Gingerbread Overnight Crockpot Porridge

It seems Polar Vortex Version 3.0 is on the way across the nation, so we need all the warming foods we can get!  (I will admit that our winter weather out here in the Pacific Northwest is nowhere near the nastiness that the rest of you are enduring.)  So let me offer you an amazing breakfast!  After the Gingerbread Waffles in December, I thought I'd translate that flavor into my favorite breakfast of overnight porridge.

A decadent tasting breakfast if there ever was one.  Yet it has all sorts of healthy things in it - bonus!

Overnight porridge like this has become my daily breakfast, and it hasn't gotten old since there are so many flavor options!  Like I've said before, it's mostly been apple-cinnamon.  But other favorites are zucchini-bread and carrot cake (great way to sneak in veggies in the morning).  We've also tried banana bread, pumpkin pie, peach-blueberry, and strawberry-banana.

Any other ideas on flavors we should try??  I'm open to suggestions.  :-)

Want another similar recipe?  Here's one for Overnight Crockpot Carrot Cake Porridge.


Gingerbread Overnight Porridge
Makes ~ 6 servings

1/2 cup steel-cut oats
1/2 cup whole oat groats (found in Whole Foods bulk bin, or just add more steel-cut oats)
1/2 cup short-grain brown rice (barley or farro work here too)
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
Pinch salt
¼ cup molasses
1 cup pumpkin
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
~5 cups water

To top off:
Milk of choice (if desired)
Chopped walnuts or pecans
Brown sugar/maple syrup to taste

Before going to bed, prepare your porridge.  Place a Slow Cooker Liner in your crockpot (Reynolds makes them, by the Ziploc bags).  If you don't want to spend an eternity scrubbing your crockpot - use one of these!  Trust me.  They're amazing.

In your lined crockpot, pour in your ingredients.  Stir.  Cover and set your crockpot to low and cook overnight.

In the morning, stir the porridge before serving.  Top off your bowl with milk of choice, chopped nuts and sweetener.  Enjoy!

Gingerbread Waffles

This Christmas  morning I decided to try a festive breakfast - gingerbread waffles.  The husband loves gingerbread, so I figured he wouldn't mind a deviation from a cold bowl of cereal for breakfast.

The kitchen smelled amazing while these were cooking!  The original recipe makes 16 waffles, which is far too many for us, so I halved the recipe.  But if you're cooking for a crowd, definitely make a full batch.

These are the perfect way to start Christmas (although I'm sure they're just as good any old day.)  Now, do you think it's too early for mulled wine...?

Happy holidays everyone!

Gingerbread Waffles
(from Food Network)
Makes 8 waffles

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp milk
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter, plus some to butter the iron (if necessary)

Preheat waffle iron.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in pumpkin, milk, molasses and melted butter. Stir the wet into dry until just moist. Do not overstir the waffle batter.  If necessary (it's not on my iron), brush the iron with a little melted butter.  Pour a heaping 1/3 cup into hot, greased waffle maker and cook by your wafflemaker's instructions.  Keep warm and crispy on a cooling rack-cookie sheet in a 250 degree oven until ready to eat.

 

Serve with toppings of choice (butter and maple syrup were perfect for us.)

 

Enjoy!

Grandma's Molasses Cookies

I remember visiting my grandparent's house one summer, when I was young.  I was playing outside on the farm and having a grand ole time.  Going back in the house, I found some molasses cookies that my grandma made and I helped myself.  They were delicious.  So, throughout the afternoon, on breaks from playing, I went back inside and had more cookies.  A kid's dream.  (I also remember having a huge stomachache that evening from all of the cookies.)  The delicious cookies, however, were not forgotten.

So when I got a request for a molasses cookie recipe, I immediately thought of my grandma's cookies.  I called her up and asked for the recipe.  She had this recipe (which may or may not be the original), but nonetheless, it's tasty.

Now, I generally stay away from gingerbread-y type things.  I've tried them, but I do not enjoy foods that feel like they're punching you in the taste buds (can you tell I'm not an adoring fan of staggering amounts of ginger?)  These cookies are great because the ginger is not overwhelming, but still gives you spice and warmth.

These cookies are tasty any time of year, but feel particularly appropriate on these dreary, cold, and all around icky winter days.  We all need a little warmth this time of year, why not in a comforting cookie?

Grandma's Molasses Cookies
(My grandma's recipe!)
Makes 2 dozen (although the original recipe was doubled so it makes a lot)

1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup buttermilk (or 3/4 tsp. lemon juice or vinegar in 1/4 cup milk)
1 tsp. baking soda

1/4-1/2 cup white sugar, reserved

Cream butter, shortening, and brown sugar.  Add in egg and molasses, and mix well.  In another bowl, combine remaining dry ingredients, and set aside.  In small bowl, combine buttermilk (or alternative soured milk) and baking soda.  Alternatively add in flour mixture and buttermilk mixture into butter and sugar mixture.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1-2 hours.  This dough will be sticky.  Saying it's sticky before it's chilled is like saying Mt. Everest is a kind of a tall hill.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
After dough is chilled, scoop out tablespoons of dough, roll into balls, and roll in reserved white sugar.  Slightly flatten with glass.  Alternatively, this dough can be rolled out and cup into shapes.  I'm just a tad too lazy.

Bake for 10 minutes.  After you've removed it from the oven, let cookies sit on cookie sheet for a few minutes and then remove them to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!