I think I am back on my oatmeal kick. Yes, again. I can't seem to help it. Every time I make cookies, I just want to add oatmeal to it. There's something about the texture I can't get enough of. And lately, I've been in a sort of cookie mood which gets me back into the oatmeal mood. For a while I was eating brownies and a lot of chocolate anything, but maybe I needed a little break from the decadence. I know, impossible, right? Who ever needs a break from chocolate?
My coworkers organized a potluck for today, which meant an opportunity to try another cookie recipe. This is how much I needed a break from chocolate--I made oatmeal cookies with white chocolate. I have never really understood the appeal of white chocolate. White chocolate is real chocolate stripped of everything that makes it irresistible, the lesser distant relative to the granddaddy of all confection, the wannabe in the cocoa butter sphere...you get the picture. In my past experience with white chocolate desserts (and by that, I just mean eating desserts with white chocolate), I always thought its sweetness outweighed and overshadowed any real flavor--there was no real flavor to white chocolate except sweet.
I adapted a recipe from foodnetwork.com that called for dried peaches. Dried apricots are easier to find, and with this new element to the oatmeal cookie repertoire, I thought white chocolate really could be the better complement in something like this combination. After trying out one of the cookies, it was the right creamy texture and sweetness to bring out the oatmeal, walnuts and dried apricots. I may be a new believer in white chocolate just yet, and there really can be a use for white chocolate--at least when it comes to cookies. I think I may even elevate it to first cousin or something like that to real chocolate.
Apricots and Cream Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from Sunny Anderson's recipe on foodnetwork.com
Makes about 1-1/2 dozen 3" cookies
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
1. Whisk together in a bowl with a wire whisk:
- 3/4 cup of unbleached all purpose flour
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1/4 t. salt
2. Cream together in another bowl with an electric mixer:
- 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
3. Gradually mix in to the the butter mixture from #2, each of the following in order:
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 t. vanilla
- flour mixture from #1
- 1-1/2 cups rolled oats
- 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
4. Form the cookie dough into approximately 18 balls, spacing each one about 3 inches apart on the baking sheet. Press each ball down with your fingers or palm to about 1/2 inch thick disks.
5. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the tops turn golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. 
I am a slow riser. There are people who get up, make themselves a cup of coffee, read the morning paper, watch the morning news, maybe even go for a jog or walk their dog, and then get ready for their day. I am not one of those people. I have perfected my morning routine to take less than 15 minutes to get ready for work so I can stay in bed for as long as absolutely possible. Of course, I sacrifice a few things in doing so--such as never changing my hairdo or uncoordinated handbags and shoes, but what is that in comparison to an extra 5 minutes of sleep?
On Sunday, I ran a 10K with some friends in the city (I'm referring to San Francisco--somehow it's just become known as "The City" to those who reside in Northern California, as though there really aren't any other cities in comparison) which started at 8AM. 8AM! Not to mention the drive to get there. This was going to be a challenge. Maybe it was the race jitters or fear (most likely fear because I didn't feel that ready for it), but I was up extra early, and running 6+ miles at 8AM in the morning turned out to be a pretty awesome and awe-inspiring experience.
The route included running across the Golden Gate Bridge, which was something I've always wanted to do, and the morning was simply glorious with the clear blue skies, glassy ocean, lush hills, and bright shining sun. It was as though just for that day, San Francisco's fog lifted and let the sun shine to lead me to the finish line (okay, a bit over-dramatic). There are times when I see something and wish I could reproduce that image I have in mind in a photograph--this is one of those times, just so I could show you how breathtaking it was.
I won't try to convince you that my breakfast cookies I baked last night were just like that, inspiring and glorious. They're full of whole wheat, oats, nuts, that wholesome stuff. They're not bad at all, actually, but they do make me feel good when I start the day with one (translation = healthy--remember, I'm a health nut!), and I like that they're called "cookies" instead of something like "bars", because it tricks me into thinking it's a really special bad-for-you kind of treat or reward. I used dried cranberries and pecans, but you can use any fruit and nut combination, or even chocolate chips! It won't be a jog across the Golden Gate Bridge on a bright, beautiful morning, but it might be enough to get me out of bed a little earlier than usual--just a little.
Breakfast Cookies
Adapted from Ellie Krieger on foodnetwork.com
Makes about a dozen
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
1. Whisk together the following ingredients in a bowl with a wire whisk:
- 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 t. baking soda
- 1 t. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 t. salt
2. In another bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the following on medium to high speed until combined:
- 2 T. unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 cup brown sugar or honey
3. Add the following to the mixture from #2 and mix until combined:
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup apple sauce (or strained carrot baby food, according to the original recipe)
- 1 t. vanilla extract
4. Combine the flour mixture from #1 into the mixture from #3.
5. Fold in the following:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup roasted, chopped pecans
6. Shape the dough into balls about 2-1/2" and flatten to about 1/4" thickness on the baking sheet. Be sure to leave about 3" in between each cookie. Bake for 14 minutes, and cool on rack.
If you haven't already picked up on it, I try to be healthy. My friends might consider that an understatement. "Health nut" sums it up pretty well. I can border on obsessive when it comes to healthy eating (with all that information on the web, how can it not make anyone paranoid?), which doesn't always go hand in hand with pastries, sadly. I think that's partially why I like to bake for other people rather than myself. I can use all that butter and sugar and other good stuff freely--not because I don't care about their well-being, of course(!), and I do believe there is the right time to let those cares go and really savor food, whether it's "good" for me or not. But when it comes to baking or cooking something only for myself, I can endure the cardboard taste simply because I tell myself it's good for me. Once in a while, though, I come across something that just might be able to be shared with non-health-nuts and health-nuts alike.
Every so often, I go through an oatmeal phase. It kind of warms me up from the inside, especially useful for these cold days. And since last week, I've been contemplating, mulling over, engrossing myself with oatmeal. A bowl of hot oatmeal is wonderful in its simplicity, but oatmeal in cookies, in cake, or as a muffin provides a different indulgence. Oatmeal is the kind of food that makes you feel good about yourself. Eat an oatmeal raisin cookie, and I feel like I'm getting my daily intake of dietary fiber. Add it to chocolate chip cookies, and suddenly I'm convinced they're good for me. Yes, this is all self-deception, but oatmeal always makes me feel like home. So you can put away your bowl and lay aside your spoon, you're not going to need them for this oatmeal recipe.
This recipe originally came from allrecipes.com. What I appreciate about allrecipes.com and other sites like it is that they're usually recipes from people like me--not professionals, just people who have a love for cooking or baking. Of course, it's sometimes hard to tell whether it'll turn out or not--not all the recipes are great, but you do find a gem once in a while. Looking at the recipe initially, it certainly looked healthy, but I wasn't sure if there would be enough flavor or if it would come out dense and dry. Regardless, I was still convinced it had potential. With some tweaking, it turned out pretty nice, dare I say even fool-proof--and maybe good enough for the non-health-nuts out there.
Honey Oatmeal Cake
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Makes one 8" round cake or 12 muffins
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup low fat buttermilk (or milk if you prefer)
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 large egg
1/2 t. vanilla
2/3 cup honey
Dry ingredients:
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
Soak the oats in buttermilk for about thirty minutes in a mixing bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease a cake pan or cupcake tin.
Add the oil, egg, vanilla and honey to the oats and mix on low until combined. Scrape the sides down, then continue mixing, adding the dry ingredients (no need to sift or whisk beforehand!). Pour the batter into the cake pan or distribute the batter evenly among the cupcake wells.
Bake for about 30 minutes, if using a cake pan, or 20 to 25 minutes if a cupcake pan, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. You can serve it warm with preserves or any time by itself.
I think I am back on my oatmeal kick. Yes, again. I can't seem to help it. Every time I make cookies, I just want to add oatmeal to it. There's something about the texture I can't get enough of. And lately, I've been in a sort of cookie mood which gets me back into the oatmeal mood. For a while I was eating brownies and a lot of chocolate anything, but maybe I needed a little break from the decadence. I know, impossible, right? Who ever needs a break from chocolate?
I adapted a recipe from foodnetwork.com that called for dried peaches. Dried apricots are easier to find, and with this new element to the oatmeal cookie repertoire, I thought white chocolate really could be the better complement in something like this combination. After trying out one of the cookies, it was the right creamy texture and sweetness to bring out the oatmeal, walnuts and dried apricots. I may be a new believer in white chocolate just yet, and there really can be a use for white chocolate--at least when it comes to cookies. I think I may even elevate it to first cousin or something like that to real chocolate.
