An Ode to the Oatmeal Cookie
I am here to champion the simple, somewhat elevated, oatmeal cookie. I myself have overlooked the oatmeal cookie in favour of the simple chocolate chip cookie, but there’s nothing like an oatmeal cookie in spring, when colder days are turning warmer and the nights are getting lighter.
Thought to have derived from Scottish Oatcakes, oatmeal cookies date back to the Victorian era, with the first recipe being found in a cookbook of 1896, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, from Fannie Merritt Farmer. Famous oat company Quaker Oats are thought to have played a big role in the increase in popularity of the oatmeal cookie, marketing them as a healthier cookie choice. The original recipe didn’t include raisins, but these have become a popular addition along with other modern variations such as chocolate chips and nuts (walnuts, pecans etc). Most recently, I have mixed chocolate chips with crushed mini eggs into my oatmeal cookie dough, and they came out lovely. This time, however, I have added in some mini M&Ms to inject some colour in time for spring.
In my years of hobby baking, there are a few things that I have wanted to absolutely nail, and the cookie is one of those things. Much like brownies, everyone has their own preferences when it comes to cookies. Some prefer ooey, gooey, crunchy on the outside cookies (my personal favourite). Others, however, prefer a cookie where the crunch follows all the way through the cookie, with limited ooey gooey. I have spent years testing cookie recipes to find one that leaves me clapping, dancing and stomping my feet. The recipe I am about to share with you has been adapted from a Jane’s Patisserie recipe, with a few tweaks that I feel make the cookie even better. These cookies have a nice crisp outside with a softer inside (I have a few tips on how to make these even more gooey that I’m going to share, too). To me, these cookies are reminiscent of a Subway cookie (and who doesn’t like those?!).
This time of year marks a special time in baking for me. It reminds me of my mum and I baking, from fairy cakes to Easter biscuits in star shapes, we always got stuck into baking when the weather started taking a warmer turn. This time of year is also difficult though, with the sun comes the urge and pressure to “look good”. Achieving summer and beach bodies becomes the focus across most social media apps and you cannot avoid it. I have always been very aware of the food I consume, often feeling guilty when eating, but the promise of summer’s arrival makes me more aware of food and what I consume in spring months. Whilst I think there’s nothing wrong with being mindful about what we eat, I don’t want to think of food in a negative way, there is no ‘good’ food and ‘bad’ food. After all, food is fuel for the body, and in the summertime, we need more fuel to enjoy all our summer activities. That’s why baking is special to me. It’s rewarding, creative and provides a feeling of achievement. It’s saying, “I have made something, and now I’m going to enjoy it”. Having a cookie here and there isn’t going to affect my ‘beach body’, but making and consuming the cookies is going to give me so much joy, especially when it comes to sharing these scrumptious cookies with those I love. I bake in this season to pay homage to the little girl I once was, baking in the kitchen with my mum, kitchen counter-tops sticky with dough and bodies covered in flour, these are some of my favourite memories. I also bake to reduce the stress and anxiety I feel around food, as baking allows me a sense of freedom and creativity to make something that I know I can enjoy later without shame and guilt.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
125g unsalted butter (but if salted is all you have, that’s okay! Just skip the ½ tsp of salt)
100g light brown sugar
75g granulated sugar
1 egg (I use large)
1tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
150g rolled oats
1tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon (can skip if you don’t like/want hints of cinnamon, try another spice like ginger!)
200g mini M&M’s (or desired addition)
Method:
- Combine the butter and both sugars in a large bowl until smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla extract and the egg and mix well.
- Then, add in the rolled oats, plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon and sea salt and give it a good mix. Don’t be afraid to use your hands once the dough starts to form!
- Get your mini M&M’s and add them in. I suggest around 200g, but it’s really to your liking. Mix the M&M’s in well until evenly distributed.
- Now it’s portion time. Take a scoopful of dough at a time and weigh out 60g for each piece and roll them into balls. Once you’ve rolled all of your dough into dough balls, place them into the freezer for at least 30 minutes (see top tips #2 and #3).
- While the dough is chilling, prepare two baking sheets by lining them with baking paper and preheat your oven to 200°C/180° fan. Get your cookies out of the freezer and put them onto the lined trays. Make sure you give each cookie enough room to grow – I can usually fit 4 cookies on a larger tray, and 3 cookies on a smaller tray.
- Bake the cookies for around 10-12 minutes, depending on the oven. Keep an eye on them, when they start to brown around the edges and develop a nice golden colour, take them out.
- Leave them to cool for at least 30 minutes. They will continue to cook on the baking tray. Make sure to treat yourself to one of these whilst they’re warm! You can also reheat these in the microwave, just put one in there for 20 seconds, or you can put them back in the oven for a few minutes. Enjoy!
Words by Ally-Joh Gowan-Day
Photo credits: Ally-Joh Gowan-Day
Jo Pratt’s Chocolate Raspberry and Mascarpone Tarts
When spring rolls around something in me gets possessed to make these, there’s just something about it. Think brownies meet cheesecake in a socially acceptable relationship. The recipe suggests making them into individual tarts, but it would be equally delicious as one big one.
125g unsalted butter
50g cocoa powder
75g raspberry jam
150g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
100g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
125g mascarpone cheese
150g raspberries
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/fan 160ºC/gas 4.
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over a low heat and sift in the cocoa powder. Stir until the mixture boils, then remove from the heat. Stir in the jam, 100g of the caster sugar, the whole eggs (not the separate yolk), flour and baking powder.
- Divide the mixture among the tart tins and keep to one side. Beat together the mascarpone cheese, egg yolk and the remaining 50g of caster sugar and place a spoonful in the middle of each tart. Pull a knife backwards and forwards a few times to create a marbled effect, and then push the raspberries into the mixture, dividing them equally among the six tarts.
- Place on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes until the tarts have risen and are just firm to the touch.
- Remove from the tins after they have cooled for a few minutes and serve warm or cold with cream and a light dusting of icing sugar or cocoa powder.
Words by Poppy Adams
Recipe created by Jo Pratt from In the Mood for Entertaining: Food for Every Occasion cookbook.
Featured image curtesy of Daiga Ellaby via Unspalsh.com.