Food Matters Part 28

Coconut and Nut Chews

Makes: About 2 dozen .

Time: About 45 minutes Time: About 45 minutes

Although these contain no b.u.t.ter, cream, egg yolks, or flour, they're fantastic, and you can vary them in many ways. Use walnuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios, or hazelnuts. Or replace up to a cup of the nuts or coconut with chocolate chunks or dried cherries. In fact, as long as you keep the total volume to 3 cups, you can make a "kitchen sink" cookie that includes a bit of everything.

1 cup sugar1 cups shredded unsweetened coconut1 cups chopped nuts4 egg whites, lightly beaten until just foamy1 teaspoon vanilla extractPinch salt

1 Heat the oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula or your hands. Use a nonstick baking sheet, or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wet your hands and make small b.a.l.l.s with the mixture, each measuring about 1 tablespoon, and put them on the prepared sheet about an inch apart. Heat the oven to 350F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a rubber spatula or your hands. Use a nonstick baking sheet, or line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wet your hands and make small b.a.l.l.s with the mixture, each measuring about 1 tablespoon, and put them on the prepared sheet about an inch apart.

2 Bake until light brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before eating. These keep well in a covered container for up to 3 days. Bake until light brown, about 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet and cool on a rack for at least 30 minutes before eating. These keep well in a covered container for up to 3 days.

Nutty Oatmeal Cookies

Makes: About 3 dozen regular-size cookies .

Time: About 1 hour Time: About 1 hour

Nuts, chopped dried apples or other fruit, coconut or a combination help oats produce a great cookie. Choose the first options throughout this recipe ingredient list, and you've got a surprisingly good vegan cookie; go for the last options for a more traditional take. And if you're feeling decadent, this recipe can handle an extra cup of bits of semisweet or dark chocolate.

To make the spice flavors more prominent, b.u.mp up the amount of cinnamon to a teaspoon, and add teaspoon of ground ginger and teaspoon each ground allspice and nutmeg. Sometimes I make these cookies bite-size, since they're fully loaded with good stuff and quite satisfying in small portions. But small cookies will bake much more quickly, so keep an eye on them. (Then tuck half away in the freezer for a rainy day.)

cup peanut oil or vegetable oil, or 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted b.u.t.ter, softened cup granulated sugar cup packed brown sugar cup applesauce, or 2 eggs1 cups all-purpose flour2 cups rolled oats (not instant)1 cup (about 3 ounces) chopped dried apples, or other fruit cup chopped walnuts or pecans teaspoon ground cinnamonPinch salt2 teaspoons baking powder cup almond milk, rice milk, or oat milk, or cow's milk teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

1 Heat the oven to 375F. Use an electric mixer to cream the oil or b.u.t.ter and the sugars together; add the applesauce or eggs and beat until well blended. Heat the oven to 375F. Use an electric mixer to cream the oil or b.u.t.ter and the sugars together; add the applesauce or eggs and beat until well blended.

2 Combine the flour, oats, fruit, nuts, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Alternating with the milk, add the dry ingredients to the b.u.t.ter and sugar mixture by hand, a little at a time, stirring to blend. Stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, fruit, nuts, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Alternating with the milk, add the dry ingredients to the b.u.t.ter and sugar mixture by hand, a little at a time, stirring to blend. Stir in the vanilla.

3 Put teaspoon-size mounds of dough about 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for about 2 minutes on the sheets, then use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a rack to finish cooling. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for no more than a day or two. Put teaspoon-size mounds of dough about 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for about 2 minutes on the sheets, then use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a rack to finish cooling. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for no more than a day or two.

Fruit Crisp, with Apple or Nearly Anything Else

Makes: 8 servings .

Time: About an hour Time: About an hour

Crisps are the ultimate year-round dessert, since the only thing that changes is the fruit. In the fall, use apples and pears (maybe with a handful of fresh cranberries); in winter, try pineapple; in the spring, nothing beats rhubarb (you might want a little more sugar in this case), especially combined with strawberries; and in the summer, stone fruits and berries rule, alone or in combination.

6 cups sliced or chopped fruit (2 to 3 pounds), trimmed, peeled, pitted, and cored as necessary1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional) cup brown sugar, or to taste5 tablespoons cold unsalted b.u.t.ter, cut into bits, plus b.u.t.ter for greasing the pan cup rolled oats cup whole wheat flour cup chopped walnuts or pecans cup shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)Pinch salt

1 Heat the oven to 400F. In a bowl, gently toss the fruit with half the cinnamon (if you're using it) and spread it in a lightly b.u.t.tered 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan. Heat the oven to 400F. In a bowl, gently toss the fruit with half the cinnamon (if you're using it) and spread it in a lightly b.u.t.tered 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan.

2 Combine all the other ingredients, including the remaining cinnamon, in the container of a food processor. Pulse a few times, then process a few seconds more until everything is well incorporated but not uniform; it should look crumbly. To mix the ingredients by hand, soften the b.u.t.ter slightly, toss together the dry ingredients, then work in the b.u.t.ter with your fingertips, a pastry blender, or a fork. Combine all the other ingredients, including the remaining cinnamon, in the container of a food processor. Pulse a few times, then process a few seconds more until everything is well incorporated but not uniform; it should look crumbly. To mix the ingredients by hand, soften the b.u.t.ter slightly, toss together the dry ingredients, then work in the b.u.t.ter with your fingertips, a pastry blender, or a fork.

3 Crumble the topping over the fruit and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the topping is browned and the fruit is tender and bubbling. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. Crumble the topping over the fruit and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the topping is browned and the fruit is tender and bubbling. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Roasted Fruit, Sweet or Savory: Without a crust this recipe becomes an easy fruit compote. Omit everything in the recipe, except the fruit, 2 tablespoons of the b.u.t.ter, and the salt. Then melt the b.u.t.ter along with the salt and whatever seasonings you choose. To go sweet, add some or all of the brown sugar if you like, and warm spices like the cinnamon; or use teaspoon ground cardamom, nutmeg, or cloves; or tuck a split vanilla bean into the mixture. To take the fruit in a more savory direction, skip the sugar, increase the salt, and try ground c.u.min, cayenne, caraway, or even a pinch of saffron. Toss the fruit with the b.u.t.ter mixture, spread on the prepared pan, and cook as above, stirring once or twice. Without a crust this recipe becomes an easy fruit compote. Omit everything in the recipe, except the fruit, 2 tablespoons of the b.u.t.ter, and the salt. Then melt the b.u.t.ter along with the salt and whatever seasonings you choose. To go sweet, add some or all of the brown sugar if you like, and warm spices like the cinnamon; or use teaspoon ground cardamom, nutmeg, or cloves; or tuck a split vanilla bean into the mixture. To take the fruit in a more savory direction, skip the sugar, increase the salt, and try ground c.u.min, cayenne, caraway, or even a pinch of saffron. Toss the fruit with the b.u.t.ter mixture, spread on the prepared pan, and cook as above, stirring once or twice.

Brown Rice Pudding

Makes: 4 servings .

Time: About 2 hours, largely unattended Time: About 2 hours, largely unattended

To make rich pudding with brown rice, you have to bust the grains up a bit in the food processor so they will release enough starch to thicken the mixture. This nondairy recipe is based on coconut milk, but go ahead and use cow's milk for some or all of the liquid. And if you want a thicker pudding with more rice, veer toward the high end of the range listed below.

1/3 to cup long-grain brown rice to cup long-grain brown rice3 cups coconut milk (two 14-ounce cans) cup brown sugarSmall pinch saltCinnamon stick, a few cardamom pods, a split vanilla bean, a pinch of saffron, or other flavoring (optional)

1 Heat the oven to 300F. Put the rice in a food processor and pulse a few times to break the grains up a bit and scratch up their hulls; don't overprocess, or you'll pulverize them. Heat the oven to 300F. Put the rice in a food processor and pulse a few times to break the grains up a bit and scratch up their hulls; don't overprocess, or you'll pulverize them.

2 Put all the ingredients in a 2-quart ovenproof pot or Dutch oven. Stir a couple of times, and put in the oven, uncovered. Cook for 45 minutes, then stir. Cook for 45 minutes more, and stir again; at this point the milk will have darkened a bit and should be bubbling, and the rice will have begun to swell. Put all the ingredients in a 2-quart ovenproof pot or Dutch oven. Stir a couple of times, and put in the oven, uncovered. Cook for 45 minutes, then stir. Cook for 45 minutes more, and stir again; at this point the milk will have darkened a bit and should be bubbling, and the rice will have begun to swell.

3 Cook for 30 minutes more. The milk will be even darker this time, and the pudding will start to look more like rice than milk. It's almost done. Return the mixture to the oven and check every 10 minutes, stirring gently each time you check. Cook for 30 minutes more. The milk will be even darker this time, and the pudding will start to look more like rice than milk. It's almost done. Return the mixture to the oven and check every 10 minutes, stirring gently each time you check.

4 It might-but probably won't-take as long as 30 minutes more for the pudding to be ready. You must trust your instincts and remove the custard from the oven when it is still soupy; it will thicken a lot as it cools. (If you overcook the pudding, it will become fairly hard, though it's still quite good to eat.) Remove the spices, if using; and serve the pudding warm, at room temperature, or cold, alone or with your favorite topping. It might-but probably won't-take as long as 30 minutes more for the pudding to be ready. You must trust your instincts and remove the custard from the oven when it is still soupy; it will thicken a lot as it cools. (If you overcook the pudding, it will become fairly hard, though it's still quite good to eat.) Remove the spices, if using; and serve the pudding warm, at room temperature, or cold, alone or with your favorite topping.

Some Ideas for Flavoring Brown Rice PuddingAdd 1 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut to the pot at the beginning.About halfway through cooking, add cup or more raisins, dried berries, or chopped dates, figs, or other dried fruit.Stir 1 cup of chopped mango, papaya, or pineapple into the mix about halfway through the cooking.Instead of the spices, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, orange blossom water, or rose water at the end of cooking.Add 1 teaspoon minced lemon or orange zest instead of the spices.Garnish with a sprinkling of toasted coconut, sliced almonds, or other chopped nuts.

Chocolate Semolina Pudding with Raspberry Puree

Makes: 9 to 12 servings .

Time: 1 hour Time: 1 hour

Somewhere between a cake and pudding, this lovely dessert is served warm, with a simple raspberry puree that balances its richness. Other fruits that work well here include stone fruits, but (except for cherries) they have to be peeled first. Figure on about a pound of fruit for just over a cup of puree.

4 tablespoons ( stick) b.u.t.ter, plus b.u.t.ter for the pan cup cocoa powder1/3 cup (2 ounces) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped cup (2 ounces) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped1 cup whole-milk yogurt cup sugar1 cup semolina teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 pound fresh raspberriesSugar (optional)Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease an 8-or 9-inch square baking pan. Put the b.u.t.ter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, add cocoa powder and semisweet or bittersweet chocolate and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat. Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease an 8-or 9-inch square baking pan. Put the b.u.t.ter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, add cocoa powder and semisweet or bittersweet chocolate and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat.