It feels like I’m jumping the gun by posting a carrot cake-flavored recipe in the middle of March, just after the third nor’easter in twelve days, but Easter is on the early side this year, so I suppose I’m right on time.
I get that Carrot Cake is popular around Easter because of the whole Easter Bunny/rabbits + carrots thing but, like, is there ever a bad time for carrot cake?!
I think not. I could eat it any day, anytime, on a boat/plane/train/any other Seussical place without complaint. Except for the whole general health and well-being and needing bigger pants thing. But if those obstacles weren’t standing in my way, let me tell you, it’d be all carrot cake all the time. That and things made with malted milk powder.
As it stands though, I just bought a pair of Levi’s 501s that make me feel like a supermodel and I am trying to eat well (outside of the occasional pie, kolaches, and Oreo-stuffed treats—job hazards, you know). So, I made a little compromise and put all the flavors of carrot cake in a delicious and deliciously easy baked oatmeal that works just as well as a make-ahead weekday breakfast as is does as part of an Easter weekend brunch.
This Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal comes together quickly and easily, and has huge flavor thanks to warming spices, the classic additions of raisins and chopped pecans, and maple syrup.
It bakes up in just half an hour. You could certainly serve it on its own, but I like an extra drizzle of maple syrup, just for kicks. A dollop of yogurt couldn’t hurt either.
Another great thing about this breakfast? It’s high in protein, so you won’t be starving two hours after you’ve eaten. Oh, and if you use certified gluten-free oats, it’s gluten-free too 🙂 Yep. This is the sort of everyday indulgence I can get behind.
Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
makes one 9-inch square pan
2/3 cup raisins, optional
1 cup water
2 cups old-fashioned oats (certified gluten-free, if needed)
2/3 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts), optional
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk of choice
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
For serving (optional):
pure maple syrup
plain yogurt
Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish. Set aside.
Place raisins in a small bowl. Bring water to a boil and pour over raisins. Let sit while you prepare the oatmeal.
When oven is heated. Place oats and chopped pecans on a dry rimmed baking sheet. Let toast in the oven for 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Pour into a medium-large mixing bowl and stir in cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat eggs with a whisk. Mix in vanilla, maple syrup, melted butter, and milk. Pour over dry mixture and fold together with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Fold in carrots. Drain raisins and mix them into the oatmeal.
Transfer oatmeal to prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake uncovered for 30-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let cool for a few minutes before serving with a drizzle of maple syrup and/or a dollop of yogurt, if desired. Oatmeal scoops best initially, but may be sliced after it cools.
Leftover baked oatmeal will keep covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat individual portions before serving.
In my short but very intense baking career, I’ve come to think that whoever coined “Easy as pie,” was making a very cruel joke.
If you want to make one of these magnificent pies for yourself, start by blitzing Oreos and butter together until they are sandy. Press the mixture into a pie plate to make a crust. Bake that for 8 minutes, just to set.
Whisk together the key lime filling. This iconic pie filling is one of the easiest to make. Just whisk together a can of sweetened condensed milk, some egg yolks, some lime zest and key lime juice. I like to add 1/4 cup of sour cream, just to keep everything extra dreamy. If you’re a key lime pie purist, you can leave it out.
I got these Vanilla Malt Cookies right on the first try. That doesn’t happen very often, so it warrants a mention.
It was a random Wednesday three years ago and I was making five-or-so dozen of whatever I wanted for a weekly cookie order I had at the time. I could have just made a batch of 
Recipes that got the group’s approval include my 
All that is to say, these Vanilla Malt Cookies were a last-second experiment-turned-instant-hit, and I’m here on this snowy Wednesday three years after their debut to tell you all about them.
Trust me, the minute you sink your teeth into one of these Vanilla Malt Cookies, you’re going to lose your cookie-loving mind. While these are a bit thinner than most of the cookies you’ll find on this site, what they lack in puffiness, they more than make up for in chewy centers and crispy edges.
Oh, and flavor. Between the big hit of vanilla extract and the richness of the malted milk powder (and the butter! and the white chocolate chips!), there’s plenty going on here.
I know there’s at least one person out there wondering why I chose to make these malted beauties with vanilla instead of chocolate. To that person, I say that vanilla malt may not be as popular as its chocolate counterpart, but it is just as delicious, if not more so. The vanilla and malted milk powder complement each other beautifully and make everything about these cookies just…divine.
But if you really can’t wrap your mind around malt without chocolate, see 
For the rest of you, make a batch of this cookie dough, crank the oven to 350F, and prepare to fall in love.
Today is Texas Independence Day! On March 2, 1836, Texas became independent from Mexico, briefly becoming the Republic of Texas before it became part of the United States in 1845. Growing up in the 
If you’ve ever driven up or down I-35 between Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth, you know the turn-off for West (the town, not the direction) means two things: a pit-stop and kolaches (“kohl-ah-cheh”). This small Czech enclave is one of the most popular food attractions in Texas. I’m not exactly sure how this came to be the state capitol of Czech pastry, but basically everyone who has ever stopped at the 
Fun fact: I happen to be of Czech descent (my mother’s maiden name is Fitzek), but my ancestors came to the U.S. by way of Chicago and didn’t bake, as far as I know. But back to the pastries…
If you haven’t had a kolache, just imagine a puffy, pillowy-soft pastry filled with sweet fruit filling (or sweet cheese or savory sausage & jalapeño). Apricot, prune, and poppy seed are some of the most popular traditional flavors, but when I set out to make quality homemade kolaches, I wanted to go extra Texan. I set my focus on a sweet-tart filling made from Texas Ruby Red Grapefruits.
As far as I’m concerned, kolaches are a great treat any time of day, but I think they’re especially good alongside a cup of coffee on a weekend morning. But who wants to get up way early and work with yeast dough for three hours on the weekend?!
My solution is to make the dough the night before and let it rise in the fridge while I sleep. This cuts waaaaay down on the early morning time commitment. Plus, the dough is initially super soft, thanks to the additions of sour cream, whole milk, and melted butter. It’s much easier to manipulate after a long chill.
Just punch it down in the morning…
Let them rise for half an hour while you mix together the posypka (crumble topping) and add a little flour to the homemade grapefruit curd filling. This will help keep it from running out of the kolaches while baking.
Once 30 minutes are up, press a well into each piece of dough.
Fill them with grapefruit filling…
Bake the kolaches at 350F for 12-14 minutes, just until they’re barely starting to turn golden and smell like butter and grapefruit and nostalgia for your Texan childhood.
Give the finished kolaches another brush of melted butter before digging in.
Whether or not you are familiar with these Czech pastries, you are in for a treat! Grapefruit Kolaches are super soft and buttery and the grapefruit filling has the perfect sweet-tart balance. One (or two) paired with a cup of coffee can make almost anyone happy to be awake.
As if there were any doubt, I’m always happy to be Texan.
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that I love the Oscars. Besides seeing all the nominated films, talking about Oscar politics with one of my best friends, and making statistically-based predictions, I have a traditional Oscar Night meal that always ends with 
This year, I’m keeping it simple with this Red Velvet Cookie Cake!
If you’re into easy-but-impressive desserts that are as adorable as they are delicious, this is the recipe for you. The red velvet dough comes together in ten minutes and bakes up in twenty. Oh, and it doesn’t require a mixer 🙂
You could certainly leave this cookie cake plain, but what’s red velvet without cream cheese frosting? This addition requires a mixer and a piping bag, but it’s totally worth it.
Whether you’re planning to watch Sunday’s broadcast with friends or make Oscar Night a quiet evening in, you’ll love this Red Velvet Cookie Cake! It’s got all the chocolate-meets-vanilla flavor you love, a thick, chewy cookie texture, and just a hint of tangy cream cheese frosting. Oh, and it’s red like the red carpet ❤
e2 bakes brooklyn 