Looks like fall in a glass!

I find exactly what I’ve been looking for. Like a gigantic crate of quince. Or a giant pile of adorable parsnips. Or both.

Yummy and toasted!

I had been looking for quince for WEEKS and finally got there on the right day. I can honestly say I’ve had my fill of them…for another week or so, at least.

All kinds of fruits and stuff just peekin' out there.

When I also ran into the aforementioned parsnips, I knew what I had to do. I had to get some pears! The step after that was a little hazy, but I knew I had once scribbled a note along the lines of “quince custard, pear and parsnip compote” and it had been nagging me quietly since it started getting chilly out.

The layer of oats reminds me of dried leaves on the ground.

Of course, such a smooth, squishy dish needed a bit of crunch and toastiness, so I turned to my friend, good old Mister Oat. I love Mister Oat! He’s healthy, gets included in my breakfast almost every day lately, and makes a damn fine cookie.

So creamy...

I like what I came up with here because even though it involves several steps, they’re very simple and actually require very few ingredients. The resulting warm parfait-thing is surprisingly (relatively) healthy and very much an elegant autumn-type dessert.

Oh, quince.

The quince adds a lovely color to the other-wise, well, oatmeal-colored dessert. While the components (quince aside, because YUM) don’t taste like much on their own, together they really do make a harmonious glassful of comfort.

Unusual but so very very good.

Autumn Quince Parfait

First, Poach Some Quince!

1. 4 ripe quince
2. 4 cups water
3. 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar (add more if the liquid isn’t sweet enough for you)
4. 1 vanilla pod
5. Splash of white wine (optional)

Peel and core the quince,then cut into slices. Place in a large pot with the other ingredients and simmer for 2-3 hours, until the quince has turned pink-orange and is soft but not falling apart. Set aside to cool.

Then, Toast Some Oats!

1. 1/2 cup rolled oats

Place the oats in a small, dry frying pan over medium-high heat for about five minutes, stirring constantly. Once fragrant and visibly toasted, remove from pan and let cool.

Now It’s Time to Poach Some Other Stuff!

1. 1 pear (not too ripe – you want it nice and firm so it doesn’t get mushy)
2. 1 large parsnip or 2 smaller ones
3. 1/4-1/2 cup quince poaching liquid (just enough to cover)

Dice the pear and parsnip into equal sized cubes (you basically want a brunoise). Place in a saucepan and add just enough of the quince liquid to cover, then simmer until the parsnips are cooked through. Set aside.

Better Get Ready for the Custard!

1. 100 mL/3.4 fl oz./scant 1/2 cup quince poaching liquid
2. 2 egg yolks, beaten

Place the liquid in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Gradually pour the hot liquid into the yolks, whisking constantly, then return the mixture to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain and set aside.

Then You Put it All Together!

Start with all your ingredients (except the oats) slightly warmed. Layer a spoonful of the pear/parsnip compote in the bottom of a glass, then add a spoonful or two of the custard. Add a couple of wedges of quince, then more custard, then a little more compote. Top with custard, another slice or two of quince and a generous sprinkling of toasted oats. Serve immediately.

You could seriously just eat this for breakfast if you wanted – it’s pretty low in added sugar and the only fat comes from the egg yolks. I love that two of the components reuse part of another component – that’s another reason why it seems like such a simple dessert despite its layered, multi-component nature.

Cherries!

But, the cherries aren’t quite perfect yet. No problem!

The cherry pitter looks like a stapler.

But what to make with these shiny little ruby gems?

I don't know why YOU'RE drooling, Monsieur Clafoutis. I'M the one who's going to eat YOU.

Of course – clafoutis!

Halfway gone...halfway between really good oatmeal and cherry pie.

With oatmeal, to make a more substantial breakfast for yet another rainy day. And vanilla bean, to make it extra special!

All gone :(

I read that the traditional, extra-old fashioned way to make clafoutis was to leave the pits in the cherries. So when, after filling my two little round ramekins and a loaf pan, I found myself with extra batter, I poured it into one of my tiny oblong ramekins and added some un-pitted cherries. Allegedly the pits release an almond flavor.

We'll see if this tastes any different.

And now for the glamor shots:

Fancy background number one.

I know I’ve mentioned before that I like to use decorative scrapbook pages from the craft store as backgrounds for my food photos.

A very moody clafoutis.

If you’re tired of plain old white, I really recommend trying it.

Probably my favorite new background.

I love having lots of different patterns and colors to offset my food.

Yup, pink dots.

You probably want to hear more about the clafoutis.

"It's wearing a suit!" -Z

Well, it’s awesome. Totally make it. Use other fruits if you want (though then it’s called a flognarde, which is also an awesome name). You can also make it without the oatmeal, but you’d have to substitute some flour for the oatmeal. I like the oatmeal, though – it tastes more wholesome and comforting on a day like today.

I based my recipe off of one I found over at Chocolate & Zucchini. I’m glad it worked because I had no idea what I was doing!

Oatmeal Vanilla Bean Clafoutis

How meta.

1. 2/3 cup light brown sugar
2. 2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats (increase amount slightly if using quick oats)
3. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
4. 1/2 tsp salt
5. 2 eggs
6. 3 1/3 cup milk
7. 1 medium vanilla bean, split & scraped (reserve pod for later use – I stuck it in a jar that I’m going to fill with vodka when I get around to getting some)
8. 2 cups cherries, washed & pitted
9. Few pinches of flavored sugar of your choice (I used ginger, but cinnamon or vanilla would be great)

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease/butter your baking dish(es) – will fill a 13×9″ baking dish, or several individual-serving ramekins. Measure the brown sugar into a large bowl, breaking up any clumps with a spoon. Add the oats, cinnamon and salt and mix well. In a separate, slightly smaller bowl, crack the eggs and beat them lightly. Whisk in the milk and vanilla, taking care to break up any large clumps of seeds. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix well. Pour into baking dish(es), taking care not to overfill (they will rise slightly). Lightly press the cherries evenly into the surface(s) of the batter, making double layers if necessary. Sprinkle with flavored sugar of your choice. Bake up to an hour for a large pan, 40-45 minutes for individual ramekins (middle will be set but the clafoutis will still be moist and juicy). Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before eating, if serving hot.

This would be awesome with some vanilla yogurt or ice cream, but is great alone, warm, with tea, as you watch the rain fall.

Trailing delicious components!

I received a request for a white chocolate, cranberry and blueberry cookie creation, and did my best to deliver.

Yummy gobs of cookie goodness.

If the weather was nicer and I had the money to finally place the order of freeze dried/powdered fruits and vegetables I’ve been coveting, I would have made macarons.

Not quite a macaron...

I know oatmeal is practically on the other end of the cookie scale from macarons, but if you can’t make the undisputed king of cookies, then what’s better than good old oatmeal for a friend you haven’t seen in a while? Especially with sweet white chocolate, tart cranberries and yummy dried blueberries.

These cookies were dubbed by the recipient as…

Oatmeal Choconilla Bluecrazies

Blueberry!

1. 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2. 1 cup sugar
3. 1 egg
4. 1 tsp vanilla
5. 1 cup AP flour
6. 1 tsp cinnamon
7. 3 cups oats
8. 1/2 cup each (or more if you want) white chocolate chips, dried cranberries (AKA craisins) & dried blueberries (really fat ones, no little shriveled things)

Preheat the oven to 375. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla. Blend in the flour and gradually stir in the oats. Fold in white chocolate and berries. Place by Tbsp on a lined cookie sheet. Bake 7-10 minutes, until slightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet, then finish cooling on racks. Store in an airtight container 1 week.

These are really just my mom’s recipe for oatmeal cookies with white chocolate, dried cranberries & dried blueberries instead of raisins. We shared them with our friends. They’re very friendly cookies.

Surprisingly healthy! Really!

While I don’t particularly like some forms of alternative baking (especially vegan…you want me to bake something with NO EGGS? HAHAHA…no) I do enjoy the challenge of baking for my best friend and mom, who both have an allergy to wheat, among other things. So I was excited when I came across a recipe for flourless oatmeal lace cookies in my copy of The Joy of Cooking during the four day power outage in February. I immediately made a note about them, adding “lavender?” onto the end.

Oatmeal makes them an acceptable part of a healthy breakfast!...Right?

In the baking-frenzied days leading up to my trip, I realized they would be perfect to bring along in a little tin, so I made them. And they were goooood. So good that when I offered Z one that wouldn’t fit in the tin, he asked if I could make him his own batch. I haven’t yet, but I will. Maybe once the macarons are gone. Though first I have to make chocolate chip cookies with some incredible chocolate disks I picked up.

Perfect with tea, but then, what isn't?

These cookies would be perfect to pack in a lunchbox or on a picnic because they’re so small. Which also makes them adorable. Little tiny disks of oatmealy, lavender-scented goodness! What could be better?

Packed in like sardines. Actually, nothing like sardines.

And must I say that these are really easy to make? As in, one bowl (plus mortar & pestle) easy? Perfect for Inexperienced Bakers and Those Who Loathe Dishwashing alike. Or just anyone who wants a batch of tasty, crispy little springtime cookies.

Lavender Lace Cookies (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

These guys escaped the tin. But not my mouth. Omnomnom.

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp dried lavender

1 egg

2 tsp melted butter

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened dessicated coconut

2/3 cup raw oats

Preheat the oven to 350. Grind together the sugar and lavender in a mortar & pestle until the lavender is finely crushed throughout the sugar. Set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg. Add the lavender sugar and mix well. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat (I tried both and preferred the Silpat since it yields a more evenly golden, shiny bottom) and drop the dough by half-teaspoons about an inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Allow to cool fully before removing from sheet. Makes about 2-3 dozen.

There’s really no reason not to bake these up as soon as possible and take them on a nice little picnic. It’s lovely and sunny outside here. I recommend bringing along a thermos of tea and a couple of mismatched fancy china cups to pour into. Or, if it’s rainy and yucky where you are, enjoy them inside with tea – their springy flavor will remind you that rain doesn’t last forever and things will be just a little bit greener and more alive once it does stop.

My goodness, I’m optimistic today.

To make up for my utter slackitude lately, here’s a really quick and easy recipe that my mom has been making for as long as I can remember.  I’ve been meaning to make another batch lately but…well, I’ve been playing two awesome games, working on getting organized before I open my Etsy, being vocally sick and tired of all the ridiculousness leading up to the election…making excuses…

One interesting thing about these cookies is that when I made them most recently, I decided I wanted slightly more interesting cookies and added the cinnamon.  When I mentioned this to my mom, she told me the recipe as it was originally printed called for cinnamon, but she left it out (I have no idea why).  I prefer to use the cinnamon, since it goes so obviously well with raisins.

Simple Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Cookies

Raarr! I AM THE ALPHA COOKIE!

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup flour

Pinch salt

2 tsp cinnamon, more or less to taste

3 cups oatmeal

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375.  Cream together the butter and sugar, then mix in egg and vanilla.  Add the flour, salt and cinnamon and combine.  Stir in raisins and mix in the oatmeal one cup at a time.  Drop by large spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet (I line mine with parchment…until I finally get around to getting a silicone mat) and bake for 10-15 minutes.

These cookies will stay soft for days if you keep them in an airtight container, and are wholesome enough to nibble on with breakfast.  I’ve been thinking of trying different combinations of things to add to these, and maybe turning them into breakfast bars.  You can also use this basic recipe, minus the oatmeal, cinnamon and raisins, and plus chocolate chips and a little flour, to make very decent, fast chocolate chip cookies.