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Orange Oatmeal Crispies
Tips: I grew up on this recipe, so it's very special to
me. I think my Mom combined two other recipes to create the one
she used, which I have since modified. The combination of orange
and chocolate is a great one, and the oats add some chewiness. You
must use either old fashioned or quick-cooking oats; do not use
instant oatmeal! If you wish, you can add 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
or pecans to the dough along with the oats and chocolate. Naturally,
these are best when very fresh, but they can be stored airtight
at room temperature for a day; freeze for longer storage.
I tried using good-quality chocolate that I cut into chunks from
larger bars here, but I wasn't pleased with the result visually.
The chocolate tasted good, but the small bits and pieces that are
an inevitable result from chopping a larger bar of chocolate made
the cookies look less appetizing. If you don't mind that, by all
means use better chocolate! If you'd rather, however, you can use
good-quality chips or the pre-chopped chocolate chunks available
in bags in the baking section of your supermarket (these chunks
have very few small bits or pieces with them).
Ingredients:
- 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour (stirred with a fork before measuring)
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- Grated zest of 1/2 large, deep-colored orange (no white pith)
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 egg, graded "large"
- 2 Tbsp. orange juice
- 1-1/4 cups old fashioned OR quick-cooking oats
- 9 ounces (1-/1/2 cups) good-quality semisweet chips OR chunks
Line cookie sheets with foil, shiny side up (do not grease). Adjust
rack to center of oven; preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift together
flour, baking soda, and salt.
In large bowl, using a large spoon, cream together softened butter,
sugar, vanilla, and orange zest until light and fluffy. Beat in
egg. Stir in flour mixture and orange juice. Add oats and chocolate;
mix until chocolate chips/chunks are evenly distributed.
Drop by well-rounded teaspoons (not measuring teaspoons) onto lined
cookie sheets, allowing about 2 inches between each cookie (I place
12 cookies on a 15-1/2 by 10-1/2 inch sheet). Bake one sheet at
a time on center rack for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning sheet back-to-front
once about halfway through baking time. Edges of cookies should
be a light golden brown. Do not overbake!
Allow to stand on cookie sheets about 2 minutes before removing
to cooling racks. Cool completely before storing airtight or freezing.
Yield: 3-1/2 to 4 dozen cookies
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