Cheese and Oatmeal Cakes

I've made several oat-based snacks on this site, but one thing they all had in common was their chewiness. These oat cakes, based on the ones mentioned in the book Lord Brocktree, are super crunchy and perfect for chip cravings.

Cheese and Oatmeal Cakes

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6 cakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 380F.
2. Mix together the oats, baking soda, and salt.
   
3. Mix in the melted butter.
   
4. Add water one tablespoon at a time until the oats start to stick together. You might not use all of the water; I only used about 5 tablespoons.
   
5. Stir in the Parmesan.
   
6. Press the mixture into the bottom of six ramekins and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
   
7. Let cool completely on a cooling rack, then tip out of the ramekins. You may need to loosen then from the edge with a knife first. 
   

Plum and Nut Slice

This idea of a "slice" is very different from the previous two examples and comes from the book Lord Brocktree. For this version, I combined fruits, nuts, and seeds in a food processor to make a thick paste that could solidify into something similar to fruit leather without all the cooking time. Sliced into squares, it makes a great chewy snack

Plum and Nut Slice

Prep time: 10 minutes
Chill time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Yield: 9 pieces

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried plums (ie prunes, preferably unsweetened)
• 1 cup sticky dried fruit of choice (I used cherries)
• 1 cup walnuts
• Optional: 2 tbsp seeds, such as chia, poppy, or caraway

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a food processor.
   
2. Run the food processor for about 5-10 minutes, scraping down the sides if necessary, or until all of the ingredients have formed a smooth, shiny paste.
   
3. Press the paste into an 8x8" pan lined with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill until solid.
   
4. Cut into slices.
   

Fruitloaf

When I read about the "fruitloaf" in the book Triss, my immediate first thought was of banana bread. I don't think bananas are a thing in Redwall, though, so I decided to take a similar approach with a different fruit puree -- applesauce. If you wanted, you could also add a cup of chopped apples or nuts, but I left it plain other than the spices.

Fruitloaf

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spices in a medium bowl.
   
3. Combine the milk, oil, applesauce, and vinegar in a large bowl.
   
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and gently stir until just combined.
5. Pour batter into a loaf pan lined with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.
   

Arrowroot and Almond Slice

I know that I just posted a recipe for an almond slice, but my group had an experiment, so I needed to come up with a dessert to share that could sit out at room temperature and that everybody could eat. This one is very different from the last one, but no less delicious.

Arrowroot and Almond Slice

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Yield: 32 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp arrowroot (or cornstarch), dissolved in 6 tbsp water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, almond meal, baking soda, and salt.
   
3. With an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugars, and vanilla until light in color, smooth, and fluffy. 
   
4. Add arrowroot liquid and stir in -- this will NOT come together, but don't worry. All will be well in the end, I promise.
5. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until you have a smooth dough.
   
6. Line a 9x13 baking pan with aluminum foil and press the dough into the pan. I put my hand into a plastic bag and used that to press it down evenly.
   
7. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.