Oatmeal cookies with cranberries and almonds

Who doesn't love oatmeal cookies! That delicious cookie, slightly crunchy on the outside and softer in the middle. Raisins or other dried fruit add even more chewiness and nuts give that extra bite. In New York, I ate a cookie like this every morning for breakfast. Upon returning home, I set out to find an original recipe for this all-time classic. None other than my dear friend Elvan from Geneva came to my rescue with her recipe. What makes her oatmeal cookies stand out? The cranberries, toasted almonds and a white chocolate topping.

Can't wait to taste Elvan's oatmeal cookies with cranberries and almonds? Then you're in luck. Elvan was generous enough to share her recipe with you in this blog.

Some tips for chewy cookies

White flour gives a nicer result. The more gluten, the less the cookies flatten out and the softer they stay inside. I often use part whole wheat or small spelt flour, but that makes the cookies a bit drier and crispier. In the recipe, you can replace half of the wheat flour with whole wheat flour. Heirloom variety wheat flour of 85% also produces nice results.

Resist the temptation to turn up the temperature of the oven. When the cookies bake slowly, they retain the moisture in the dough and the center remains softer.

You can use white sugar, but brown sugar gives more chewiness. I recommend muscovado sugar. Muscovado is made from unrefined cane sugar and contains molasses. This gives a taste of licorice to the cookies. The moisture content of muscovado is also much higher than regular brown sugar.

Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for half an hour. It retains its moisture better that way and you can shape the cookies easier.

Ingredients

125 g unpeeled almonds
250 g butter at room temperature
100 g brown sugar
2 eggs
150 g wheat flour
75 g oat flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
150 g rolled oats
125 g dried cranberries
Zest of 1 untreated orange
250 g white chocolate chips for finishing

Elvan's oatmeal cookies

Preheat the oven to 160°C (with warm air circulation) for the almonds. After roasting, increase the oven to 170°C.

You will need a stand or hand mixer.

Step 1: toasting the almonds

Spread the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and then place it in the oven. After 10 minutes they are toasted. Let the almonds cool down and coarsely chop them.
Step 2: making cookie dough

First, beat the butter until fluffy along with the brown sugar. Add one whole egg and mix until it is completely incorporated into the butter mixture. Only now add the second egg. Continue beating for 1 minute.

Mix the two types of flour with the baking powder and salt. Turn the mixer on low speed and add the flour mixture to the contents of the mixing bowl. When your dough is well combined, add the almonds, oat flakes, cranberries and orange zest.
Step 3: baking cookies

Roll out the dough to a thickness of 7 to 8mm. Take your favorite cookie cutter and cut out rounds no larger than 7cm. You can put the dough together again and again until you have none left.

Meanwhile, your oven is at 170°C. Place the dough rounds on a baking sheet lined with baking paper or a silicone mat. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes until they are lightly golden. They should not turn dark. Let them cool on a rack and bake the next batch of cookies.
Step 4: finishing

Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave or au bain-marie, which is in a small bowl over near-boiling water. Pour the chocolate into a piping bag, cut off a small tip and make a striped pattern of white chocolate over the cookies. Let the topping set.

In the mood for another sweet treat? Then try my pastel de nata.

Pastel de nata, a creamy Portuguese pastry