Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

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Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Oatmeal-Raisin CookiesJust writing the title of this post, I feel like a maniac.  How on earth do you even punctuate such a cookie concoction?

See, I was having the kind of day where I just needed a cookie–a good old classic, dunk-it-in-a-glass-of-milk kind of cookie.  It also happened to be the kind of day that I couldn’t make a decision to save my life.  Can I get away with wearing the brown boots with a black sweater, should I vacuum the house or do my taxes, do I feel like oatmeal-raisin cookies or chocolate chip or peanut butter…

…you can probably see where this is going.  My indecision led to continuing not to care if black matches brown, not vacuuming or working on my taxes (by far the easiest choice of the day), and jamming everything that’s good in the world in 1 crazy cookie.  It turns out, indecision can occasionally be a good thing and sometimes not showing an ounce of restraint actually works out.  These cookies are majorly satisfying and just the thing to bake when you’re having a just-need-a-cookie sort of day.

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Almond, Hazelnut & Fig Granola

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Almond, Fig & Hazelnut GranolaIt’s hard for me to post a recipe for granola without thinking back on the first granola recipe I shared.

It was a disaster.  Tragic, even.

There was nothing wrong with the granola.  No, that was great: full of sweet spices, dried apricots, and candied ginger.  No, I was the disaster.  I had just launched my blog and was feeling this very strange pressure to get myself out in the world at lightning speed.  It was suddenly incredibly important to make the world’s best granola, photograph the whole process, write something über-charming about it, and release it to my 2-person fan base, asap.  I thought there was a lot riding on pressing “publish” before I ran out the door to work.  My kitchen was a mess and I was tripping over my dog and dirty dishes, with a toothbrush hanging out of my mouth, when the unspeakable happened.

I dropped my camera.  I watched it plummet from the counter all the way down to the floor.  It replays in slow-motion every time I enter the kitchen armed with my camera, the tipping off the edge of the counter, my dramatic dive across the room, the loud, echoing thud of it hitting the ground.  I remember thinking, maybe it’s fine, maybe, please, please, please.  Of course, it was not, and I sat on the grimy kitchen floor, cradling my camera with its jammed lens, cursing myself.

Thankfully, my blogging style has grown up a little since then.  I now realize that creating, photographing, and writing a recipe can’t happen in the 45 minutes before you need to get your butt to your real job. Also, bad things happen way more frequently when you’re a complete mess.  You’ve got to keep up with the dishes and you’ve got to shoo your dog out of the kitchen.  And the toothbrush?  Girl, you’ve just got to get yourself together.

In honor of my blog growing up, I have what feels like a very adult granola recipe to share with you.  It’s an extra crunchy granola, flecked with flax seeds, rosemary, and quinoa, loaded with hazelnuts, almonds, and dried figs.  It is every bit as delicious as the first granola I shared with you and I went through a heck of a lot less heartbreak to get it onto the blog.

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Salted Caramel & Espresso Crumb Bars

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Salted Caramel & Espresso Crumb Bars

You may have noticed, when it comes to dessert, I deal mainly in not-too-sweet, fruity, nutty, and spiced rather than ooey, gooey, and over-the-top.  Why?  Well, I’m a selfish baker and it’s what I like. Plus it’s easier to rationalize eating a jam-filled cookie at 8 am than it is to explain why you’ve got caramel dripping from your chin and a chocolate mustache first thing in the morning.

Today is different though.  I must’ve been hit upside the head with a bucket of Christmas spirit because I’ve decided to bake for tastes other than my own.  We’re going all chewy and gooey with these Salted Caramel & Espresso Crumb Bars.

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Oatmeal Quick Bread with Scotch-Maple Glaze

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A few years back, my mother gave me a coffee grinder as a Christmas gift.  Great present, I love coffee and require a great deal of it to wake myself up every morning.  Very sweet, Mom.

I never use it.  I know, I know, but it’s just one more step in the morning and I have enough trouble as it is getting myself looking somewhat presentable and out the door.

So how was it that I was able to bake pre-lunch shift yesterday, if I can’t even come up with the time to deal with whole bean coffee in the morning?  I was wearing clean, matching socks AND carrying a loaf of maple-oat bread when I arrived (on time, even!) at work.

This oatmeal quick bread is that quick.  It’s hardly more trouble than grinding coffee and doesn’t require an electric mixer so it’s a whole lot quieter, too.  It’s pleasantly nutty and chewy and tastes a little bit like pancakes made over a campfire, thanks to the smokey Scotch whiskey and maple syrup.

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Salted Espresso-Oat Cookies with Nutella Cream

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I baked for you again.

Why?  As if I need a reason!  Because you’re you and I’m so glad you’ve found your way over to strawberryplum.  Plus, it’s Monday and you really look like you could use a little cookie love about now.

And, to be perfectly honest, it wasn’t a completely selfless act.  I did manage to combine four of my favorite ingredients into one awesome sandwich cookie.  Let’s hear it for oatmeal, espresso, sea salt, and Nutella.

Prepare for cookie action.  Softened butter, sugars, oatmeal, egg, flour, espresso powder.

Put it all together.  You know the drill.  Cream the butter and sugar, add an egg, finish with dry ingredients.

Roll your dough into uniform balls.  Normally, I’m not too precise, but today I’m going to sandwich these cookies so I want them to be fairly similar in size.  Press and flatten dough balls.  I’m going to sprinkle mine with some flaky sea salt because I like my sweets a little salty and my savories a little sweet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake, cool.  You could stop right here, grab the milk, and  get down to cookie eating…

…or you could be like me and get a little cookie-kooky.  I’m about to define the term “gilding the lily”.

Ahhh…my cookie fantasy, come to life.  What a world.

 

Salted Espresso- Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies with Nutella Cream
 
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These cookies are delicious with or without the Nutella filling.
Author:
Serves: about 24 cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 c. All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 tsp. Espresso Powder
  • ¾ tsp. Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp. Baking Soda
  • ½ tsp. Salt
  • 14 Tbsp. (1¾ sticks) Butter, softened
  • ½ c. Granulated Sugar
  • ½ c. Light Brown Sugar
  • 1 large Egg
  • 1 tsp. Vanilla
  • 2½ c. Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
  • Flaky Sea Salt (optional), to taste
    For the Filling
  • 3 Tbsp. Butter, softened
  • ⅓ c. Nutella (chocolate- hazelnut spread)
  • ⅓ c. Powdered Sugar
  • 1 tsp. Espresso Powder
  • pinch Sea Salt
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment.
  2. Combine flour, 1 tsp. espresso powder,baking soda, baking powder, and ½ tsp. salt in medium bowl.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add egg and vanilla, beat to combine.
  4. On low speed, slowly add dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Stir in oats.
  5. Form 1 Tbsp. balls of dough and flatten slightly with juice glass. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before sandwiching.
  6. For the filling- Whip together butter, Nutella, powdered sugar, espresso powder, and pinch of salt until light and fluffy. Spread filling on bottoms of half the batch of cookies and place another cookie on top to sandwich.