Tag Archives: oatmeal

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Candied Ginger Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I firmly believe that one cannot have too many chocolate chip cookie recipes. I mean, a different one for every week of the year sounds about right. Everyone likes a different cookie, so why not try ‘em all?

These cookies combine my all-time favorite cookie combination: ginger and chocolate! You can see the evidence here and here. The oatmeal brings texture, while the ginger is a sweet-chewy-spicy wonder, and the chocolate lends smooth richness. I made these cookies before I left for my trip out west…a girls gotta bring treats for the frens and fam, right? They were a hit and surprise to everyone I handed them out to…unsuspecting tasters thought they were getting a simple chocolate-chip-studded oatmeal cookie but were pleasantly surprised by the spicy nubbins of the ginger. I love when that happens!

So if you’re a chocolate chip cookie fanatic, like me, and love the spiced allure of ginger, give these cookies a whirl…they will not disappoint.

Candied Ginger Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I used candied ginger chips in this recipe since I had some on hand. You can totally use the chunks of candied ginger, chopped up…I have used both in various recipes with great results. I like Ginger People brand. These cookies keep well stored in an airtight container for several days. 

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup cane sugar (or granulated)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped, candied ginger

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350˚F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners.

In a bowl whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and spices.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter until creamy and smooth. Beat in the sugar until it becomes pale in color, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl well between each. Beat in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined. Fold in the candied ginger and chocolate chips.

Scoop balls of the dough (I like to use a levered cookie scoop) onto the cookie sheets, spacing a few inches apart as these cookies will spread a bit. Bake cookies one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 11-13 minutes or until the bottoms begin to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before placing cookies onto a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

 

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Oatmeal Brownies

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If you were married to me, like Sean, then you would know that one of the hazards of being my bed-mate is that I basically sleep like a hibernating bear-wolf and don’t take well to being disturbed. He tells me that sometimes it’s like trying to hug an angry baby, who swears at you. All punching arms and vitriol.

It’s not the cutest, but I seriously am not even aware of it…because I’M ASLEEP. Jeez, let a girl slumber, ya know?

 

Anyway, even though my R.E.M cycle is, obviously, super important to my unconsicous mind, I still feel a touch guilty at times, especially if I learn that one of my sleeping-wild-animal-angry-baby-punches actually makes contact. I don’t want to be a sleep-fighter, ya know? Not that Sean ever holds it against me — he thinks it hilarious, actually — but I still find it necessary to treat him and brownies are always a win with that guy.

These brownies are made with oat flour, buzzed up to a coarse meal in the food processor. They have the littlest bit of chew from the tiny nibs of oat throughout, with an intense chocolate flavor. I’m kind of in love with these brownies, they aren’t messing around when it comes to deep, dark, chocolatey goodness. I added some cinnamon and cayenne for some warmth and because I love spice and chocolate together. The brownies are a little bit crumbly, I suspect from lack of gluten, but I really think it lets their fudge-y nature shine. Not only are these brownies a chocolate dream, they can be certifiably gluten-free with a little attention to the ingredients. Just make sure your oats, chocolate, and cocoa powder were not processed in a plant with wheat/gluten products (i.e. read that label!).

Oatmeal Brownies

Adapted from Sprouted Kitchen and Alice Medrich’s Best Cocoa Brownies

I made my own oat flour by simply processing it in a food processor. My flour was fairly coarse, which was fine with Sean and I, as we liked the chewy bits throughout the brownies. Process yours finely, or purchase it already milled from the store, if you prefer. I used 1/2 maple syrup and 1/2 sugar to sweeten this recipe, you can use all sugar if you want (brown or white). If you make sure to use oats that are guaranteed gluten-free (as well as cocoa and chocolate) these brownies are gluten-free friendly. Hurray! 

8 Tablespoons unsalted butter

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup oat flour

Preheat your oven to 325˚F. Line an 8×8 inch baking sheet with parchment, leaving an inch or 2 overhang on 2 sides, and grease both the pan and parchment well. Set aside.

In a pan on low heat melt the butter and chocolate, stirring so as not to burn, until smooth and melted. Scrape into a bowl and whisk in the sugar, maple syrup, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and vanilla, until combined completely. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until combined well. Fold in the oat flour and let the batter rest a few minutes so the oats absorb some of the liquid and begin to soften. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownie comes out with a few sticky crumbs. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting. Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.

 

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Oatmeal Cherry Cookies w/ Chocolate Chips + Walnuts

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I made these cookies for my mom.

Well, I made the recipe for my mom so she’d have something to bake for my aunt’s annual holiday cookie party. In her usual fashion, my mom doesn’t want to bake anything.

To quote her, “I hate-dat-dang-baking…”(to get the full effect, say it in one word, in your head like a scolding-Korean-mother would).

What she really wants is to bribe one of her baking-friendly pals into make something totally cute and delish for her… except, according to my aunt, that is cheating. And, my aunt is totally right! You cannot show up to a cookie party with another persons baked goods–it’s a tragic holiday charade. I told mom to suck it up and get to baking! Usually moms dole out the tough love, but sometimes adult-daughters have to step it up.

So, after figuring out what my moms dream cookie would be–something chewy and oat-y, with mix-ins, and the possibility of sandwiching some cream cheese frosting between two–I came up with these lightly spiced, chewy oatmeal cookies full of dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate. It also had to come together quickly and with the least amount of fuss possible–since my mother thinks  the no-bake, rice krispy treat is fussy and somehow a baked good. While mom will most certainly switch out the chocolate chips for white chocolate (excuse me while I weep, I have a white-chocolate bias), and the dried cherries may become cranberries, these cookies are everything she asked for–chew, chunky texture, endless mix-in possibilities, sandwich capability, easy assembly…the works.

These cookies have molasses and thick oats, for lots of rich and chewy goodness. The dried cherries are tart and deep, the walnuts are toasty, and the chocolate does it’s chocolate thing. These are a great cookie-jar cookie. They are not too sweet and would totally welcome a slick of tart-creamy frosting to make the best holiday cookie sandwich. Like those oatmeal cream pies in the cellophane but, well, better.

Oatmeal Cherry Cookies

These don’t have to be cherry-walnut-chocolate cookies, you can use whatever nutty, dried fruit, chocolate-y mix-ins you’d like. I made small cookies, about the size of a silver dollar–but you could make these larger, just bake a few minutes longer. I used my favorite Extra-Thick Rolled Oats, but regular Quaker rolled oats will work just as well. 

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons molasses

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup each dried cherries, walnut pieces, chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*F. Line two baking sheets with parchment, set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and molasses, beat well until combined, scraping bowl as needed. Add the egg and vanilla, mix to combine well.

Scrape bowl and add the dry ingredients, pulsing mixer until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated. Mix in the dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate. Scoop cookies in desired amount (I used a mini disher for these) and place on a baking sheet spaced about 1-2 inches apart (1 for smaller cookies, 2 for larger) and bake 1 sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 11-13 minutes–possibly more for larger cookies–until the bottoms are golden brown and cookies are just done in the center. Over-baking will make for a less chewy cookie. Cool on sheet pan about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat process with remaining dough. Can be kept in a cookie jar or other container at room temperature for 3-4 days.