Oatmeal Cookies

I've had an oatmeal cookies recipe that I've been using for many years. Recently, my daughter made them and said there was a slightly bitter after taste. We went through the recipe together, she showed me all the ingredients she used, but we still couldn't find the source. Maybe the oats themselves were stale although she had just bought them. Who knows how long stuff is on the shelves in grocery stores. In any case, I decided that it was time to find a new recipe for oatmeal cookies. 

After searching the internet and reviewing oodles of recipes I went back to my cookbook shelf and started looking through those. I mean, I could open up my own branch of Barnes & Nobles with all my cookbooks so why not use them?! I find myself looking at recipes online so  often and forget that I have a wealth of recipes just sitting on my kitchen shelf.

One (or two actually) of my favorite books is "Baked , New Frontiers in Baking"  and "Baked Explorations" by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. And YEAH!!!!! they're coming out with their third book "Baked Elements" in the fall.... and we all know I'm pre-ordering it. There are certain things I can resist buying but cookbooks  are not among them! Anyways... they have a recipe for Oatmeal Cherry Nut Cookies, so I knew I had to give it a try. I happened to have some freshly bought dried cranberries in the house, so I substituted them for the cherries. I also did not put any nuts in- I love nuts, but we've got some non-likers (is that a word?) and some allergies in the family so this time I left them out. I'm sure they would be delicious with that extra crunch.

As usual, with  all the recipes I've made from their books, the cookies turned out absolutely amazing. They have a bit of a crunch when you first bite into one, then your mouth hits the chewy center. The tang of the dried cranberries adds just the right flavor and keeps you going back to the cookie tin for more. I froze them so they would last more than one afternoon- but that doesn't stop me (or anyone else in the house for that  matter) from eating them straight out of the freezer!

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies ( adapted from Oatmeal Cherry Nut Cookies- "Baked , New Frontiers in Baking"by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

210 grams all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp.cardamon

200 grams unsalted butter

1 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

50 grams white sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2  3/4 cups rolled oats

1 cup dried cranberries

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon in a bowl and set aside.

2. In bowl of electric mixer, beat butter and sugars together until creamy.

3. Add eggs, one at a time until each is incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add vanilla and beat for 5 seconds.

4. Add half of flour mixture and mix for 15 seconds. Add remaining flour mix and beat just until combined. 

5. Fold in cranberries using a spatula.

6. Cover with plastic wrap and  refrigerate at least 6 hours. I left it in overnight and it was fine. Just lets the flavors join together more!

7. Preheat oven to 375 F ( 180C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

I used a small cookie scooper to form rounded  balls of dough and place on  cookie sheet. Using the palm of your hand, lightly press down on each mound- just a touch, don't flatten the cookie- leave it fairly thick.

8. Bake 12-14 minutes just until they start to brown. Remove and cool for 5 minutes then transfer the cookies onto cooling racks to cool completely.

Yummy warm, room temperature or even frozen( but that's my quirk!)