Oatmeal CookieBlog

OCG TKO

Hey, everybody. Sorry for the recent blog silence. The flu has really knocked me out. But I hope to be up and baking again this weekend.

Reader Query: Candy Corn Cookies? III

My blog buddy Laurel wrote in to add an interesting twist on candy corn cookies:

Here's another thought Greg...I like to eat candy corn with peanuts. It is the perfect sweet and salty combination. Maybe you could add some candy corn to some almost cooked PB cookies. That way they keep their shape and don't melt or let them melt if the cookie consistency is good. Or stuff a PB cookie with candy corn and let them melt inside. Do you think this would work? If it doesn't have enough of the salt flavor, you could top them with some kosher salt like you do with the salted caramel cookies.

Thanks, Laurel! I'll have to try that combo. But you've sparked an idea for a non-candy corn cookie. I'm thinking of a salty/sweet honey-roasted peanut cookie. I know it's off topic, but you can never tell where the ideas will take you. :-)

Email from an Expatriate

Koreen, a new reader, sent me the loveliest email last night:

I recently moved to London from beautiful Los Angeles and while my fiance is away all day I am learning to cook. I have always loved baking (I was nicknamed Betty in high school for Betty Crocker) and when I found your site, I think I found heaven. Thanks!

Hi, Koreen! Thanks so much for writing in. I hope you're adjusting well to life in London and enjoying baking--and this blog. It all sounds very Julie & Julia! For an American take on a British classic, try out a batch of my Lemon & Gooseberry Biscuits.

Celebrate National Pumpkin Cheesecake (Cookie) Day

Happy National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day, everybody!

To celebrate, why not bake up a batch of my Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies?

Reader Query: Meal Replacement Bars?

JS5981 wrote in to ask a question about meal replacement bars:

Hey Cookieguy, I don't know how long it's been around but I've been noticing in the news lately that there's something called the "cookie diet". They say it consists of 5 high protein cookies which are to be eaten throughout the day when you're hungry. Which got me to thinking, have you ever tried to make a trail mix style cookie or a dense "clif bar" style cookie that you could use as a meal replacement?

Hey...that's a pretty good idea! I'll have to do some research on what high-protein stuff would have to go into a meal replacement bar. Nuts, certainly. But I wonder what else... Stay tuned!

Have Boxes, Will Ship

Nothing says howdy and takes away the rainy-weather blues like a mailbox full of goodies.

So, instead of testing a new recipe on Sunday, I baked up a double batch of my Sweater Weather Cookies and sent some care packages down to New York.

All it takes is a box and some postage to make someone's day.

Rainy Day DJ III

All of New England is pretty much swallowed up in a nasty, windy rainstorm today. Time for another rainy song--"Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" by Travis.

The List...Updated

Here’s the most up-to-date list.

S’mores Cherry-Vanilla Crispies Chocolate Malted Good Ol’ Peanut Butter White Chocolate Macaroons Dark Earl Grey Caramel-Espresso Eleven Madison Hawaii Cookies Coffee Cake Fourth of July Grasshopper Elvis Dulce de Leche Chocolate & Salted Caramel Shirley Temple Golden Girls Juliana Skiffle PB & J(onnie) Mocha Mint Rosh Hashanah ChocAlmScotch Sweater Weather Cookies Peanut Butter Cup Hot(ter) Chocolate Almond Brickle Fluffernutter XXX Cranberry Cookies Almond Joy Mulled Apple Cider Yuletides (Peppermint Bark) Eggnog Cookies Sin-a-Buns Lime in the Coconut Fake-Out-Eos Raspberry-Chocolate Fondue The Girl Scouts Are...Jealous

Heeeere's Johnnycake! Do You Like Pina Coladas? Va-Va-Vanilla Rocky Road Hazelnut Coffee Florida Cookies German Chocolate Cake California Cookies Raspberry Graham...Crunch Scarborough Fair Better...Oatmeal Raisin Inside-Out Peanut Butter Cups Apple Jack Cookies Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Raspberry in the Coconut Blueberry Muffin Top Cookies Chocolate & Chipotle Cookies Orange in the Coconut Chocolate & Sea Salt Cookies Lavender & Lemon Lovelies Redheads Chocolate Orange...Coconut Cranberry Crunch Cookies Cranberry in the Coconut Pumpkin & Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies Boston Cream Pie Cookies Toffee Figgy Pudding Cookies Stuffed Red Velvet Cookies Flat, Crunchy Choc. Chip Orange & Mint Cookies Stuffed Date Nut Cookies Red Bean-Stuffed Green Tea Maraschino Cherry Cookies Wine & Chocolate Cookies Almond Butter & Raspberry Rum Raisinet Cookies

Coconut Rum Raisinet Cookies Spicy Valentine's Heart Cookies Mojito Cookies Black Sesame Cookies Irish Breakfast Scone Cookies St. Patrick's Day Cookies Hot Cross Bun Cookies Chocolate Lime...Coconut Copycat Compost Cookie Strawberry-Rhubarb Cookies Meyer Lemon & Thyme XXX Strawberry Cookies Lemon in the Coconut Strawberry Shortcake Cookies Peaches & Cream Cookies Lemonade & Iced Tea Cookies Neapolitan Cookies Blueberry & Lemon Cookies XXX Cherry + Chocolate Cookies Ambrosia Cookies Caramel Apple Bars Lemon & Gooseberry Biscuits Parmesan & Black Olive Cookies Beach Plum Thumbprint Cookies Margarita Cookies Rose Water Cookies Stuffed Carrot Cake Cookies Halloween Pinwheel Cookies Nutella Cookies Goat Cheese Cookies Peanut Butter & Apple Cookies Oatmeal Cannoli Cookies

These Peanut Butter Cups Runneth Over with Blog-Love

Maureen, a reader and (now!) real-life recipe user, wrote in to say she tackled one of my stuffed cookies first:

I stumbled across your blog several weeks ago and have been salivating over your recipes... well, I finally jumped in and made a batch last night.  I decided to go with the Peanut Butter Cup, even though I was a little intimidated by the idea of stuffing the cookies.  Oh my goodness!  These are the best cookies ever, and everyone that tried one (that was at least 10 people today) said the exact same thing.  My roommate said "these are like heaven bundled in heavenliness."  I think she likes them :)

Anyway, I just wanted to drop you a line and say thank you.  I will certainly be attempting more in the near future!

Hi, Maureen. Thanks for writing in! I'm so glad you and your real-life cookie tasters liked them. (They are pretty really good!)  :-)

Wow...I've got to hand it to you. My stuffed cookies are among my most popular, but the assembly process can be a little intimidating. Good on you for taking such a big cookie-making leap! I can't wait to hear how other recipes turn out for you.

Picturing Halloween Pinwheel Cookies II

Part 2 of 2: the assembly phase. See Picturing Halloween Pinwheel Cookies I for the dough-making phase.

Refrigerate the dough balls for about 10-15 minutes so that they firm up.

Roll each dough ball out to a 1/8-1/4"-thick sheet. Stack the layers.

Roll the stacked layers into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and smooth any lumps or unevenness. Place the log in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to firm up. Use a serrated knife to cut 1/4"-thick disks from the log. Bake.

Picturing Halloween Pinwheel Cookies I

Here's the recipe for my Halloween Pinwheel Cookies in process.

Part 1 of 2: the dough-making phase. Except for a few flavor- and color-specific tweaks, the ingredients for each layer are the same.

The process is also the same. (Note: You will have to make each layer individually.) Cream together the butter and white sugar. Combine the wet ingredients and add to the creamed creamables. Grind the oatmeal. Combine the dry ingredients, add to the combined creamables and wet ingredients, and mix to combine.

Vanilla Layer: vanilla, finely ground Nilla Wafer cookies, and yellow food coloring.

Orange Layer: orange extract and red and yellow food coloring.

Chocolate Layer: cocoa powder and black food coloring.

See Picturing Halloween Pinwheel Cookies II for the assembly phase.

Halloween Pinwheel Cookies

Makes 2 dozen cookies. (To see this recipe in process, check out Picturing Halloween Pinwheel Cookies.)

Vanilla Layer

Creamables	3 tablespoons butter 1/3 cup white sugar
Wet Ingredients	1 tablespoon scrambled egg 1  teaspoon vanilla 1/8 teaspoon yellow food coloring
Dry Ingredients	1/2 cup finely ground oatmeal 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup finely ground Nilla Wafer cookies 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Orange Layer

Creamables	3 tablespoons butter 1/3 cup white sugar
Wet Ingredients	1 tablespoon scrambled egg 1  teaspoon orange extract 1/8 teaspoon yellow food coloring 1/8 teaspoon red food coloring
Dry Ingredients	1/2 cup finely ground oatmeal 1/2 cup flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Chocolate Layer

Creamables	3 tablespoons butter 1/3 cup white sugar
Wet Ingredients	1 tablespoon scrambled egg 1  teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon black food coloring
Dry Ingredients	1/2 cup finely ground oatmeal 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Repeat Steps 1-4 for each of the three layers of dough.

1. In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together the creamables.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients and then add to the creamables. Mix together until smooth.
3. In another bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until chilled and firm.
   

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5. Roll out each chilled dough ball into a 1/8-1/4"-thick sheet.
6. Stack the three layers of rolled-out dough on top of a piece of plastic wrap.
7. Roll the stack onto itself to create a cookie dough log and wrap with the plastic wrap. Smooth out the log until it is even and cylindrical.
8. Place the dough log in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to firm up.
9. Preheat oven to 350º.
10. Remove the dough log from the freezer. Using a serrated knife, cut 1/4"-thick disks from the log.
11. Place the dough slices about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
12. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.

Reader Query: Nutella Cookies?

I've been getting lots of reader queries and comments about new cookies and new ingredients. Bird, who agrees with my friend Katie about doing a goat cheese cookie, also asked this:

Any thought to adding Nutella to your recipes?

That's a great idea, Bird! There must be something in the air because I saw a Nutella commercial for the first time the other night, and--of course--I thought about making a Nutella cookie. Great minds thing alike, I guess.

Nutella, a hazelnut-chocolate spread, is the European equivalent of American peanut butter. In other words, it's pretty tasty stuff. Stay tuned for some stuffed and nonstuffed recipes coming soon.

Rainy Day DJ II

A rainy song for another rainy(ish) day--"Like the Weather" by 10,000 Maniacs. "What a cold and rainy day. Where on earth is the sun hid away?"

10,000 Maniacs |MTV Music

Reader Query: Candy Corn Cookies? II

I've been thinking a lot about Carrie's candy corn cookie query lately, trying to figure out how to get the best result.

At first, I thought I'd make one batch of dough, split the dough into thirds, tint two of the thirds with food coloring, roll out the thirds into bands, join the bands together, and then use a triangle cookie cutter to make 2D approximations of candy corn.

But then I realized I'd end up with triangular cookies with inverted colors on the tops and bottoms and that only half of the cookies would be correct. Hmmm...what a pickle.

Now I'm leaning toward doing a multicolored rolled cookie that you slice instead of cut out or scoop. Oh...why not Indian corn? You know...candy corn with a chocolate layer at the bottom? Back to the drawing board.

Reader Query: Goat Cheese Cookies?

My friend Katie is really into my savory cookie recipes (see here and here), and she recently asked me this:

What about a goat cheese cookie?

Hmmm. My first thought was that Mumma wouldn't be caught dead within 50 miles of such a creation. You see, she absolutely abhors anything goat. (Blame it on a pet goat and a crafty mother who had a funnel and an empty milk bottle.)

But the more I thought about the idea, the more I liked it. Goat cheese is one of those ingredients that could go savory or sweet. I love goat cheese in my salad, and cheesecake made with goat cheese is really good.

I'm thinking goat cheese, dried cranberries, and almonds would work well together in a cookie. Just consider it: creamy, salty/tangy cheese + chewy, sweet/tart cranberries + crunchy, savory nuts. It's a combo that hits every flavor and mouthfeel receptor. Stay tuned to see what I come up with!

Picturing Peanut Butter and Apple Cookies

Here's the recipe for my Peanut Butter and Apple Cookies in process.

Cream the creamables: butter, dark brown sugar, white sugar, and peanut butter.

Combine the wet ingredients: an egg and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the creamed creamables. Mix.

Peel and roughly chop the apples.

Combine the dry ingredients and add to the combined creamables and wet ingredients. Mix again.

Scoop and bake. Light, tasty, and arguably healthy.

Peanut Butter and Apple Cookies

Amdanda K. helped inspire this recipe because her blog-love for my peanut butter cookie recipe is what got me thinking about new PB flavor combinations. Thanks, Amanda!

Sure...peanut butter and chocolate and peanut butter and jelly are classics, but there are others, right? Of course! There's peanut butter and celery (with raisins), but that combo doesn't seem very suited for cookiedom. (But maybe it is if you ever find yourself in this situation.)

Peanut butter and apple is a flavor combo that's perfectly suited for cookies...and the season.

I used my standard recipe for peanut butter cookies but made three adjustments. The first was to swap chopped apples for the peanut butter chips. The second was to add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to the dry ingredients. (Because what's a baked apple product without cinnamon?) The third was to increase the vanilla by 1/2 teaspoon to help accentuate the apples and cinnamon.

The result is a mighty tasty, practically healthy cookie.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies. (To see this recipe in process, check out Picturing Peanut Butter and Apple Cookies.)

Creamables	1 stick butter 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup smooth peanut butter 2 tablespoons white sugar
Wet Ingredients	1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Dry Ingredients	1 3/4 cups oatmeal 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped apples 1 cup ground Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch 3/4 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together the creamables.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients and then add to the creamables. Mix together until smooth.
4. In another large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold together until evenly distributed. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the creamables and wet ingredients. Mix until evenly combined.
5. Shape dough into balls--about 2 tablespoons each.
6. Place dough balls about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
7. Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.

Really Better Than Grandma's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Yvette tried my Better Than Grandma's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recently and wrote in to say this:

You know I have made many many oatmeal raisin cookies...but these cookies after they came out of oven I think me and the hubby ate a whole dozen!!!! Great job...love your recipes....keep it up...I look forward to reading your blog.

Thanks, Yvette! It is really hard to resist a good oatmeal raisin cookie. And this is a good oatmeal raisin cookie. I usually prefer my cookies cool, but these are exceptional straight from the oven. Serving them warm with some vanilla ice cream would be heaven in a bowl...or on a plate.

Rainy Day DJ

It's raining. It's pouring. The old man is snoring. I hope it's sunny where you are, but if it's not, maybe this happy little ditty--XTC's "Ballet for a Rainy Day"--will brighten your day.

Kind Words for Cool-Weather Cookies

My blog buddy Amelia wrote in to share some kind words about my Sweater Weather Cookies:

Hi Greg, I baked these yesterday and they were a hit with the fam! BTW, I love the SW cookie name!

Hi there, Amelia. Thanks! I'm glad you and the family liked these guys. I have to admit that I was really, really happy with this recipe. They turned out just how I wanted them to! Yay fall. :-)

Reader Query: Carrot Cake Cookies?

Leeleemarie asked the following question about The List:

OMG!! Just thought of this one...Carrot Cake Oatmeal cookies! What do you think?

Hi, Leeleemarie. It's funny you should ask that question. I've been thinking of doing a stuffed carrot cake cookie for a while now, but I haven't settled on how to get the carrots into the cookies. Shredded carrots? Finely ground carrots? Carrot juice?

My stuffed cookies are always a hit, so it's a no-brainer to fill the cookies with the cream cheese and pecan frosting instead of spreading it on top.

I've got some thinking and investigating to do, but don't worry: I'll have a recipe up sometime soon, I hope. And I've added this one to The List.