Iced Oatmeal Cookies

It seems like a good time to share more cookie recipes. 😉

Before the holidays, I started receiving weekly cookie emails (I subscribed ) from The New York Times- a pretty dangerous and crazy idea! This “pantry cookie” recipe caught my eye right away. A crowd-pleaser for sure.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Jerrelle Guy. The recipe starts by creaming the sugar with eggs rather than butter. The end result is a cookie with a crusty exterior and chewy interior. Cracks also form on the surface which are highlighted by the essential glaze. Great.

Yield: 15 to 16 cookies

• 1 cup/95 grams old-fashioned rolled oats 
• 1 cup/128 grams all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar 
• 1/4 packed cup/55 grams light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 4 T/57 grams unsalted butter, melted 
• 3/4 cup/92 grams confectioners’ sugar 
• 5 teaspoons whole or oat milk, plus more as needed 

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection, and line two large rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine the oats, flour and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat both sugars with the egg, cinnamon, vanilla and baking soda on high speed, scraping the bowl as needed, until glossy, pale and thick, a full 2 minutes.
4. Reduce the speed to medium. Very slowly drizzle in the melted butter and whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
5. Add the oat mixture and gently fold by hand using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until incorporated, being careful not to over mix.
6. Using a small cookie scoop or two spoons, drop 15 golf ball-size mounds of dough onto the sheet pan, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. (I used a 1 1/2 T cookie scoop.)
7. Bake until the edges and surface are set and lightly golden brown, but the center is still gooey, 10 to 11 minutes on convection or up to 12 to 14 minutes in a standard oven.
8. Remove from the oven and immediately rap the cookie sheet on the counter or stovetop a couple of times to help the cookies flatten a little more, and cool on the sheet for 5 minutes.
9. In a small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar and milk using a small whisk or fork until the icing is completely smooth and very thick but still moves if you tilt the bowl. Add more milk in small increments as needed. (I add the milk 1 teaspoon at a time to make sure the consistency is not too thin.)
10. Dip only the very tops of the cookies into the bowl of icing, leaving the deeper cracks in the cookies uncoated and allowing any excess icing to drip back into the bowl.
11. Flip the cookies over and return them to the cookie sheet to allow the icing to harden, 10 to 15 minutes. The iced cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

One additional note about special cookies….

My oldest just had his 17th birthday! He is DRIVING. We celebrated with several family favorites- enjoying Creamy Chicken and Greens with Roasted Poblano Tacos (first celebration), Thai One Pot (second!), a Maple Layer Cake, and, most importantly, with our traditional Number Cookies– two versions, Roman numerals are his preference. 🙂

Oatmeal Snickerdoodles

I made this twist on a classic snickerdoodle to share with friends at the beach while enjoying one of our last summer sunsets. Perfect. 🙂 The original recipe describes this version as being Early American, from Connecticut. They were thin with crisp edges and a more tender center.

The recipe was adapted from Cookies are Magic by Maida Heather. I had never baked cookies on foil which was recommended in the recipe to slow the browning process. Interesting! I modified the recipe to reduce the amount of cinnamon-sugar topping.

Yield: 50 cookies

For the Cookie Dough:

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 large or XL eggs
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping:

• 1 T granulated sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Adjust 2 racks evenly spaced in the oven. Preheat to 400 degrees.
2. Cut aluminum foil to fit 4 rimmed cookie sheets. (I used 4 half sheet pans and 1 quarter sheet pan.)
3. Sift the flour, then measure.
4. Sift the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into the measured, sifted flour. Set aside.
5. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, about 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Add the vanilla and both sugars and beat well, about 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well.
8. On low speed, gradually add the sifted dry ingredients, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula and beating until just combined.
9. Stir in the oats.
10. Using a cookie scoop (I used a 1 T cookie scoop), place by rounded scoops onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2-inches apart. (I placed 12 cookies per sheet on the 4 prepared sheets, and the leftovers on the quarter sheet pan.)
11. Make the Cinnamon Sugar Topping by whisking the cinnamon and sugar together.
12. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar generously over the scoops of cookie batter.
13. Bake the cookies for 9 to 12 minutes, reversing the sheets from top to bottom and back to front as necessary to ensure even browning.
14. After removing from the oven, let cookies rest on the sheets for a few seconds until they are firm enough to transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Overnight Oatmeal-Buttermilk Pancakes

My husband absolutely loves the overnight buttermilk oat pancakes served at Main Road Biscuit Company on the North Fork of Long Island. We have tried a couple of versions to try to replicate them at home. Now I love them too! 🙂

This first version was adapted from Molly Wizenberg@Orangette.net, via Food52.com, contributed by Catherine Lamb. We used sea salt, butter instead of oil, and added vanilla extract as well as fresh strawberries and bananas. We ate them for breakfast on Mother’s Day as well as my husband’s birthday. Great.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted and cooled (can substitute coconut oil or any oil of choice)
• oil or non-stick spray for greasing the pan or griddle
• fresh bananas and fresh or frozen strawberries, diced, optional
• nuts or chocolate chips, optional
• pure maple syrup, yogurt, berries, or bananas, for serving

1. The night before, mix the oats and buttermilk together in a large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
2. If you’re feeling especially efficient, mix the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl and set aside on the counter. (a great plan!)
3. The next morning, take the oat mixture out of the fridge. If you haven’t already, mix the dry ingredients together with a whisk until incorporated.
4. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter (or oil) to the oat mixture, stir together, then add the dry ingredients. Mix until fully incorporated, but be careful not to overmix. Batter will be very thick.
5. Grease a griddle or large pan with and set it over medium-high heat. When you flick water at the skillet and it sizzles, it’s ready.
6. Ladle the batter onto the hot pan (I used a 1/3 cup measure, but feel free to adjust if you want larger or smaller pancakes). If desired, sprinkle on sliced bananas, berries (fresh or frozen), nuts, or chocolate chips. (I mixed both diced bananas and strawberries into the batter prior to placing on the griddle.)
7. When the top of the batter bubbles, the edges begin to set, and the bottom is bronzed, flip pancakes. They’re done when the underside is done and they don’t squish when pressed lightly with your finger. 
8. Serve with maple syrup or a dollop of yogurt and additional berries and/or banana slices, as desired. 

This second version was also wonderful. It is Swedish in origin. The original recipe suggests serving them with lingonberry jam instead of maple syrup.

The recipe was adapted from the former Tres Joli Bakery Café in Oakton, Virginia, via Bon Appétit and epicurious.com. I added frozen blueberries to the batter and served them drizzled with maple syrup.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats or quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• cooking oil spray or melted butter, for skillet or griddle
• pure maple syrup or lingonberry preserves, for serving
• fresh or frozen blueberries, optional
• whipped cream, for serving, optional

1. Combine the oats, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
2. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, 1/4 cup melted butter and vanilla in medium bowl.
3. Add to dry ingredients; whisk until blended but some small lumps still remain.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and let batter stand to thicken, about 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Preheat oven to 250°F. (or set a warming drawer to medium)
6. Heat heavy large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Brush skillet with melted butter or coat with cooking oil spray.
7. Fold fresh or frozen blueberries into the prepared batter, if desired. (I added 1 cup of frozen blueberries.)
8. Working in batches, ladle batter by 1/4 to 1/3 cupfuls onto the pan. Cook pancakes until bottoms are golden brown and bubbles form on top, about 2 minutes. Turn pancakes over; cook until bottoms are golden brown, about 2 minutes.
9. Transfer cooked pancakes to a baking sheet or serving platter. Keep warm in oven or warming drawer.
10. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with more butter or cooking spray, as necessary.
11. Serve with lingonberry preserves or syrup, topped with fresh blueberries and/or whipped cream, as desired.

Meyer Lemon Pielets with Brown Butter Press-In Cookie Crust

I have my own Meyer lemon tree but I did have to purchase the lemons for this special treat- this year anyway. My tree is very sparse at the moment- and not that happy. 😦 Hopefully it will have many lemons sometime in the future! Anyway, I love individual desserts. These were silky, creamy and delicious.

This recipe was adapted from The Book on Pie: Everything You Need to Know to Bake Perfect Pies by Erin Jeanne McDowell. Such a beautiful and informational book. The lemon zest and juice can be replaced with Key lime zest and juice for a lime version. Alternate press-in cookie crust variations are included below as well. Very nice.

Yield: 12 mini pies

For the Brown Butter Press-In Cookie Crust:

• 113g / 4 oz / 8 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 50 g / 1/4 cup / 4 T granulated sugar
• 21 g / 1 large egg yolk
• 5 g / 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 210 g / 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 g / 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 15 g / 1 T water

For the Pielets:

• 1 recipe Brown Butter Press-In Cookie Crust (ingredients above)
• 99g / 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• grated zest of 1 Meyer lemon
• 288g / 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 60g / 1/4 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
• 2g / 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1g / 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• lightly sweetened freshly whipped cream, for serving, optional
• Meyer lemon zest, for garnish, optional

To Make the Crusts:

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter begins to simmer and foam, the milk solids turn brown, and the butter smells toasty, about 10 minutes.
3. Cool the butter to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the cooled brown butter and sugar on medium-low speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and mix on medium speed to combine. Scrape the bowl well.
6. Add the flour and salt and mix on low-speed until fully incorporated, 45 seconds to 1 minute.
7. Add the water and mix just until the dough is smooth, about 1 minute more.
8. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C with a rack in the center.
9. Grease the cavities of a muffin pan with nonstick spray.
10. Divide the dough into 12 even rations in each cavity. (I used cookie scoops of various sizes.)
11. Use your fingers to press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of each cavity.
12. Use a small fork or tip of a paring knife to dock the dough all over.
13. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes.
14. Bake the crusts until they are lightly golden at the edges and appear set all over, 14 to 18 minutes. If the dough puffs up during baking, prick it with a fork when you remove the crusts from the oven so it lies flat again.
15. Cool crusts completely. Then, use an offset spatula to gently unfold the cooled crusts onto a baking sheet. They should release easily. (I found that rotating them helped release them from the pan- the top edges of my crusts did crumble a bit though- still delicious.)

To Make the Filling and Serve:

1. In a small pot, rub the sugar and the lemon zest together to combine.
2. Add the cream and heat over medium-low heat, whisking, to dissolve the sugar. Do NOT let the cream come to a boil.
3. Transfer the mixture to a large container with a pour spout and whisk in the lime juice, vanilla, and salt.
4. Carefully pour the custard into the cooled crusts, filling each one just over 3/4 full.
5. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the filling is set, at least 2 hours (or up to 24 hours). Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
6. Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream and garnish with additional zest, if desired, and serve.

Notes:

• The pielets can be made up to 24 hours ahead and kept refrigerated in an airtight container.
• Any leftover filling can be chilled in a ramekin for a baker’s treat. 🙂

Alternate Press-In Crusts:

To Make an Oatmeal Press-In Cookie Crust: Replace the brown butter with room temperature butter. Replace the granulated sugar with 53 g / 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar. Replace 30 g / 1/4 cup of the flour with 74 g / 3/4 cup rolled oats.

To Make a Coconut Press-In Cookie Crust: Replace the brown butter with room temperature butter. Replace the granulated sugar with 53 g / 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar. Add 50 g / 2/3 cup toasted unsweetened shredded coconut with the flour.

Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes

These wonderful pancakes were a nice seasonal alternative to our usual blueberry buttermilk pancakes. They had a fabulous texture from the oats and were very light and fluffy.

The recipe was adapted from Gourmet via Epicurious.com. I used rolled oats instead of quick-cooking oats and Juici apples instead of Granny Smith. I also doubled the recipe.

We ate them topped with maple syrup and fresh apple chunks but they would also be delicious with sautéed apples. I may also use all whole wheat pastry flour next time and omit the all-purpose flour completely.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 2 1/2 cups buttermilk, divided
• 1 1/3 cups rolled oats (not instant)
• 2 large eggs, beaten lightly
• 4 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/3 cups firmly packed peeled and coarsely grated Granny Smith apple, excess juice squeezed out (I used a 1 3/4 Juici apples)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (can substitute whole wheat pastry flour)
• 3/4 cup whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil plus additional for brushing the griddle (I used cooking oil spray on the griddle)
• maple syrup, for serving
• apple chunks or sautéed apples, for serving, optional

1. In a bowl whisk together 2 cups of the buttermilk and the oats and let the mixture stand for 15 minutes.
2. While the oats are soaking, peel and grate the apples. (I squeezed out the juice according to the original recipe but may skip this step next time.)
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, and the grated apple.
4. Stir in the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, 4 tablespoons of oil, the oats mixture, and the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk; mix well.
5. Heat a griddle over moderate heat until it is hot enough to make drops of water scatter over its surface. Brush it with the additional oil, or spray with cooking oil spray, and drop the batter by half-filled 1/4-cup measures onto it.
6. Cook the pancakes for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden and cooked through. Serve the pancakes with syrup and apple garnishes, as desired.

After-School Specials

After making the amazing Donut Loaf from this special book, I had to try a cookie. My husband picked this cookie which is a chocolate chip, oatmeal, and snickerdoodle cookie “rolled into one recipe.” Each flavor was distinct! They were definitely a crowd-pleaser.

This recipe was adapted from Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland by Shauna Sever. I weighed the dry ingredients, used semi-sweet chocolate chips, scooped the cookie dough prior to refrigerating, and modified the baking time.

By keeping the cold (pre-scooped) dough tightly wrapped in the refrigerator and baking the cookies in small batches just prior to serving, we ate them warm from the oven every time. Despite the title, I served them after-dinner instead of after-school. 😉 Great!

Yield: about 40 cookies

For the Dough:

• 225g (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 300g (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
• 57g (1/4 cup) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 250g (2 1/2 cups) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 256g (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, weighed or spooned and leveled
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda, sifted
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp flaky sea salt such as Fleur de Sel or Maldon
• 256g (1 1/2 cups) semi-sweet or bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate chips

For the Coating:

• 100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp fine sea salt

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
2. Add the granulated and brown sugar and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until aerated and noticeably fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, giving each about 30 seconds of beating time to incorporate fully.
4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and fine and flaky salt.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly stir in the dry ingredients.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Using a large cookie scoop, form the dough into 2-tablespoon balls and place on the prepared cookie sheet.
8. Cover the cookie sheet tightly with plastic wrap; place in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to 2 days.
9. Position 2 oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees, preferably on convection. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
10. In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and salt to make the coating.
11. One at a time, form the refrigerated scoops of dough into balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar coating.
12. Evenly space the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. (I placed 8 cookies per sheet.)
13. Bake until golden and puffed, about 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time.
14. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Oatmeal Bread

I had a few friends over for lunch the other day. Fun! One of them had just met with a nutritionist and was on a menu plan that didn’t include bread or fruit- or any sugar, actually. I thought… I need to do that. But then, my husband suggested that I bake a loaf of bread. 🙂

My friend had to eat a deconstructed sandwich- and even had to remove the tomato! As I’m sure her suffering will be completely worth it, I might reconsider a dietary change when this delicious loaf is gone! 😉

This recipe was adapted from The King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook. I modified the recipe to incorporate bread flour and bake in a bread machine. It was very soft and moist. Amazing sandwich bread.

Yield: One loaf

For the Oat Mixture:

• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup rolled or steel-cut oats
• 4 T  plus 1/2 tsp honey
• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1/2 T coarse salt

For the Dough:

• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 cups bread or all-purpose flour
• 1/2 T bread machine yeast

1. In the bread machine loaf pan: Combine the boiling water, oats, honey, butter, and salt. Let cool slightly.
2. Add the warm water.
3. Add the flours; spread into the corners of the pan to create a level surface.
4. Make a well in the center of the flour; place the yeast in the well.
5. Set the bread machine to Basic 1 1/2 pound loaf, medium crust color. Wait & Enjoy!

One Year Ago:

• Peach-Pie Crumble Bars

Two Years Ago:

• Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
• Biscoff Blondies

Three Years Ago:

• White Peach-Vanilla Bean Jam with Cinnamon
• Oat Bran Blackberry Muffins

If you like this you may also like:

• Oatmeal Toasting & Sandwich Bread