SWEET & SALTY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

COOKIE! PAINNNNNN! Why aren't I 600 pounds! COOKIESSSSS

How do you elevate the humble little cookie buddy that is the oatmeal raisin cookie? Oatmeal raisin is kind of like the "vanilla" of ice creams. It has this crappy reputation as being a boring flavour, and they have a hard time competing with the classic homemade chocolate chip cookie. But oatmeal raisin has a nice homey feel, too... with a burst of health and a fibre kick, too! Don't dismiss the oatmeal raisin! Unless you hate raisins... in which case, swap out raisins for... chocolate chips!

These oatmeal raisin cookies are buttery, crisp, oaty (ha), sweet and salty, too, with the teensy fancified addition of Maldon sea salt crystals. Give these cookies a try... they come together super fast and they will be the best part of your next day's lunch hour (if they last that long, if you're a cookie pig like me...) 


SWEET & SALTY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup spelt flour
2 1/2 cups oats
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or table salt
1 cup raisins (I used organic thompson raisins)
teensy bit of Maldon sea salt flakes (optional)

Make It!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

1. Using a stand mixer or hand held beaters in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
2. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg and pure vanilla extract, mixing to incorporate.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the spelt flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
5. Throw in the raisins and mix until incorporated.
6. Scoop out 2 inch balls of cookie dough onto baking sheets, evenly spaced.
7. Add a few crystals of Maldon sea salt to the tops of each cookie.
8. Bake for 13-15 minutes, depending on how hot your oven gets, turning pans halfway through baking time.

Note: I made these twice. The second time I made them, my butter was actually still on the colder side - and the cookies didn't spread as much as the first batch. You can refrigerate the baking sheets with the cookie dough doled out onto them for an hour before baking to prevent cookie spreading - if you can stand to wait that long to bake them and eat them! 

Enjoy your boring old oatmeal raisin sweet and salty cookies, everyone! ;)

Until next time! Thanks for reading!

xo Lyndsay

WHOLE ORANGE & RASPBERRY BLENDER MUFFINS

A little health blast for ya...

Yep. You really did read that right. Blender. This is a variation of a fast and funny recipe from the wonderful Canadian cookbook icons The Best Of Bridge. In our family, we grew up on Best Of Bridge recipes...we are children of the 1980s... my mom's collection of their cookbooks are tattered and splattered, and no Christmas morning would be the same without the "Christmas Morning Wife Saver" casserole... (a questionable name in this modern feminist age but just right for the 1980s!)

These muffins are tart and tangy and with a slight bite to them from the use of the entire orange, peel and all... and they are a a nice healthy snack, with lots of fruit and fibre! They come together exceptionally fast, and I must admit there is a fun factor to making them, as you feel like a kid again throwing a bunch of stuff into a blender like you're making a super gross dill pickle juice, watermelon, milk, paprika and beef jerky smoothie for your sister to chug as a dare!

  
WHOLE ORANGE & RASPBERRY BLENDER MUFFINS

Ingredients:


1 large orange

3/4 cup orange juice

1 egg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups spelt flour

3/4 cup golden brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Make it!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You will need two muffin pans as this recipe yields about 16 small muffins. Muffin liners are optional - if you don't use them, I would spray pans with vegetable oil to avoid sticking!

1. Cut the orange into 8 pieces.
2. Place the orange pieces in the blender along with the juice, egg and oil. Blend until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the spelt flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.
4. Add the dry mixture into the orangey wet mixture and blend until combined.
5. Fold in raspberries with a spatula or large spoon.
6. Pour mixture into muffin pans right out of the blender, or use an ice cream scoop to dole out even portions of batter into muffin pans.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, depending on the heat of your oven, turning pans halfway.

Don't you feel healthy now? Enjoy!

xo Lyndsay 

 

Originally published on Poppytalk