Oatmeal Cookies, Galletas de Avena

My favorite...OATMEAL cookies! I don't know how I had not shared my favorite recipe for years with you before, .....well I kind of do. When I bake these cookies they disappear quite quickly. My beloved daughters and husband are not the only ones to blame, this time I am also guilty. To tell you the truth, after baking cookies like these, who wants to spend time photographing when you can sit down, relax and enjoy them? This time I manage to save a few for the blog photos, and I am very happy I did because it is another cookie recipe I add to this blog. I have dedicated this blog to my daughters, family and friends, hoping one day they'll bake for me too! I also dedicate this blog to YOU of course, but due to distances etc., I'll be happy with you cooking / baking my recipes and enjoying them yourselves. Photos of your baked good are appreciated :)

En Español: AQUÍ

Variations to the oatmeal cookies could be endless. Some have nuts and some do not. Some have raisins and some don’t. Others have spices and others don’t. What I like about this cookie is the hint of spices combined with the oatmeal, the ground raisins and the crisp but also slightly chewy texture it has. This is definitely the oatmeal cookie I use to eat and enjoy with delight when I was a child. I know you will enjoy it as much as we do.

Going into three months after "back to school" and we know some of us are a little exhausted of  everyday tasks and most likely start getting a little lazy in preparing our children's snack. A delicious and nutritious dessert should not be left out, and for that I recommend these oatmeal cookies. Whether you bake them to give as a gift or to munch on at snack time, these cookies are excellent!

Oatmeal Cookies
For gifts or snack these are excellent! The ground raisins give it a uniform texture and rich taste. If you prefer a sweeter cookie you can 1/2 cup extra of white granulated sugar.

 
Ingredients: 
8 tablespoons (1stick) unsalted butter or margarine at room temperature
⅓ cup firmly dark brown sugar
¼ cup white granulated sugar
½ cup raisins, ground to a paste in a food processor
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cup all purpose flour (for a flatter cookie use 1 cup only)
1 cup oatmeal (old fashion preferred)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of salt


Instructions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with wax paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter. Add both sugars and cream until smooth. Add the raising paste and mix until well blended.Add the egg and mix until fully incorporated.
3. With a whisk stir the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt into another bowl. Add to the butter mixture and mix until a dough forms.
4. Drop by 1 tablespoon of the dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 or 12 minutes or until the cookies are a light golden brown but still a little moist on top.

Yield: 2 dozens.

The gum paste flowers used in this post are from are made in Dominican Republic, if you are interested in buying we ship to the United States and other parts of the world please contact me via email.

En español: AQUÍ

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” - Matthew 19:26

Liver with Onions, Higado Encebollado

Discover today a delicious recipe from authentic Dominican cuisine: liver with onions! Here I share with you my favorite method for preparing this dish, which, despite what you might think, is easy to cook and simply exquisite when combined with onions.

Receta de Hígado Encebollado en español.

Key tip: When purchasing the liver, make cooking easier by asking the butcher to remove the outer skin and cut it into thin slices. This will make your cooking experience even simpler and more successful. This dish is versatile and delicious on its own but reaches new heights when served with traditional accompaniments such as white rice, tostones, or boiled yuca.

But that's not all, here I also share with you how to prepare Hígado Guisado (liver stew) to diversify your Dominican culinary experience! 

Take a look at my step-by-step photo video with "Bachata en Fukuoka", 

give it a like if you found it helpful.

Liver with Onions (Hígado Encebollado)

Looking for a delicious and healthy option for a quick dinner with a criollo, Dominican cuisine taste? Try this simple recipe for tender and flavorful liver with onions, complete with detailed instructions. It's perfect for an authentic flavor, and if you prefer it with sauce, I've included notes on how to make it stewed. Marinating time is optional and takes 1 hour, while cooking time is just 5 minutes.

 
Ingredients: 
2 lbs. beef liver
1 cup milk
3 teaspoons crushed garlic
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1½ teaspoon ground oregano
2 large onions, cut into rings or halved
½ cup vinegar or sour orange juice salt and pepper
¼ cup soybean or corn oil

Instructions: 

1. Leave the liver in milk for at least 30 minutes or overnight. The milk helps to tenderize meat.

2. Drain and season with crushed garlic, soy sauce, and ground oregano. Let stand 30 minutes or more.

3. Meanwhile cut onions, season with some salt and vinegar or sour orange juice is better. Set aside.

4. In a hot skillet, sauté liver for about 2 minutes per side or until it's no longer pink, add the onions with vinegar or any orange juice, cover, and cook until onions soften a bit (2 mins.) or to taste. Total, time depends on the amount of time you let the liver macerate and with seasoning. Cooking time is only 5 minutes.

Yield: Serves 6.

Notes: 

a) To make the liver stew (hígado guisado), after sautéing in step #4, add 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce or paste and let it sauté for a minute. Then add 1 large, chopped bell pepper, a little chopped cilantro, 1 onion chopped, and vinegar or bitter orange juice. If you feel it needs more broth, add 1/4 - 1/2 cup of boiling water. Sauté for another two minutes. Cover the pan and let the ingredients simmer for a maximum of two minutes. Then, serve.

This is Hígado guisado (stewed liver).

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.- Psalm 119:105

Fried Green Plantains, TOSTONES

TOSTONES are FRIED GREEN PLANTAINS, the preferred side dish in many Latin American kitchens. This is how I most like to eat the plantains. They can be served at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is a very popular fritter served with the "comida" at noon and for dinner. 

Strangely enough, it is also sold for breakfast with fried salami or even fried chicken in the popular business called "cafeterias". I know you may be wondering, fried chicken and plantains for breakfast? Some Dominicans love this, but only if there is no mangú - mashed boiled green plantains. 

About MANGU, I will write another day because I believe a separate post would be more appropriate since it is one of the dishes that represent Dominican cuisine, just like the MOFONGO is to Puerto Ricans. These recipes are cooked and very much loved in BOTH countries.

En Español: AQUÍ

Although it is simple to make, I must confess that when I got married, I did not know how to cook tostones. If you don't know the correct steps, your results can be a total failure. They can come out very hard, too greasy, or even raw. All of these mentioned happened to me. Therefore, if my advice helps you achieve great, crispy, and well-done fried plantains, then I'll be very happy and could go BAKE in peace.

To my sweet little ones at home and the apprentices who follow this blog, you will no longer have excuses for not knowing how to make these. The steps are VERY EASY; the most difficult part is to peel the plantain, but I still guarantee you could make these... it is a piece of cake, TRUST ME!!

Many people add water with garlic, but I don't because I find this makes them soggy. At home we like them to be a little crispy not oily. My daughters love them with ketchup, and I am almost sure that in many of your homes is the same.

Tostones, Fried Greens Plantains or Patacones

The preferred side dish in many Latin American kitchens.

Ingredients:

Green Plantains (one plantain yields 5-6 tostones)

enough oil for deep frying

salt

Instructions:  

1. Peel and cut the plantains into one-inch slices, which can be diagonal or straight.

2. First Fry: Fry the pieces in a frying pan with enough oil to cover the one-inch chunks, about 1½ -2 inches deep. The oil must be hot (350˚F); otherwise, the tostones may come out greasy. Fry until they start to turn golden in color. Drain them in a mesh basket or on a paper towel.

3. After a minute or two, not more, flatten the pieces with a tostonera. If you don't have one at hand, a wide cup or plate will do, but I do recommend getting a plantain press (tostonera).

4. Second Fry: (To be done right before serving because they will harden as they cool) Return the flattened plantains to the hot oil until they reach a golden color and are fully cooked. Remove them from the oil and drain. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately. To enhance the taste, you can use garlic salt instead of regular salt or sprinkle them with garlic powder and salt.

Yield: 4-6 servings.

Speaking of patacones, here is an old-time video of, Johnny Ventura, one of the best merengue artist, Enjoy!

I take this opportunity to give you a peek of our banana plantation, this is what surrounds my entire house. The yellow- greenish tree trunks are the bananas (the ones we eat raw as dessert) and the ones with reddish trunks are the plantains (the cooking ones).

If you are interested in purchasing one of these aluminum tostoneras go HERE.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved. - Acts 4:12

Text and Photos © Mari's Cakes