January 30, 2011

Oatmeal Blueberry Raisin Cookies



One of the cookbooks I received for Christmas was Flour by Joanne Chang.  Unfortunately I have never been to her bakery in Boston but I do know that she is one smart cookie!  Not only does Ms. Chang have a degree in applied mathematics and economics from Harvard University, but she also took down Bobby Flay in a Throwdown with her recipe for Flour's Famous Sticky Buns.


I have heard great things about this book so I was excited to be trying my first recipe from it.  I was really in the mood for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, but wanted to make them a little bit different by adding some dried blueberries.  I love dried blueberries and use them not only in baking, but also as a topping on my oatmeal.



This recipe does call for the cookie dough to be chilled for at least 3 hours so plan accordingly.  I would suggest that you follow this recommendation because even after 3 hours in the refrigerator my dough was still very pliable.  I imagine that if you did not cool the dough they could spread a lot during baking.  Although mine did hold their shape quite well, next time I will make the dough in the afternoon  and chill it overnight.  Cookies for breakfast sounds good to me ;)


I thought that the cookies were delicious and I can't wait to try more recipes from this book. Next on my list are the Lemon Lust Bars.  If you like to see measurements in metric you will love this book - ingredients are listed in both imperial and metric.  Another fun thing is the book is the "same recipe, different flavors" note at the bottom of some of the recipes because of all of the additional options it gives you.




Oatmeal Blueberry Raisin Cookies
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick-cooking)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Penzeys Baking Spice (or 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg & 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon)
  • 1 cup dried blueberries
  • 1/2 cup raisins

Preparation
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon, making sure there are no lumps of baking soda. Stir in the oats, blueberries, and  raisins.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until thoroughly combined. On low speed, or by hand, gradually add the flour and oat mixture to the creamed butter, mixing until completely incorporated.
  4. Chill the batter a few hours or overnight, covered. (This step is optional, although recommended by the author, and I second it.)
  5. To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  6. Drop the dough in 1/4 cup balls evenly spaced on the baking sheet and flatten the tops slightly with your hand.
  7. Bake the cookies for 20 to 22 minutes, until they just start to turn brown across the top, but do not overbake.
  8. Remove from oven and cool completely.
  9. Once cool, the cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week, or frozen for up to two months.
Recipe adapted from Flour by Joanne Chang

I also wanted to say a big thank you to Wendy at The Weekend Gourmet and Tungsten Toffee.  As the winner of Wendy's giveaway I was able to select one of the Tungsten toffees to try.  I decided upon the Espresso Dark Chocolate Toffee.  It was oh-so-good.  If you are looking for something delicious for yourself as a treat, or maybe something special for a friend, I would definitely recommend this toffee.



36 comments:

  1. I haven't tried to make anything with dried blueberries :) but I believe that they are great addition to oatmeal cookies

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  2. I am a new found fan of dried blueberries - I think they are great in cookies - yummo!

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  3. I worked around the corner from Flour for two years!!!! (At Boston Medical Center...) SMALL WORLD :D And yes, her creations are to die for (the sandwiches are pretty good too!). I love that you adapted the recipe. I am not a fan of raisins, but love lots of over dried fruits! This is a keeper :D

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  4. That's one of my sister's favorite bakeries - delicious!

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  5. I printed out the original Flour recipe and can't wait to try it!! Blueberries are a delicious addition!

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  6. Oh wow! This sounds really like a delicious combo. I love oatmeal cookies. It's healthy and delicious :)

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  7. OMGOMGOMGOMG!!! I LOVE blueberries in baked good (especially cinnamon rolls!) but I never thought of putting them in cookies! I am so going to use this idea for my clean eating blog instead of paying $$$ for grain sweetened chips... what a creative idea! I will give you credit, of course. Thanks for the idea!

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  8. Thank you for this post. I would have never thought to bump up an oatmeal cookie with blueberries, but it was kind of right in front of me... In my house, blueberries are frequently seen in a bowl of piping hot oatmeal. Yummy inspiration!

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  9. These look delish! I love dried blueberries in oatmeal cookies. I like to add some white chocolate chips as well!

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  10. I love this recipe! What a great change to your average cookie. I can see these being a huge hit in my house. Delish!

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  11. Your cookies looks so good. I use dried cranberries and raisins in cookies, but I've never tried the dried blueberries. I'll have to make these:)

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  12. What a neat oatmeal cookie. I don't think I've seen them made with blueberries before. Nom!

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  13. What a great idea - dried blueberries. They look great and sound delicious!!

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  14. I've been looking for the cookbook Flour but it's always sold out when I check our neighborhood bookstore. Oatmeal and blueberries make a great cookie duet.

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  15. Ohh I heard about her & her book the other day on the Today show! Glad to hear it didn't disappoint :) That seems to be the trend lately though huh? Mathematicians, bankers etc turning to baking & food!

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  16. What a great combo! Looks delicious, I'd love to try it...

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  17. This is one of the best combination ever! I should better make some of this to eat while we watch our favorite movies. My kids will surely love this.

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  18. I love the addition of blueberries in these cookies. They look delicious!

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  19. this cookies sounds amazing! i cant wait to try this. thanks for sharing.

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  20. Cookies for breakfast sound just fine to me!! And anyone who takes down my man Bobby has to be pretty darn good. I'm guessing that these cookies will be a family pleaser!

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  21. Lovely blog, found you over on Chef Dennis's site.

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  22. I just realized I have a big bag of dried blueberries in my pantry that would be perfect for these cookies :) delicious!

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  23. Definitely have never thought to add blueberries to my oatmeal raisin cookies. Love this!

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  24. Oatmeal Blueberry raisins is such a great combination. I can't wait to make some of this at home. Thanks for the recipe.

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  25. Felice,
    Pls. stop by my blog to pick up and award I have for you.

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  26. i never tried cooking with dried blueberries but sound really really good. i have to do some researches to see where i can find some.
    thanks for sharing Felice
    have a wonderful rest of the week

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  27. I love adding dried blueberries to muffins and things--adding them to oatmeal cookies is perfect.
    ;-)

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  28. What a nice idea using dried blueberries and good tip about waiting with the dough. Sometimes I get too excited and don't read the method properly-it happens all too often! :P

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  29. blueberries are such a wonderful addition to your oatmeal cookies, and that toffee you received sounds incredible!
    hope you are having a great weekend!
    Dennis

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  30. I have only heard WONDERFUL things about that cookbook, and these cookies only compel me further. I have to get my hands on it! I love the thought of adding dried blueberries. What a great idea!

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  31. How many does this make.. I need to make 80 cookies

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  32. How many cookies does the recipe make ?? .. I need to make at least 80

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