Oatmeal Raisin

This blog entry was inspired by an article I came across on OneForTheTable.com written by Marilyn Naron.  Naron’s comment and main point was that “there are as many oatmeal secrets in America as there are splattered recipe cards.” And this got me wondering: what sort of  incredibly tasty oatmeal cookie secrets do my family and friends have? I have always enjoyed my oatmeal cookie with raisins and lots of cinnamon and nutmeg, but I have decided to take a personal poll (the results of which are still pending) to see what flavor combinations I might be missing out on!

Pacific Cookie Company's Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

In the meantime, here are Naron’s 25 ways to make a better oatmeal cookie.

1. Add extra cinnamon and chocolate chunks
2. Add dried cherries, crystallized ginger and a dash of powdered ginger
3. Add chopped dried pineapple and toasted coconut
4. Add finely chopped granny smith apple
5. Add dried currants plumped in orange juice, and the zest of one orange
6. Add chopped toffee bits and toasted almond slices
7. Add dried wild blueberries and nutmeg
8. Add chocolate chips and pecan halves
9. Add white chocolate chips and toasted walnuts
10. Add a few handfuls of any Trader Joe’s trail mix
11. Add a tablespoon of powdered espresso and cocoa nibs
12. Add chopped dried pears and white chocolate chunks
13. Add chopped candied orange peel
14. Add dried cranberries and pumpkin pie spice
15. Add chocolate chunks and salted peanuts
16. Add grated raw carrot and toasted walnuts
17. Add chopped dates and toasted coconut
18. Add chocolate chips, chopped walnuts & mini-marshmallows
19. Add about a cup of Rice Krispies cereal
20. Chocolate-Dipped: Bake jumbo cookies and allow to cool. Cut cookies into quarters and dip each pointed end in melted semi-sweet chocolate. Allow chocolate to set, and serve.
21. Oatmeal Black and Whites: bake large oatmeal cookies and cool. Make chocolate and white icings (try these icing recipes). Frost one half of each cookie with dark icing, and the other half with white.
22. Oatmeal Faux Macarons: make small, puffy oatmeal cookies and sandwich two with chocolate ganache. Allow ganache to set, and serve.
23. Orange-Glazed Oatmeal Cookies: make a light glaze by mixing 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons orange juice, and pinch of grated orange zest. Drizzle over cookies and allow to dry.
24. Oatmeal Cookie Dip: Bake mini oatmeal cookies, and make chocolate yogurt dip: whisk one cup vanilla yogurt with one tablespoon of cocoa powder and one tablespoon brown sugar. Chill for an hour, then serve with cookies and fresh strawberries.
25. Brandied Cherry Oatmeal Ice Cream Sandwiches: soak dried cherries in brandy and drain. Add to oatmeal dough; bake jumbo cookies and cool. Sandwich with good-quality cherry ice cream and freeze.

Happy Baking!

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