Showing posts with label cookies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cookies. Show all posts
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Oatmeal Raisin Spelt Cookies
Oatmeal Raisin Spelt Cookies
My last trip to Taiwan (my hometown) me and some friends made a trip to a scenic spot just to say farewell to the sun.
The sunset was incredible. And all around me I could spot people gasping with delight at the sight of the slowly descending sun or people posing for the cameras with the sunset as the backdrop, or couples embracing in silence as they soak in the beauty of it all. Fascinated. Content. Seems like the worries and the grudges of daily life suddenly disappeared for everyone.
And so I wonder what it is about nature which has the power to mesmerize us over and over again? The ever changing colour of the sky, the lofty mountains, the incredible sunrise and sunset....I mean, surely weve seen a number of these in our lifetimes? Its nothing new to be honest - but how does it inexplicably melt the hardest of hearts and calms the most unsettled soul?
As Im getting older (another birthday this month! Eeek.), its not hard to notice that my sense of wonder declines. Only the new can amaze me - the latest gadget and what the next superfood is. Tomorrow the new becomes old and yesterdays wonder is not so wonderful anymore. Its all temporary, no?
Id like to think that I understand a little bit more about life, about people and about God as I mature but sometimes (and often) pride tricks me into thinking that Ive seen it all or done it all. That I dont need to go back to the basics or re-learn some of the forgotten lessons or be reminded about the familiar Scriptures that I thought I understood.
Afterall, I have a looong list of things to do and who has the time to walk the same walk and whats the point of looking at something Ive seen already?
But every once in a while, just like on this recent trip, I do take my time to gaze at Gods amazing creation and my hard heart melts, my weariness disappears...and I am humbled by the beauty and wonder of it all, once again.
And in a sort of similar way like the sunset (okay, maybe not quite comparable), there are some of my favourite basic foods that I simply forgot about in the busy-ness of trying all other new and exciting recipes and food combinations.
One of them is my all time favourite oatmeal cookies (yes, they beat choc chip cookies for me!)
This is back to the basics for me. I remember making them growing up. This was the only way Id have oat back then (how things have changed - now I have oatmeal every morning!)
Im also beginning to find spelt flour extremely versatile and use it to replace the All Purpose flour completely in many of my bakings.
What is different about this recipe is that the oats are first toasted lightly in the oven so as to deepen the oaty flavour. Hmmmm, delicious. Next time I want to try another recipe soon using oat flour instead of spelt flour. Imagine that, oat + oat flour = oat-ness overload.
I was in a hurry to leave the house after baking these cookies so had to pack them up (in style) as my train ride snack (then took a photo of it, obviously hehe):
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
From Whole Grains Everyday Everyway
- 3 cups old rashioned rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups spelt flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 12 tablespoon (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup rasins
Makes 2 1/2 dozen 3-inch cookies
Vivs note: I halved the recipe so only made 1 tray.
1. Place one rack in the top third and another in the bottom third, and preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Spread the oats out on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the bottom rack for 3 minutes, stir and continue baking until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 more minutes. Set aside to cool. (you can omit this step - but baking the oats deepens the oaty flavour)
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F (177C)
4. In a large bowl combine the spelt flour, cinnamon, baking soda, powder and salt. Stir until blended.
5. In a food processor fitted with steel blade, or with an electric mixer, process the brown and white sugars and butter until smooth and fluffy. Add 1 egg and process for about 20 seconds. Add the second egg and vanilla extract and process until the mixture is smooth, about 20 secs more. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until the flour is absorbed. Blend in the toasted oats and the raisins until the oats are all coated with the dough.
6. Drop heaping tablespoonful of the dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies for spreading. Use the back of the spoon or your fingers to gently flatten the cookies roughly into rounds about 1/2-inch thick.
7. Bake on the upper rack until the tops and bottoms are nicely browned and the tops spring back to a very gentle touch, 8 to 10 minutes. Rotate the cookies every 3 mins for even browning. Slide the parchment paper onto a cooling rack. Repeat with the remaining batter, relining the cookie sheet with a clean parchment paper and making sure to let the sheet cool between batches.
Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 10 days.
I hope your week has been nice so far.
Oh, and I finally updated my About me page too. I will be working to complete the other tabs soon.
I hope!
Toodles for now :)
Available link for download
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Nutella Drop Cookies Novembers Secret Recipe Club
Nutella Drop Cookies Novembers Secret Recipe Club
For the month of November I had the honor of meeting Sally from Bewitching Kitchen through the Secret Recipe Club. I have often seen her gorgeous food throughout my travels in food blogging and have admired her adventure and passion that she shares with her food and her stories on her blog. She is originally from Brazil but has had the opportunity to live in Paris, France along with the U.S. in California so her exposure to delicious foods has a very wide range. You can see this clearly in her recipes that she shares with all of her tasty Brazillian recipes to her gorgeous breads - many of which came inspired from her life in France.
Unfortunately, my time was limited in the kitchen today. If I had had more time I would have made Sallys gorgeous Cinnamon Wreath bread. Instead I made her delicious and very simple Nutella Drop Cookies.
Unfortunately, my time was limited in the kitchen today. If I had had more time I would have made Sallys gorgeous Cinnamon Wreath bread. Instead I made her delicious and very simple Nutella Drop Cookies.
In a jiffy these cookies came to life with just a few ingredients. And as my oldest daughter exclaimed so well, "my goodness those cookies look like scoops of ice cream!" As they did! They held their "ice cream" shape perfectly even after they were baked.
A batch of these cookies would go perfectly with a hot cup of tea on a cold Winter night. Tender in texture and sweet on the tongue. I know you will enjoy this recipe just as much as I did!
Nutella Drop Cookies
(recipe from Bewitching Kitchen)
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup Nutella, at room temperature
powdered sugar for dusting
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheets with parchement paper and set aside.
2. Cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy - about 3-4 mintues. Add in vanilla extract and mix to combine.
3. Gradually add in flour until combined and then the Nutella.
4. Scoop cookie dough by the tablespoon or a small cookie scoop onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookie edges start to flatten slightly. Cool cookies 5 minutes before removing from sheets. Once cookies are completely cooled dust with powdered sugar if you wish. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Enjoy!
Happy Nutella Drop Cookie Baking!
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