Friday, November 4, 2011

Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies

It’s been almost 8 months since my last post, where has all the time gone? Probably to finishing my 3rd year (and entering my fourth year) of school at Humber College, and my adventurous summer which included a new job and a 3-week journey in Europe. Countless memories have been made, and I cherish every single one. Getting back to baking at home has been wonderful to say the least, I’m remembering why I miss it so much. It's the way it takes me someplace else and away from the day to day stresses, and of course having something delicious to eat at the end of it all.

Although fall is coming to a close, I am still in full “pumpkin obsessed” bliss, trying to think of as many ways to incorporate the lovely ingredient into everything and anything. So far my top three are Whoopie Pies (to be baked ASAP), Pumpkin Pancakes, and a Pumpkin Chocolate, Walnut, Cranberry Loaf (see below). Amidst my pumpkin obsession, I found a recipe for Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate cookies (they sound delicious right? And believe me, they were). Come on, anything that is salted HAS to be good, seeing as salt just brings out the flavours of anything you put it on, well almost anything. I was trying to think of something to bake for my girlfriend for her birthday, and these cookies instantly stood out to me. I’ve always had a love for white chocolate macadamia cookies, so any cookies with white chocolate in it is good in my books.
They came together rather simply- cream the butter and sugars, mix the dry ingredients, add eggs to wet- and then the dry ingredients. After scooping out relatively uniform sized pieces of dough, the final touches were added- the salt. I knew as I sprinkled a couple of flecks of Maldon salt on top of each piece of dough, that these were going to be fantastic. After 20 minutes in the oven, the kitchen was filled with the nostalgic smell of home-baked cookies (which instantly bring me back to making Christmas cookies with my mom- which I am TOTALLY looking forward to this year). Unfortunately, I hadn’t left enough room between each ball of dough, as the cookies came out kind of square. Their lack of circular figure was made up for in flavour, and I had to limit myself to just one- I couldn’t show up to my girlfriends house with A cookie. They were perfect- crispy on the outside, and forgivingly chewy on the inside. I will definitely be making these again. To top it all off, they made a wonderful birthday present, as my girlfriend and her family loved them. There is nothing better then experiencing the moment when someone tries what you’ve baked, and a smile comes across their face. This is why I love to bake, because I get the chance to make people happy, all while satisfying their tastebuds.
Below is the recipe as borrowed from Smitten Kitchen-

I made a few changes here and there, but used the recipe as a base.

Crispy Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

6 ounces good-quality white chocolate bar, chopped (not “white chocolate” chips; they’re almost always artificial. I am adamant about this.)

1/2 teapoon flaky sea salt (like Maldon or fleur de sel) (for sprinkling on top)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and white chocolate and mix until well incorporated.

3. Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons. Roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using fingertips, gently press down each ball to about 3/4-inch thickness.

4. Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie

5. Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.