Take two
Okay, since I got rid of the last of my first batch yesterday (I really wasn't trying to pawn them off on you guys, Amber and Zack, I just thought you'd like some) I decided that today I'd try another batch. This time, I threw in a little olive oil for texture, some shredded coconut for taste, and instant oats instead of rolled oats for texture and taste. Also, I modified the raisin incorporation method. Here's the revised recipe, with new or changed items in bold:
1/4 c minus 1tbsp each brown sugar (packed) and white sugar
1/2 stick (1/4 lb) butter, softened
drizzle (about 2 tsp) non-virgin olive oil
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
3/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c instant oats
1 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c raisins
Preheat oven to 350 and oil two cookie sheets.
In a big bowl, cream together butter, oil, sugars, coconut, and applesauce. Add vanilla and egg and mix.
In a separate bowl, mix up the dry ingredients-- flour, oats, spices, leaveners, salt.
Combine with butter-sugar mixture.
Place in golf ball-sized balls on the cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Push 5 or 6 raisins into each cookie, fold it over, and re-shape into a flattened circle. This is a little tricky at first, but the idea is just to get the raisins inside the cookies. Wet your palms if the dough starts to stick too much.
Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until springy to the touch.
The verdict:
The most obvious improvement is the switch to instant oats. It solved my dilemma about the oats being too big, and they cooked all the way through this time, since instant oats are already a little bit cooked (maybe? Is that how they do it?) Anyway, they're definitely what to use for a tender, smooth-textured cookie. There are still enough visible and tangible oat flakes to make them seem like oatmeal cookies and not just like whole wheat. Also, I think the extra little bit of olive oil smoothed out the consistency-- or maybe I just didn't cook them too long this time. They didn't seem to suffer from the omission of that extra bit of sugar, maybe because of the coconut. The jury is still out on that extra add-in. I don't like the way it sticks in my teeth, and although it tasted really good in the uncooked dough (you really have to taste at all stages of production) I'm not as impressed with the finished taste. It's just as well, since I don't usually have coconut lying around. I really like the way the raisins taste this time. They're more like a filling than anything else, and they're so plump and soft. I had meant to soak them in orange juice, but between the macaroons, Guinness-marinated pork chops, and mashed potatoes I was working on, I just plum forgot. I'm not so sure the raising filling is something Sofi would like; maybe in the next batch, I'll try to come up with another strategy. I really want to get some raisins in there.
Rating: 4 glasses of milk
P.S. I checked out the possibility of dried dates instead of raisins. I like the idea of them, but I can't find them cheap enough to make them an all-the-time ingredient. I'll keep looking, though.
1/4 c minus 1tbsp each brown sugar (packed) and white sugar
1/2 stick (1/4 lb) butter, softened
drizzle (about 2 tsp) non-virgin olive oil
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
3/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c instant oats
1 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c raisins
Preheat oven to 350 and oil two cookie sheets.
In a big bowl, cream together butter, oil, sugars, coconut, and applesauce. Add vanilla and egg and mix.
In a separate bowl, mix up the dry ingredients-- flour, oats, spices, leaveners, salt.
Combine with butter-sugar mixture.
Place in golf ball-sized balls on the cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Push 5 or 6 raisins into each cookie, fold it over, and re-shape into a flattened circle. This is a little tricky at first, but the idea is just to get the raisins inside the cookies. Wet your palms if the dough starts to stick too much.
Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until springy to the touch.
The verdict:
The most obvious improvement is the switch to instant oats. It solved my dilemma about the oats being too big, and they cooked all the way through this time, since instant oats are already a little bit cooked (maybe? Is that how they do it?) Anyway, they're definitely what to use for a tender, smooth-textured cookie. There are still enough visible and tangible oat flakes to make them seem like oatmeal cookies and not just like whole wheat. Also, I think the extra little bit of olive oil smoothed out the consistency-- or maybe I just didn't cook them too long this time. They didn't seem to suffer from the omission of that extra bit of sugar, maybe because of the coconut. The jury is still out on that extra add-in. I don't like the way it sticks in my teeth, and although it tasted really good in the uncooked dough (you really have to taste at all stages of production) I'm not as impressed with the finished taste. It's just as well, since I don't usually have coconut lying around. I really like the way the raisins taste this time. They're more like a filling than anything else, and they're so plump and soft. I had meant to soak them in orange juice, but between the macaroons, Guinness-marinated pork chops, and mashed potatoes I was working on, I just plum forgot. I'm not so sure the raising filling is something Sofi would like; maybe in the next batch, I'll try to come up with another strategy. I really want to get some raisins in there.
Rating: 4 glasses of milk
P.S. I checked out the possibility of dried dates instead of raisins. I like the idea of them, but I can't find them cheap enough to make them an all-the-time ingredient. I'll keep looking, though.
posted by Annie at 7:34 PM
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