I'm rolling on my holiday baking this week-end. I have to travel and it's too chaotic to bake in someone else's kitchen while they are trying to do their thing at the same time. I know my husband loves some good oatmeal cookies and I saw a couple of recipes on FoodBuzz and Pinterest highlighting Cranberries, White Chocolate and Oatmeal as ingredients. I've made some great oatmeal cookies in the past...and I've added chocolate chips to them too. I've steered away from raisins - I'm just not a fan of baked raisins. I am, however, a huge fan of dried sweet cranberries and happened to have some in my pantry. I also bought some Ghirardelli white chocolate chips this week because there was a coupon! I love Ghirardelli products. It was one of the highlights of my trip to San Francisco to see the original factory. I've been hooked ever since. These cookies will be good "keepers" so long as I get them into an airtight container. I've timed all of my baking to make the things that don't last to be done right before hopping into the car! These nice dense cookies keep well for several days.
I'll give a nod here to Erin at Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts for the base idea and the many people pinning a variety of cranberry and white chocolate cookies on Pinterest this week! I did pin a recipe from Risa at Baked Perfection on my Recipe Board. I didn't use either of their recipes, but they did poke the idea into my brain! Thanks ladies :-)
CHOCK-FUL-O-GOODNESS
CRANBERRY, WHITE CHOCOLATE,
PECAN, AND OATMEAL COOKIES
Adapted from Stephanie Jaworski's recipe at joy of baking Oatmeal Cookies
further credited to Jane Rodmell's 'Best Summer Weekends Cookbook'
Ingredients:
3/4 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup of flour - measured thus:
1/3 cup of all purpose unbleached flour spooned into a graduated measuring cup
and the balance of the measure (just 3/4 total) filled with White Whole Wheat flour.1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1 heaping cup Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans (make sure they are fresh)
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth (about 2-3 minutes).
Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine.
Scrape down sides of bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon.
Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until incorporated. Scrape the bowl, getting down into the center at the bottom, not just the sides.
Stir in the oats. I mixed them just a few times around with the stand mixer then mixed the rest by hand.
Add in the chips, cranberries, and pecans. Again, let the mixer do a couple of laps around the bowl to get the basic incorporation going and then finish by hand with a sturdy wooden spoon or spoonula.
For large cookies, use about 1/4 cup of batter (I used a 1 1/2 liquid ounce scoop which equals 3 tablespoons - I ended up with 19 cookies).
Space the cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. I actually hand-rolled the scooped cookies into a ball because some pieces were falling apart. I then flattened the cookies to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick with my hands.
Bake the cookies for about 12-15 minutes (mine were perfect at 13-14 minutes) or until barely light golden brown around the edges but still soft in the centers. They don't acquire a lot of color and if you want them chewy, don't over-bake.
Remove from oven and let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
These are some awesome cookies. I can't wait for my hubby to try them...I think he's gonna like 'em!!!
Musical Baking today compliments of the album Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt. Loved listening to it 21+ years ago when I fell in love with my honey...and love it still today. (of course it was on cassette back then - now it's on the mp3 player!)
Enjoy the cookies - they are definitely going to be on my annual Thanksgiving cookie list from here on out!
Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!
SHARED WITH:
That batter looks good enough to eat even before cooking. Love these cookies - white choc, cranberries, pecans and Bonnie Raitt!
ReplyDeleteWow, these do look great! I love how heavy on the oats these are, I can just imagine the chewy bite :)
ReplyDeleteThese cookies look awesome. Hope you don't mind but I think I will try to make them. You have become an awesome cook, I check out your site when I get a chance. Happy Thanksgiving.
ReplyDelete