Oatmeal Cookies Revisited

Fresh from the oven!
I was craving for a cookie this weekend and amazing enough, I wasn't craving for my chocolate chip cookies but an oatmeal cookies! Who would have thought that I would forgoe eating bunch of chocolates in exchange for a healthier oats and raisins. I wan't a fan of oatmeal cookies before specially commercially bought ones because they tend to be though and much too sweet for me. Looking back at my blog, I saw that I only made oatmeal cookies TWICE and they are years apart. I remember clearly that one of the best oatmeal cookies that I have ever tasted is the made made by Sherry Yard. Its moist and chewy at the same time without being coyingly sweet.
Cookies cooling
It's very fortunate that I have golden raisins handy though I was willing to use the regular black raisins if I don't have the golden variety. My craving needed to be satisfied immediately, instead for looking for orange juice, white wine and bunch of other stuff to soak the raisins with, I used up my last cup of dark rum and sprinkle a bit of sugar in it and zap it in the microwave. I let it soak for a good hour or so and like magic the shriveled up raisins turn into these gorgeously plump juicy raisins. Making the batter was so wasy just cream the butter and sugar and dump everything in the mixer, though the raisins got to be folded into the batter since they are now soft and juicy. Using the paddle on them might turn them into mush. Was debating whether or not I should age the dough first before baking like what I do with my chocolate chip cookies, but then aging takes time and time is something I don't have. Thowing caution to the wind and besides the recipe said we could bake it asap or freeze it, I just chose the easier answer which is to bake it! Yeah!
Up for grabs! :D
It's a good this that this cookie have oatmeal and raisins in them gorging on them all weekend long makes me feel less guilty on cheating on my diet! LOL! Definitely very addictive and excellent to wash it down with a tall glass of milk.

PRES. CLINTON'S OATMEAL COOKIES
Adapted from Sherry Yard, Desserts by the Yard
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 7 ounces (1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 ¼ cups rolled oats
  • 1 ½ cups fat raisins (ingredients below)
  1. Sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter on high speed until lemony yellow, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle or beaters. Add the sugar, brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Continue creaming the mixture on high speed until it is smooth and lump-free, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
  2. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Beat on low speed for 15-30 seconds, until the eggs are fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle. On low speed, add the sifted flour mixture, beating until all of the flour is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, mix in the oats and raisins.
  3. With a rubber spatula, scoop out the dough and divide it in half. Center one half along the bottom of a sheet of parchment paper and roll it up in the paper, creating a log about 2 inches wide and 12 inches long. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Fold over the parchment, creating a sausage. Twist the ends over and wrap in plastic. Chill the dough logs for a minimum of 1 hour. (At this point the dough will keep nicely, wrapped well, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or up to 1 month in the freezer.) You can also simply spoon the dough onto parchment-covered baking sheets and bake at once.
  4. Place racks in the middle and lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. When the dough is chilled, remove it from the parchment paper. Using a chef’s knife or an offset serrated knife, slice ½-inch rounds off the log. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and from front to back, and bake for another 5-8 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove the cookies from the oven and carefully slide the parchment off the sheets and directly onto your work surface. Cool the baking sheets between batches. Wait a minimum of 5 minutes before eating, or allow to cool completely before storing the cookies in an airtight container. (The cookies will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature.)
FAT RAISINS
  • 1 cup golden or Red Flame raisins
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon dark rum
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  1. Combine the raisins, wine, orange juice, rum, and sugar in a small heavy saucepan, bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring all the while. Lower the heat so that the liquid is at a bare simmer and poach for 20 minutes.
  2. Remove from the heat, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

nikcreate

I'm a nine to five pencil pusher who loves to play with flour and paper during my free time. Dreams of going to Europe and eat croissants and make pastries all day long!

1 comment:

  1. yum! i hate the really sweet store bought oatmeals too, but homemade ones can be so yummy! these look really good.

    www.icyviolets.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete