Ultimate Chocolate Cookie Book - Bruce Weinstein [49]
Omit the raisins and substitute 1 cup of any of the following, or a combination, in their place: chopped dates, chopped dried apricots, chopped dried figs, chopped dried pears, chopped dried strawberries, dried blueberries, dried cherries, or dried cranberries.
CHOCOLATE OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
These chocolate cookies are made with oats and raisins mixed right into the dough. If you’re looking for chewy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, see the Soft Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (page 209). The cookies need a little mothering as they bake—but the results are more intense than traditional oatmeal cookies and quite fudgy.
MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN COOKIES
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons cool, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus additional for buttering the baking sheets
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups rolled oats (do not use quick-cooking oats)
11/2 cups raisins
1. Position the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter two large baking sheets; set aside. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside as well.
2. Place the chopped chocolate in the top half of a double boiler set over about an inch of simmering water, or in a medium bowl that fits tightly over a medium saucepan without about the same amount of simmering water. Stir until half the chocolate melts, taking care not to let any steam condense into the chocolate. Remove from the heat and continue stirring until the chocolate has completely melted. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.
3. Soften the butter in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, about 1 minute. Add both kinds of sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then the melted, cooled chocolate until smooth. Turn off the mixer, add the prepared flour mixture, and beat at a very low speed just until incorporated. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the oats and raisins just until evenly distributed.
4. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the mounds about 2 inches apart. Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking for 4 more minutes. At this point, use a heat-safe rubber spatula or the back of a tablespoon to flatten the cookies slightly—just press down and make them more traditionally shaped. Continue baking for about 2 more minutes, or until the cookies have a somewhat firm, filmy crust on their tops, much like the layer of dried sand along the tidal shoreline of a beach, but the cookies themselves are still quite soft to the touch. Cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Cool the sheets for 5 more minutes and lightly butter them again before baking additional batches.
Recommended storage
4 days at room temperature between sheets of wax paper
3 months in the freezer
More Choices!
Chocolate Oatmeal Apricot Pistachio Cookies: Substitute 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots and 3/4 cup chopped unsalted pistachios for the raisins.
Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Almond Cookies: Substitute 3/4 cup dried cranberries and 3/4 cup slivered almonds for the raisins.
Chocolate Oatmeal Date Pecan Cookies: Substitute 3/4 cup chopped pitted dates and 3/4 cup chopped pecan pieces for the raisins.
Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cashew Cookies: Reduce the raisins to 3/4 cup; add 3/4 cup chopped roasted unsalted cashews with the remaining raisins.
Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies: Reduce the raisins to 3/4 cup; add 3/4 cup chopped walnut pieces with the remaining raisins.
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BULL’S-EYES
You’ll need to make two doughs for these colorful cookies: the chocolate part is rich and sweet; the peanut butter part is soft, creamy and a little salty. You create a bull’s-eye out of the two doughs by rolling them into incrementally