Oatmeal, Pecan, Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is yet another recipe that I ripped off of smittenkitchen.com. I have been using it as a default cookie recipe for almost a year. I made them to give to our best man and then I made them again after Yong complained that there were no cookies left. The second time I used half macadamia nuts because I ran out of pecans. They were still good.

I found that the bigger you make the cookies, the chewier they are. I didn't use any orange zest but it's good with it. I made them with orange zest last father's day and mailed them to my dad--my sister said he ate them all in a couple of days. They are also good with a little extra coarse salt.



Makes about 3 dozen cookies

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2 cups chopped pecans
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment or a Silpat (nonstick baking mat).

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla, and beat until well mixed, about three minutes.

3. Stir in eggs, one at a time.

4. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove in a separate bowl.

5. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter with the mixer on low speed. Once the flour has been incorporated, add the second half.

6. Stir in the oats, pecans, orange zest, and chocolate chips.


7. Drop the dough, by the tablespoon, onto the cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.




8. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on a rack. Store at room temperature in a cookie jar or other airtight container.

Documentary of Failure: Strawberry and Rhubarb Tart

My CuisineArt 11 cup food processor came in the mail while I was visiting Indiana. I was looking around for a tasty first recipe to make with it. Fruit is starting to come into season. I have had some great strawberries this month so I started looking around for a pie recipe. I found this semi-healthy recipe from eatingwell.

It was pretty complicated and it came out tasting just alright. I realize it's meant to be healthy so I wasn't expecting it to taste amazing but it really wasn't worth the time and effort to me. I wouldn't make this again but it might be helpful to someone who is diabetic or watching their weight so I'll leave it up.

The crust was particularly hard to work with. No matter how I adjusted the oil/flour combination it still came out crumbly. I had to mash it into a cake pan. The crust was really thick and hard even though I tried to roll it as thinly as I could. Using oat flour instead of grinding the steel cut oats might make it more uniform?


Filling

* 2 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb
* 3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced, divided
* 1/4 cup sugar, or Splenda Granular (see Ingredient note)
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
* 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
* 1 tablespoon cold water
* 3 tablespoons red currant jelly

Crust

* 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
* 3 tablespoons 1% milk
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons canola oil

Preparation



1. To prepare filling: Combine rhubarb, 1 cup strawberries, sugar (or Splenda) and lemon zest in a large nonreactive saucepan. Let stand for 20 minutes (35 minutes if rhubarb is frozen). Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

Cook, stirring often, until the rhubarb is tender but still holds its shape, 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, stir cornstarch and water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir into the simmering fruit. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is clear and very thick, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate until chilled.
3. To prepare crust & assemble tart: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray.
4. Spread oats in a small baking dish and bake, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool. Place the oats in a food processor and process until finely ground.


5. Combine milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Whisk the ground oats, flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Drizzle oil onto the dry ingredients and stir with a fork or your fingers until crumbly. Use a fork to stir in the milk mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes together.
6. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead 7 to 8 times. Roll the dough out to an 11-inch circle, dusting with flour if necessary. Transfer to the prepared pan, pressing to fit. Trim the edges.



7. Line the tart shell with a piece of foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the tart shell until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove weights and foil or paper and bake until lightly browned, 8 to 12 minutes more. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

8. Shortly before serving, spread the strawberry-rhubarb filling evenly into the tart shell. Arrange the remaining 2 cups strawberries decoratively over the filling.


9. Heat jelly in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. With a pastry brush, glaze the strawberries with the jelly.

Per serving : 185 Calories; 4 g Fat; 0 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 0 mg Cholesterol; 30 g Carbohydrates; 3 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 115 mg Sodium; 211 mg Potassium