Now that the heat and humidity of summer is a thing of the past, it's time to turn on the oven again. A house that smells like muffins and pie, scones and rolls, cookies and cake is a house that smells like "welcome."

When you need to wow them, serve guests a restaurant-quality dish of scallops with braised fennel and mushroom broth. Photo credit: Photograph by Ben Fink for "Impress for Less!" by Hope Fox (Wiley, 2007)

There's chocolate, of course, which can scent the air and draw people to the kitchen. There's vanilla and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. And then there's oatmeal. Oatmeal, touted for its properties to address (if not cure) heart disease, high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes, adds a toasty, nutty flavor and rustic texture to some decadent baked goods. This may not be an entirely good thing. It would probably be best for us all to enjoy our oatmeal in the morning, topped with some simple raisins and low-fat milk. The oatmeal in the recipes here is like the plain-Jane librarian in those old movies who gets a bit tipsy and lets her hair down. Who knew she could rumba?

Let your oatmeal loose in this cake recipe, which comes from the luscious new cookbook "Southern Cakes" (Chronicle, 2007) by Nancie McDermott. It is a keeper, and, as McDermott suggests slyly, "Since oatmeal shows up mostly at breakfast, you're allowed to take along a piece of oatmeal cake on a busy morning when you need something good to-go." The same can be said of the oatmeal scones, which come from an old favorite, "The Breakfast Book" by Marion Cunningham (Alfred A. Knopf, 1989). Ditto for the cookie bars, from my own files. Just don't call them "health food."

OATMEAL CAKE

For the cake:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup butter

1-1/2 cups boiling water

1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten well

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup chopped pecans (see Cook's note)

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Cook's note: If you have time, toast the pecans first in a 350 F oven for about 8 minutes. (Watch carefully; they burn easily). Toasting brings out the flavor. The recipes below use rolled oats, often sold as "old fashioned" rolled oats, or old-fashioned oatmeal. Do not use the quick-cooking (1 minute) or "instant" kind.

Make the cake: In a medium bowl, combine the oatmeal, butter and boiling water, and stir to mix them together a bit. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and generously grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13-by-9-inch pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg and stir to mix well.

In a large bowl, combine the regular sugar and brown sugar with the eggs and vanilla and beat with a mixer at medium speed for about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl, until thick and light colored.

Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture in two batches, beating just long enough each time to make the flour disappear. Mix in the oatmeal mixture, stirring and folding to combine everything into a nubby but well-mixed batter.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cake(s) is/are golden brown, spring back when touched lightly in the center and begin pulling away from the sides of the pan. Cool the cake(s) in the pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes. If you have used round cake pans, turn out the cakes carefully onto wire racks, turn topside up and allow to cool. If you have used a rectangular pan, just allow it to cool in the pan.

Make the frosting: In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, evaporated milk and sugar, and place over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring now and then. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla, pecans and coconut. Beat with a wooden spoon, whisk or mixer set on low speed until you have a thickened, cooled frosting.

If you are making a round layer cake, spread the frosting between the two layers and then on top of the cake. (Leave the sides bare.) If you are making the rectangular cake, frost the top and serve the cake, cut into squares, from the pan.

Yield: at least 10 servings

Recipe from "Southern Cakes" by Nancie McDermott (Chronicle Books, 2007)

OATMEAL-RAISIN SCONES

For topping (optional):

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups rolled oats

For scone:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1-3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, chilled

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup raisins

2 cups buttermilk

Make the topping, if using (you can do this days before making the scones): Preheat the oven to 375 F. Mix the butter, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Put the oatmeal in a bowl, pour in the melted caramel sauce and toss the mixture until the oatmeal is coated. Spread the mixture in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove from oven and cool. Store in an airtight container. You will need 1/2 cup for the scones. Save the rest for applesauce, hot oatmeal and baked bananas.

Make the scones: Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture. Use either your fingers or a pastry cutter to rub or cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the oats and raisins, tossing or stirring with a fork to distribute evenly. Add the buttermilk and stir with a fork until you can gather the dough into a rough ball.

Sprinkle a board with flour, and put the dough on it. Knead six or seven times. Divide the dough into three equal parts. Pat each part into a circle about 1/2-inch thick. Sprinkle with topping, if using (you will need about 1/2 cup in all) and pat it into the dough. Cut each circle into six wedges. Put the wedges on ungreased baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Yield: 18 scones

Recipe from "The Breakfast Book" by Marion Cunningham (Alfred A. Knopf, 1989)

OATMEAL COOKIE BARS

1 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

generous pinch of cinnamon

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup dried raisins or cranberries

1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, cream the butter and sugars together. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and mix well. Stir in oats and raisins and zest (if using). Mix thoroughly. Spoon and press into the prepared pan.

Bake 30 minutes or until the top looks golden. Cool about 10 minutes, then cut into bars before completely cooled.

Yield: 2 to 3 dozen bars