so fresh tasting on day two, but that's okay because we ate most of it anyway while it was still warm and gooey straight out of the oven. This version incorporates chopped nuts and raisins into the cake, but it would be equally delicious without them.

Monkey Bread from Cake Keeper Cakes

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For The Topping:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar

For The Cake:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 9 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. buttermilk, plus more if necessary
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
• 1/4 cup raisins, optional

For The Topping: Whisk together the melted butter and light brown sugar. Set aside.

For The Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a nonstick 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with flour.

Combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a sipper-top bag. Cut the butter into a 1/4-inch dice. Place the butter in a small bowl and set it in the freezer while you gather the rest of the baking ingredients.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the chilled butter pieces and, with an electric mixer , mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (I incorporated my butter into the flour using a pastry cutter.)

Stir in the buttermilk until the mixture just comes together, adding an extra tablespoon or two if the mixture is too dry.

Use a small ice cream scoop or spoon to scoop up balls of dough and transfer them to the zipper top bag. Shake the bag to coat the balls with cinnamon sugar. (I only did about 3 balls of dough at a time, otherwise they stuck together.)

Place the coated balls of dough in the prepared pans, sprinkling nuts and raisins (if using) over them as you go. Pour the melted butter/sugar mixture over the cake.

Bake until the cake is firm and well risen and the caramel is melted, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan, on a wire rack, for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter and serve immediately.

Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to a day.

NOTE: If halving this recipe, bake in a 6-cup Bundt pan for 35-40 minutes.