These cookies are my new favorite non chocolate cookie. Seriously crispy yet textured with nutty nuts, sweet white chocolate, oatmeal and tart cranberries – all I can do from eating them is to give them away! I just gave some to Karen – well, to her 14 year-old student (visiting from France) who broke his arm last night -hoping to cheer him up. Let’s hope so because these are so good. The salt on the top (I use Maldon) brings out all the other flavors and really is such a great counterpart to the white chocolate. The nuts and cranberries too…try to include it all (or opt for dried tart cherries — that would be delicious too.) Please please don’t skimp on your white chocolate. Purchase high quality chocolate – like Callebaut, Guittard, Ghirardelli or Valrhona. All great choices and cut some into small chunks and some into slivers so that the chocolate is scattered throughout the batter. So good – perfect for a fall day. Enjoy –
pecan, cranberry, white chocolate, oatmeal cookies (slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen):
1cup 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 chopped white chocolate (again, high quality!)
1/2 -3/4 cup toasted, chopped pecans (to taste)dashes of sea salt – I like Maldon – but you can use another…
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pull butter and eggs – so that they might come to room temp.
Place pecans on sheet pan and bake for about 7-9 minutes. Remove and chop. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the oatmeal and mix to combine. Add the pecans, white chocolate and cranberries and again – mix to combine.
With the paddle attachment of your mixer, beat the butter on medium high speed until lighter and fluffy – add the sugar and continue to mix until light. Add the brown sugar and mix to combine.
On medium speed, add the egg and then the vanilla extract.
Remove butter from bowl and scrape into large bowl with all the remaining ingredients. Use your (clean) hands to mix all together.
Drop onto parchment lined cookie sheets (btw – make whatever size you would like. I did mini ones for an event, and big ones for the family) — just vary your cooking time. You can roll into balls for pretty and even cookies then gently press down on each one to about 3/4 of an inch.
Bake until golden brown. Rotate the pans front to back and bottom to top after 8 minutes or so – then keep checking until done — 13-16 minutes -but more or less depending on the size of the cookie.
Enjoy!
