Almond Shortcakes

There is absolutely no arguing against the desire for shortcake at this time of the year.  But instead of buying pre-made shortcakes in cellophane wrap, take just a few minutes for a light romp in some flour, butter and sugar to make your own.  Once you try this, you'll never go back.

Homemade shortcake presents you with an ultimate pleasure: soft, tender, every-so-slightly-sweet biscuit type bites that would make anyone swoon with love and devotion.  I've had lots of fun making various versions of shortcake over the years.  I've added pecans to serve with peaches, oatmeal to pair with plums, buckwheat to enjoy with blueberries and plums, sour cream to enhance tenderness and cornmeal to add a slight bit of texture.

This iteration makes good use of almond paste to infuse with a subtle flavor that goes perfectly with the season's fresh fruit. Berries are in great abundance at the moment and stone fruit and figs are right around the corner.  This shortcake would be a perfect partner with all of them.  Add a good dollop of freshly whipped cream and there's really nothing like it.  Fresh, easy and truly a phenomenal pleasure.

Bench notes:
- Almond paste is not the same as marzipan, which has a lot more sugar added to the almond paste.  I like Odense brand, which comes in a box containing a 7 oz log wrapped in foil.  This recipe calls for 3 1/2 oz or half a log.  You can wrap the other half tightly in plastic, place in a zipped plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for quite a while.  Bring it to room temperature to let it soften before using.  Another great use for 3 1/2 oz of almond paste: Brown Butter Almond Cake and Chocolate Almond Cake.
- For the best shortcake texture, process the almond paste with the sugar until it's very finely ground and looks fairly homogeneous with the sugar.
- The secret to great shortcake is a very light touch when mixing and forming the dough.  This recipe requires very little handling for maximum tenderness.  There are just a few things to remember: 1) Both the butter and the cream must be very cold.  2) Work fast to incorporate the butter so it doesn't warm up.  3)  Use a fork to stir in the cream with only about 10 - 12 rounds of stirring.  The dough will look lumpy.  4)  Place the dough on a very lightly dusted work surface and pull it together with 3 - 4 very light kneads.  You don't want to overwork it but you also don't want a pile of clumps.  5) Using a floured biscuit or cookie cutter, press down to form the shortcakes and lift straight up when you're done.  To prevent sealing the edges, no twisting or turning the cutter.
- For some reason, you'll get more loft and height to your shortcakes, biscuits and scones if, after cutting them out, you turn them upside down and then place them on the baking sheet.  Strange but true.
- I use a serrated knife and a sawing motion to cut the shortcakes in half.
- Shortcakes are best when served immediately after they've cooled.



Almond Shortcakes
Makes 6 shortcakes

3 1/2 oz almond paste
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) sugar
2 cups (10 oz) flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 oz (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter
1 cup (8 oz) cold heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 oz (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, melted for brushing the tops
sliced almonds, for garnish
sugar, for garnish

6 oz fresh raspberries
6 oz fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons (26 grams) sugar, to taste

1 cup (8 oz) heavy cream
1 tablespoon (13 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat.  If your oven runs hot, double stack 2 baking sheets to prevent the bottoms from browning too much.

Finely chop the almond paste and place in a food processor with the sugar.  Process until the paste is broken into fine granules and blended with the sugar.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt and process to combine.  Pour into a bowl.

Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture.  Using your fingers or a pastry blender, press the butter into flattened pieces the size of oatmeal flakes, tossing and coating the butter with flour as you go.  Make a well in the center.

Combine the cream and vanilla and pour into the well.  Stir with a fork, making just about 10 - 12 rotations.  Stop mixing when it starts to come together and the cream seems fairly absorbed.  Gather the loose and lumpy dough with your hands and press it together very gently 2 or 3 times.

Place the dough on a work surface lightly dusted with flour.  Pat and shape into a round about 1" thick.   Using a round 2 1/2 cutter dipped in flour and a straight up and down motion, cut out 6 shortcakes.  Place them upside down on the prepared baking sheet.  Brush with melted butter and garnish with sliced almonds.  Sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake until golden brown, about 12 - 14 minutes.   Place on a wire rack to cool.

Combine the berries with the sugar and set aside for about 15 minutes, stirring a couple of times to distribute the juices.

When ready to assemble, whisk the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.  Cut the shortcakes in half and place the bottom halves on serving plates.  Dollop with whipped cream and berries.  Top with remaining halves.

Pear & Vanilla Brandy Cakes

Just before we get ready to greet the gorgeous apricots and cherries of May with unbridled glee, I'm making these sweet little cakes loaded with pear and a nip of brandy.  They are a simple but elegant way to end a meal or begin a celebratory Sunday brunch along with a good strong and steaming hot cup of coffee.

Pears are available throughout the year and are one of my favorite fruits.  They are subtle in flavor and texture and so delicious on their own but also bake nicely in pastry and poach beautifully as a versatile compote for ice cream, cake and shortcake.

The smell of these cakes baking is heavenly and they turn out of their ramekins nicely on the plate.  The golden caramel combined with the sumptuous pear make this very hard to resist any time of the year.  So grab a fork and relax.  This is a no brainer.



Bench notes:
- My ramekins are 4 1/2" x 2".  But use what you have, keeping in mind if the diameter of your ramekins is smaller, the cake will likely take a couple of minutes longer to bake.
- If you don't have a vanilla bean for the topping, substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and add along with the brandy.
- I used D'anjou pears.  They should be ripe but not mushy.  Bartletts or ripe Boscs would also work.
- An ice cream scoop makes it easy to portion the cake batter.
- If you're in the mood to gild the lily, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of slightly sweetened and brandied whipped cream.
- The recipe could just as easily be made into one 9" cake to serve 8 people.  Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 45 - 50 minutes.



Pear & Vanilla Brandy Cakes
Makes 6 cakes

Topping
2 oz (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 vanilla bean
3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz) dark brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons (1 oz) brandy
pinch salt
2 - 3 ripe D'anjou pears

Cake
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 oz (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter @ room temperature
3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz) granulated sugar
2 eggs @ room temperature
2 tablespoons (1 oz) brandy
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup (4 oz) milk @ room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease the sides of six 4 1/2" diameter x 2" depth ramekins.

To make the topping, place 2 oz butter in a saucepan.  Split and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the butter along with the casing.  Melt the butter over low heat.  Add brown sugar and cook, whisking to combine, for about 2 - 3 minutes.  Whisk in the brandy and a slight pinch of salt and remove from heat.  Remove the vanilla bean casing and distribute the topping in each of the ramekins.

Peel and core the pears and cut into 1/4" slices that will fit into your ramekins.  Arrange them on top of the sugar mixture.  Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt.  Combine the brandy and vanilla with the milk.

Beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.  Add a third of the flour mixture alternately with half the milk, beginning and ending with the flour.  Mix just until blended, scraping down the bowl to incorporate everything together.  Portion the cake batter in each ramekin and spread to the edges.  Bake until golden and a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Place the ramekins on a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.  Invert the cakes onto serving dishes and cool.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Whole Lemon Bars

This is a lemon bar to end all lemon bars.  It's fairly reminiscent of the idea for a Shaker Pie, the classic American dessert developed by the Shaker religious communities of Ohio.  Their recipe calls for slicing whole lemons ultra thin and macerating them in sugar overnight to release their juices and tenderize the skin and pith.

The recipe for these lemon bars is from David Lebovitz.  Rather than slicing the lemons, he makes good use of a food processor to pulverize and combine all the filling ingredients, which include sugar and melted butter to temper the tartness and egg and cornstarch to bind the mixture.  The base is a simple pastry crust.

Upon first bite, I experienced quite a pucker, which is to say these lemon bars are not nuanced in any way.  They are super delicious and quite tart.  They seem to tame down a bit the second day.  And then what I realized when I had another go is they are mellowed a bit if you choose lemons that have a thin skin rather than a thicker one to cut down on some of the bitterness of the pith.  When served to other tasters, they proclaimed them the best lemon bar ever.  So if you're in the mood for a distinctive lemon experience that will light up your taste buds, this is the lemon bar for you.



Bench notes:
- I used my recipe for Almond Tart Dough as the base: Place 1 cup (5 oz) flour, 1/4 cup (3/4 oz) toasted sliced almonds, 3 tablespoons (39 g) sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor and process to combine.  Add 4 oz (8 tablespoons) cold butter cut into 1/2" pieces and pulse just until the mixture looks like coarse meal.  Add 1 egg yolk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and process until the dough just starts to clump.  Press evenly into prepared pan.
- Since the recipe incorporates the whole lemon, choose organic or unsprayed.
- David says he used 1 lemon that weighed 6 oz.  That's a pretty big lemon!  I wound up using 2 smaller medium-sized ones to get to 6 oz.  Don't worry about getting the exact weight.
- When you're pureeing the filling, there will be a few tiny bits of lemon remaining, which will add to the texture.
- The cooled bars will keep in an airtight container at room temperature up to three days.  You can also freeze them in airtight packaging up to one month.  Bring to room temperature before serving.
- If you try this recipe with Meyer lemons, you may want to reduce the sugar in the filling.




Whole Lemon Bars
adapted from David Lebovitz

Pastry Crust
1 cup (5 oz) flour
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 oz (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Lemon Filling
1 large or 2 small - medium lemons (6 oz)
1 cup (7 oz) sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 eggs @ room temperature
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon (12 g) cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 oz (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease an 8" square pan and line with parchment with a slight overhang on two sides.

For the pastry crust, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt until combined.  Add the melted butter and vanilla and stir with a fork just until smooth.  Press into the bottom of the pan, distributing the dough as evenly as possible.

Bake the crust until it's golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degree F.

For the filling, cut the lemon in half and remove the seeds.  Cut the lemon into smaller chunks and place them in the bowl of a food processor or blender along with the sugar and lemon juice.  Process until the lemon is finely chopped.  Add the eggs, cornstarch, salt and melted butter and blend until almost smooth.

Pour the lemon filling over the hot crust and bake for 25 minutes or just until the filling stops jiggling and is barely set.  Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Carefully lift and remove the cooled pastry from the pan using the parchment overhang to assist.  Cut the bars into squares or rectangles and sift powdered sugar over the top just before serving.

Roasted Strawberry Sherbet

As luck would have it, the early season strawberries I bought this week were not up to standard.  They weren't sweet and didn't have enough of that fresh bright flavor that makes strawberries so desirable.  But instead of tossing them in the garbage, I knew I could vastly improve their flavor by simply roasting them.

Roasting fruit always intensifies the flavor and produces a lot of delicious juices.  Add a vanilla bean to the mix and you get a really wonderful aroma and taste, clearly a grand embellishment upon what I started with.

The rest of the mixture for this experiment turned out to be a case of wanting to clear out remainders in my refrigerator.  Once I pureed the strawberries in my food processor, I added heavy cream, buttermilk and sour cream for an element of tanginess.  After a quick spin in my ice cream maker, I wound up with a fantastic and irresistible sherbet brimming with a very rich and pronounced strawberry flavor.

That is not to say you can't make this wonderful sherbet with really great strawberries.  But I was certainly surprised at how much I loved the results when using even mediocre fruit.

Here's to a great spring full of the amazing beauty of fresh berries!

Bench notes:
- Sherbet is a fruit puree to which dairy has been added.  That is what differentiates it from sorbet, which is basically fruit puree and simple syrup.
- You can also recycle a half-piece of dried vanilla bean from your vanilla sugar jar to use for the strawberries.  I do this when vanilla isn't the star ingredient.  So save your used vanilla pods: wash and dry them out and store them in a jar of sugar.   They still impart a lot of flavor.
- The roasted strawberries will taste very sweet.  Not to worry, you will be adding some sour ingredients to the mix.
- Balance the sweetness and brighten the acidity by adding lemon juice, to taste.
- Pack the finished sherbet in an airtight container, pressing down to eliminate any air pockets where ice crystals can form.  I also press a piece of plastic onto the surface to discourage ice from forming on the surface.
- Other sherbets to enjoy: Lemon Sherbet, Mocha Sherbet and Orange Spice Sherbet.



Roasted Strawberry Sherbet
makes about 1 quart

1 1/2 lbs fresh strawberries
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (4 1/2 oz) sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
3/4 cup (6 oz) heavy cream
3/4 cup (6 oz) sour cream
1/2 cup (4 oz) buttermilk
1 tablespoon lemon juice, to taste
pinch salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Hull the strawberries and slice them in half or into quarters if they're large.  Toss them with the sugar.  Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the strawberries.  Add the pod and toss to combine.  Pour into an 8" square baking dish.

Roast the strawberries for 30 - 35 minutes, giving them an occasional stir to coat them evenly with syrup.  Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely.

Remove the vanilla pod and pour the strawberries along with their juices into the bowl of a food processor.  Puree until smooth.  Add the heavy cream, sour cream and buttermilk and process to combine.  Add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt, to taste.  Pour into an airtight container and chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.

Freeze according to your ice cream machine's directions.  Pour into an airtight container, press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface, cover and place in your freezer to firm up.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Cake

Nothing says spring like strawberries and rhubarb.  After a long season of winter, the bright pop of color and tart acidity of this fruit combination is more than welcome.  It's time for our annual spring pies, galettes and shortcakes!

This is a pretty simple cake but one that really delivers on the promise of spring.  It starts with a basic white cake.  I've tried lots of white cake recipes but they always seem to fall just short of what I'm looking for.  Sometimes they're too dry or too sweet or too dense or crumbly.  I set to work on a basic white cake formula and with just a few little tweaks and a couple of test runs, I'm pleased with these results.  The cake has a soft and tender texture with an open crumb.  The flavor is subtle and wonderful, just the sort of backdrop for all your favorite fillings and frostings.

The rhubarb in this recipe is cooked briefly on the stovetop with some sugar, orange zest and vanilla, flavors that really complement both fruits.  The strawberries are sliced and folded in fresh to brighten the mix.  It's an easy compote to layer in the middle of the cake.  Then the whole thing is slathered in whipped cream.  Light, fresh and simply delectable.

Happy spring!



Bench notes:
- It's important to use cake flour for this recipe to produce a lighter and more tender cake.  I buy it at my local bulk grocer where it's much less expensive than the box at the supermarket. You can also make your own cake flour using regular flour and cornstarch, which inhibits the formation of gluten.  Here is the basic formula: 1 cup of cake flour = 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch.  For the 1 1/2 cups of cake flour in this recipe, measure 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and remove 3 tablespoons.  Add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and sift a couple of times to be sure it's completely blended.
- This technique for mixing cake batter is called the "two-stage" method made popular by Rose Levy Beranbaum in The Cake Bible.  It's different from the creaming method in that all the dry ingredients are mixed with the butter and some of the liquid.  This mixture gets beaten for 1 1/2 minutes and then the eggs, vanilla and remaining liquid are added in three stages and mixed for 20 seconds after each addition.  The creaming method results in more aeration of ingredients and therefore cakes made using that method usually have a stronger structure and turn out with a higher rise.  This two-stage method results in less gluten development and yields a more tender cake with a delicate crumb, exactly what we're looking for in a basic white cake.
- For those who don't own a scale, I base my metrics on the "dip and sweep" method of measuring flour with the following important condition: Flour gets very compacted as it sits in our cupboards.  So when measuring flour by volume, it's important to first take a fork or a whisk and fluff the flour thoroughly to aerate it before each dip of your measuring cup.  Overfill it just a bit and then use a spatula to level the cup.  So to measure by weight, my 1 cup of all-purpose flour = 5 oz (142 grams).  My 1 cup of cake flour = 4 oz (113 grams).
- "Room temperature" butter means the chill has been take off and it's pliable but not soft to the touch.
- The cooked rhubarb will taste sweet but the added strawberries don't have any additional sugar.  You may want to use less sugar if your strawberries are sweet.
- I recycle a 3" piece of dried vanilla bean from my vanilla sugar jar to use for this compote.  If you don't have a vanilla bean, substitute 1/4 teaspoons vanilla.
- If you don't have creme fraiche,  just use an additional 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.
- What's the difference between heavy cream and whipping cream?  Heavy cream contains 36% milk fat; whipping cream has 30%.  For finishing a cake like this, use heavy cream because it whips up with a stronger loft and will hold its shape longer than whipping cream without weeping.  Cream whips best when it's very cold.
- Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to cut the cake into two layers. Start by making a small 1" cut into the side of the cake all the way around.  Then bring your knife around again, sawing a little deeper.  The cake will be cut in half very quickly.  If you try to cut straight across in one fell swoop, you'll wind up with a lot more crumbs.  Once the cake has been cut into two layers, I use a removable tart pan bottom to lift off the top half layer and set it aside.
- The cake can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
- For a simpler presentation, dollop the cream on top of the cake and serve the compote on the side.  Or prepare individual servings by layering cake, fruit and cream in parfait glasses.
- For a larger cake, double the recipe and use two 9" cake pans.  These will bake for a bit shorter time, about 25 - 28 minutes.  You'll probably need about 1/3 C more whipped cream and a few more strawberries.
- Another very delicious cake along the same lines: Angel Food Cake Roll with Strawberries & Cream.  Or if you prefer chocolate: Chocolate & Balsamic Strawberry Cream Cake.



Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Cake
Serves 8

White Cake
3 large (3 oz) egg whites @ room temperature
1/2 cup (4 oz) whole milk @ room temperature, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter @ room temperature
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (6 1/4 oz) sugar

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote
4 stalks (about 9 oz) rhubarb, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (2 3/4 oz) sugar
zest of 1/2 orange
1/3 vanilla bean or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 oz fresh strawberries

1 cup (8 oz) cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons (1 oz) cold creme fraiche
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease an 8" x 2 1/2" cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment.

Whisk together egg whites, 1/4 cup milk and vanilla and set aside.

Combine cake flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend.  Cut the butter into 1/2" pieces and add to the flour mixture with the 1/4 cup remaining milk.  Mix on low speed until moistened.  Increase to medium speed and beat for 1 1/2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.  Gradually add the egg white and milk mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly to level it.

Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 - 32 minutes.  Place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge to loosen. Invert the cake.  Carefully remove the parchment and invert again.  Cool completely.

For the compote, place the sliced rhubarb in a saucepan with the sugar, orange zest and vanilla bean.  Cook over medium low heat for about 10 minutes or until the fruit softens but still holds its shape.  Take off the heat and remove the vanilla pod.  Slice the strawberries into bite-sized pieces and toss with the rhubarb.

To assemble, whip the cold cream, creme fraiche, sugar and vanilla to a medium stiff peak.  Chill until ready to use.

Place the cake on a cake board, removable tart pan bottom or a serving platter.  Slice the cake in half horizontally and set the top half aside.   Spread the fruit compote on the bottom half to within 1/2" of the border.  Place the top of the cake over the fruit and press gently to secure.  Slather the cake with the whipped cream and chill until ready to serve.

Oatmeal Pecan Thins

I've been experimenting with oatmeal again in search of my idea of a great thin and crispy cookie.  I wanted the cookie to be full of toasty oat flavor along with a tinge of butterscotch; brittle but also a little chewy; buttery without being too greasy.  I also wanted to make a cookie without the use of flour or corn syrup.  This is the result of several iterations and tinkering.

I added nuts as a texture contrast to the chewiness.  There's honey and just a touch of molasses to lift the flavor and a hint of salt as a counterpoint to the sweet.

These are one of my favorite cookies.  Super easy to whip up a batch, they bake off very quickly in just 7 - 8 minutes and cool on the baking pan.  Savor them as an afternoon treat with a hot beverage or alongside a good bowl of ice cream.

A technical note: It appears I'm having problems with my email subscription service once again.  All of the fixes I've tried before don't seem to be working this time around.  Sincere apologies to all my subscribers.  I hope to get it resolved soon.



Bench notes:
- Toast pecans on a baking sheet in a single layer at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.
- Finely chop the pecans so they fit nicely in the flat cookie.
- I like the texture of old-fashioned oats rather than the quick-cooking variety.
- I used a #40 scoop (1 tablespoon) to portion the cookies.
- These cookies bake very fast, just 7 - 8 minutes.  They'll look a bit wet and pale when you remove them from the oven but they continue to dry and darken as they cool on the pan.  You may want to run a small test batch first to gauge the results in your oven.  Watch them closely.  With these types of thin cookies, it's easy to go from perfect to burnt in just an extra minute.
- The baked cookies store well in an airtight container in the freezer.  If you're storing at room temperature, stack them with wax paper or parchment to separate them.



Oatmeal Pecan Thins
Makes 30 cookies

2 1/4 cups (6 3/4 oz) old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 3/4 oz) pecans, toasted and finely chopped
4 oz (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (2 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1 3/4 oz) dark brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons (1 oz) honey
1/2 teaspoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg @ room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper.

Place oats, baking powder, salt and chopped pecans in a bowl.  Toss together until thoroughly combined.

Cut the butter into 1/2" pieces and place in a saucepan with the granulated and brown sugars, honey and molasses.  Bring to a slow boil over medium low heat, whisking constantly.  When the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved and thoroughly incorporated, take off the heat.  When the mixture is cool, whisk in the egg and vanilla.  Switch to a rubber spatula or a spoon and combine with the oats, stirring until all the ingredients are blended and there are no dry patches.

Scoop 1 tablespoon for each cookie, placing 2" apart, 8 cookies per prepared cookie sheet.  Dampen your fingers slightly and press on the center of the cookies to flatten to 2" in diameter, tucking in any stray oats around the edges to form a uniform border so they don't burn.

Bake until a light golden color, just 7 - 8 minutes.  Cool completely on the pan.  Remove with a small spatula.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature separated with parchment or wax paper or in your freezer.