Tuesday, November 28, 2006

One of the Best Oatmeal Cookies Ever!

I mentioned cake recipes being posted this week, and there is still a couple more to come. But first I had to come here and post about these cookies I tried today. They were the absolutely BEST!
So, before I keep going I need to thank my friend Valentina, because this recipe was an adaptation of a recipe she posted on her blog, Trem Bom. Thanks Valentina!!
The recipe is for Oatmeal Cookies with Almonds and Apricots, and really, these were one of the best cookies I tried lately; they hit the spot for a nice afternoon treat and at the same time are filled with healthy and wholesome ingredients.
Oatmeal and whole-wheat flour are paired with some butter and brown sugar; deliciously chewy chopped apricots and slivered almonds are added to the batter finishing up the goodness with the yummiest combination of all! I guess other dried fruits and nuts could be used in many different combinations here, but these were ingredients I had on hand and to be true, it was so good that I am not even thinking about modifying this recipe any longer.
The base of the cookie was just perfect, simple but yet flavorful, and held it together nicely without being dry. The cookies came out nicely browned and crispy on the outside, with a consistent inside, making, in my opinion, for the perfect healthy cookie!
And if you have kids around you too might be wondering if this would work with chocolate chips inside… well, being the chocoholic I am this is definitely what I am going to try next, and I bet they are going to be great!
I loved the texture, the crisp and crunchy outside, and was really surprised with how nice and soft the apricots got during baking; it was truly delicious. I used sliced almonds and really liked that they became crispy and toasty in the oven, giving the cookies a slight crunch without interfering with the cookie as whole, as some big chunks of almonds sometimes do.
These cookies were not only delicious but also super easy to make; a great recipe that will certainly be repeated here many and many times to come!
By the way, Valentina’s original recipe is posted in Portuguese at her blog. I made a few adaptations myself, and that is what I am translating and posting in my kitchen space, but you can certainly take a peek at the original recipe here. And even if you don’t understand the language, it is still worth to take a look over the great collection of recipes and pictures that she has posted there!
Ana

Oatmeal Cookies with Almonds and Apricots

1 ¼ cups oatmeal
1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped dried apricots
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup toasted sliced almonds
1 stick of butter (113 grams / 8 tablespoons), melted
1 egg, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325F.
Add dry ingredients in a bowl, including almonds and apricots. Add melted butter and egg and mix well until everything is well incorporated.
Shape dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 18 minutes or until golden and delicious!

Even Matheus' army guys agreed that these cookies were worth fighting for!

10 comments:

Karen said...

Eu tive o prazer ganhar um pote desses biscoitos da Miki! Eles são realmente maravilhosos!

Anonymous said...

Ana, I loved the picture with the soldiers "fighting" for the cookies! :D

I have to start eating oats and this is a good way to do it! :D

Akemi said...

Esta receita está rodando o mundo! Preciso experimentar também, já estou com todos os ingredientes aqui!

Cinara said...

Eu já fiz vários tipos de oatmeal cookies, Ana, mas estes com damasco devem ficar especiais...

Anonymous said...

Hi, these cookies sound very good! Just a question though... I notice that you halved the amount of butter compared to the original recipe, but kept the dry ingredients pretty much the same. Will this make the cookies dry and tough? I'm hoping to try them out soon, but am afraid to be disappointed.

Thank you.

Gattina Cheung said...

Ana,
I'm one of those soliders too!
Your cookies really look great, low in butter and sugar as well? Another excuse for me to eat more!

Ana said...

Karen, muito bom, ne?! Depois q vi na Miki fiquei ainda mais animada em fazer essa receita, ela falou taaao bem dos cookies!!

Patricia, I looove oats!!

Akemi, faca sim, sao gostosos! Tente a versao da Valentina primeiro, acho q deve ficar ainda melhor com mais manteiga, os meus estavam mais sequinhos no dia seguinte...

Cinara, eu fiquei surpresa com os damascos depois q assaram. Eles ficaram macios!

Sharm, you are right, I did decreased the butter, and next time I will probably increase it a bit, using 150 grams of butter. On the day I baked they were extremely delicious, super crisp and crunchy, but on the next day they became a little softer and drier, and I am pretty sure it was the lack of butter.
They are very tasty though, and I will certainly make them again, even more because my husband liked it too and is already asking for more!!

Gattina, they are very tasty cookies, I liked them a lot. And yes, I try to keep my baked goods relatively lower in sugar, as I have a tendency of fiding everything too sweet for my taste. However, in this case I believe I will slightly increase the butter next time I make, just because on the next day they were a little softer and drier than I wanted them to be. I guess a little more butter would keep them better. But anyways, they were delicious and will sure be repeated!

Ana

Valentina said...

Ana, this is so funny. I was just thinking of making them for the week. I really loved these cookies. As you said, the texture of the apricots becomes divine. I did struggled to keep away.I have to admit.Just felt not too bad because they had a lot of goodness in them -however,in excess even goodness can't be that good.
; o ) Absolutely loved the little soldiers.Do they belong to my little friend Matheus?

Valentina said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

The first thought that crossed my mind was "Hmmmmmmm, these would be good with chocolate chips.". I'm going to give them a try. Thanks for the recipe, Ana!