Red, White & Blue Oatmeal Cookies ~ #CreativeCookie Exchange

It is #Creative Cookie Exchange time again and this month's theme is Red, White, and Blue.  A couple of different ideas went through my mind until I came to what I thought was a great idea. However, we all know about those best laid plans, don't we......

Bircher Müesli

 

Oatmeal is a popular breakfast in our household, especially when my husband is training.  Not only does it have a multitude of health benefits, but is inexpensive and quick to prepare. It is also very filling and keeps me from snacking before lunchtime. My favorite additions are a sliced banana and a little drizzle of golden syrup.  

Once the weather starts to get a little warmer I find regular oatmeal a little heavy for breakfast so I start thinking about Bircher Müesli.  It is based on uncooked rolled oats, fruit, and nuts and was developed by Maximilian Bircher-Benner, a Swiss physician around 1900 to help improve the health of his patients.  I have heard a few different pronunciations of "Bircher" - BIR-ker-, BIR-chur, and BEER-chur, but I don't know anyone who is Swiss to confirm which one is correct.

The first time I ever tasted this müesli was at Bill Granger's restaurant, Bill's in Surry Hills (Australia) and I immediately fell in love with everything about it. Actually it isn't hard to love everything on his menu, but this just seemed so rich and creamy, but healthy at the same time.  At the restaurant the ingredients change with the season, and right now it is served with apples, dates, and almonds. 

For my müesli I decided to add half apple juice and half pear juice.  I really like the Kern's brand of nectar and usually have a few different flavors in my pantry.  This müesli is so versatile and can be adapted to whatever is in season, or just use the fruits and nuts that are your favorites.  I love the tartness of Granny Smiths so they were my apple of choice in this recipe.  I also had blueberries and almonds on hand so these provided my toppings.  Dried fruit or even a trail mix would be good too.  The varieties of this recipe are endless, all you need is your imagination.

The recipe below made about six servings.  It really depends on the ratio of the oat mixture you serve to the fruit you use on top.  It also lasts longer if you don't keep grabbing a spoon during the day for just another little taste.  I kept mine covered in the refrigerator for three days.

Bircher Müesli
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• ¾ cup pear juice
• ¾ cup apple juice
• 1½ Granny Smith apples, peeled and grated
• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ½ Granny Smith Apple, skin on and julienned
• ½ cup blueberries
• ¼ cup flaked almonds
• honey to taste

Method

1. Place oats and apple/pear juice in a bowl and soak for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
2. Add grated apple and yogurt to oat mixture and mix well. 
3. Spoon into serving bowls and top with blueberries and apple.
4. Sprinkle with almonds and drizzle with honey. 

Recipe adapted from Bill's Food by Bill Granger

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.