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Saturday, August 13, 2011

Savory fruit oatmeal cookies


A common enough picture , but I just have to capture the cookies this way !

Not my average oatmeal cookie

I  join the legions of hobbyist bakers who bake because they have much excess in their pantry . No amount of concerted effort was ever going to make me finish my packs of 1) instant oatmeal 2) organic  rolled oats 3)oat bran by the expiry date, even on a full-steam low GI diet.

But giant oatmeal cookies are different! They invoke a different kind of enthusiasm in my TV-snack crazy household. If I had not been limited by the pesky turntable in the microwave ovens, I would have emptied the entire box of oatmeal and make mountains of oatmeal cookies, sure to be consumed in days.

With a savory cookie in mind, I downplayed the role of the cookie's co-stars reluctantly ( the smoky unrefined soft brown sugar, oatmeal and mixed fruits )   and made the Himalayan salt take center stage. 1/4 t of salt, pink or otherwise, is going to put a frown on my doctor's face, but ,hey,  every dog deserves its day. So here goes :

Verdict : Due to its generous size, the cookie is soft. For a crisper version, bake with smaller portions and do not chill before baking.
Makes 18 thick, savory oatmeal cookies.

The photographer got carried away , by giant cookies

A:
100g unsalted butter,softened
1/2 cup unrefined brown soft sugar
1 egg
1 T  vanilla extract

B:
3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t pink himalayan salt ( or any  fancy salt that you have )

C:
1 1/2 cup oat meal,uncooked
1/2 cup walnuts,coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raisins

Method :
In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients ( B ). Set aside.
With a whisk, break up butter. Beat in sugar, followed by egg and then vanilla.
Beat until butter mix is fluffy and light.
In 3 batches,  use a spatula to stir in flour ( B ). Lastly, use  whisk to combine buttery batter  until homogenous.
Finally, stir  in oats mix ( C ), in 3 batches, with a spatula.
Mix well.

Baking :
On a lined baking tray, arrange cookie batter, 1 T / heap each, 2 inches apart.
Chill the cookie batter and tray for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180C.
Just before baking, press down the cookie slightly to make an indentation.
Bake at 180C for 10-12 minutes.
( I baked mine at 12 minutes until cookies browned )

Cool thoroughly before storing in airtight jars.

Lego cookies
Inspired by smittenkitchen.com

3 comments:

  1. pink himalayan salt!! where did you get that fancy ingredient! it sounds like some designer salt hahahah i can't tell the cookies are soft, because they look so crunchy

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  2. The pink salt can be had from any organic shop , 1 pack for less than $3. I used to get from the organic section in Sheng Shiong but couldn't find it the last time I visited.
    The saltiness is different from regular salt, less harsh and more subtle.

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  3. oh you just reminded me that i haven't had oatmeal cookies in a long while now, and that pack of oatmeal i bought a long time ago is probably gonna expire soon so I better get on it to bake these oatmeal cookies! Loved that first shot - typical yes but no less pretty :)

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