A while back I mentioned my discomfiture with baking. It’s the precision that gets me. I like to work with a net in case things go wrong and I like to have a bit of freedom to ad lib. Baking offers none of those things. Knowing a bit too much flour here or not enough baking soda there can ruin everything is just too intimidating. Nonetheless, I decided to make a bit more of an effort with it, if only to keep things interesting on this blog and in the kitchen. Best to start small, I figured. Best to start with cookies.
With all respect to my mom, the cookies definitive cookies childhood came from the kitchen of my aunt Hedwig (Hedi). On visits to their farm, our van would pull up in the driveway to disgorge its cargo of bickering and hungry siblings who’d beat a path to the kitchen cupboard where Hedi’s fabulous oatmeal raisin cookies lived in a rectangular orange tupperware container that was always, always full. We’d take up our positions at the bar and scarf them down greedily, dipping the chewy little rounds into glasses of homemade ice tea (a combination that probably only works with Hed’s unparalleled brew) before running off to see what animals we could find living in the barn this time.
Unfortunately, I don’t have the recipe for these particular cookies (and probably for the best, as I’d hate to add the burden of nostalgia to my baking anxiety), but these super basic oatmeal cookies aren’t too bad either, as evidenced by the fact the entire batch vanished in the span of about four days. They’d also probably taste pretty good with a batch of iced tea.
Oatmeal cookies (adapted from the New Canadian Basics Cookbook)
- 3/4 Cups butter, softened
- 1 Cup packed brown sugar*
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanila
- 1 Cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
- 3/4 Cup dried cranberries**
- 1/2 Cup chopped pecans**
Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl, then beat in egg and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and oats and stir into butter/sugar mixture. Stir in cranberries and pecans.
Drop dough by fat spoonfuls onto a prepared cookie sheet (taking care to leave them some room to grow) and bake in a 375F oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to rack. Makes about two dozen.
* D. thinks you could probably get away with reducing the amount of sugar in these little sweet bombs. I’m not so sure, myself, but go ahead and try it. Just don’t blame me if the results are unsatisfattening.
**If you’re feeling traditional, sub raisins for cranberries and omit nuts. You can also use chocolate chips in lieu of dried fruit. Hell, try a combination.
