Cooking Lesson #9—Ed’s Soft Oatmeal Cookies

How are you doing? Well, here we are well into week four of social distancing. It is a difficult time for all of us, but we are all in this together and we must remain strong. I can tell you I haven’t missed a meal in four weeks—the Quarantine Kitchen has been working overtime! My refrigerator is well-stocked with the homemade foods that we have been developing just for you. I spend the weekends (and other days too) preparing comfort foods I enjoy, and I hope you like them, too.
 
I want to thank you for all the positive responses I have received on email and the various social media pages. Yesterday I received over seventy responses. They are most appreciated. For the most part, I’ve tried to make the recipes fairly easy to execute. Okay, the Caramel Pork Belly may have been a stretch—but even that, made in an Instant Pot, was relatively simple.
 
I LOVE cookies! Do you love cookies? Who doesn’t love cookies? When I was a kid, I would always put oatmeal cookies on the top of my cookie list. It wasn’t that I liked them so much better—I liked them fine—I just thought with all that oatmeal they were a little healthier for me… like eating a bowl of hot steamy oatmeal. I mean, could the Quaker Oatmeal Man be wrong? Now I realize with all the creamery butter, two kinds sugars and the added goodies—dried fruit and chocolate chips or chunks—it may not have been quite as virtuous as I imagined.

So, let get bakin’! Ed’s Soft Oatmeal Cookies are very moist with a great flavor. Take these cookies up a notch and add a cup of dried fruit (raisins, cherries or blueberries), nuts, chocolate chips or a half cup of each.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Resting time:  1 hour
Bake time:  10 minutes
Yield:  2 about dozen cookies
 
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (note: if using salted butter, reduce this salt to ¼ teaspoon)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup dried raisins, cherries, blueberries, nuts (walnut and pecans) and/or chocolate chips or chunks (optional)
 
Directions

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture.
4. Mix in the oats. This is also where you would add the dried fruit, nuts and/or chocolate.
5. Cover, rest and chill dough for at least one hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 375⁰F.
7. Grease cookie sheets. Scoop and roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.  
8. Flatten each cookie with a large fork dipped in sugar.
9. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.
10. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

ChefSecret:  By letting the dough rest for an hour before baking you allow the flour and oats to rehydrate and absorb all the liquid. It also allows the cinnamon to blossom in flavor.

#OatmealCookies #Dessert #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19

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