Soaked Oatmeal Cookies Pt. 1

This is a NT-Style adaptation of Martha Stewart's fabulous "Oatmeal Raisin Cookies"....

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Any dried fruit can be substituted for the raisins. Be sure the cookies are completely cool before storing in an airtight container.
INGREDIENTS Makes about 3 dozen. 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup packed light-brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 3 tablespoons milk 2 large eggs 3 cups old-fashioned oats 1 cup raisins	DIRECTIONS In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter with both sugars, and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, milk, and eggs, and mix well. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Remove bowl from the electric mixer, and stir in oats and raisins. Place dough in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. Scoop out 2 tablespoons of dough, and shape into a ball; place on one of the prepared sheets. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing balls 3 inches apart. Press down to flatten into 2-inch diameters. Transfer to the oven, and bake until golden but still soft in center, 16 to 18 minutes, rotating the pans between oven shelves halfway through baking. Remove from oven, and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week First published Copyright 2009 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ok, so obviously I had to try to change a few things... and I'm seriously interested in your input in case you have other ideas on how to convert these even more....(like "can you really just use rapadura instead of Brown Sugar?" Seems like a texture issue...)

• I used Sprouted Soft White Wheat Wheat (freshly ground) that I order from Azure.
• I used Craisins (gotta use them up, then when they are in season I plan to make my own!) sad to say I bought at Costco.
• I ground the cinnamon fresh (in the coffee grinder, after cleaning!) I got it from Azure, not organic.
• I made my own Vanilla (it's SUPER easy!
• My eggs are farm fresh (Healthy Family Farms) & a tad on the smaller side this week, but I figured that was better because of the extra liquid on the oats...
• 2 nights prior, I soaked the oats in the smallest amount of buttermilk I could to just "wet" them. (Homemade RAW Buttermilk & Organic Oats, of course!) This way they were not sopping wet, just a tad fluffier than when originally dry.
• I omitted the milk. (But the Buttermilk was made from Organic Pasture's Raw Whole Milk.)
• I also added Crispy Pecans, about 1/2 cup, chopped. (From Azure)

I put in tupperware & refrigerated overnight...
Another thing I like to do (if I have the time, like on a Saturday morning) is to drop the cookie dough onto a sheet pan, covered with my precious Silpat or Parchment as if I'm going to bake them. Cover tightly in plastic wrap (optional I guess) & freeze. Once frozen, I put the frozen balls of dough in to Food-saver bags & vacuum pack (quickly) and re-freeze. (Don't forget to label it so you know where to find the baking instructions!)

I'll have to do a Part 2 to let you know how they come out...

Stay Tuned! (Ain't I a tease?)

**Update**

I baked a dozen on 2 separate occasions & the flavor is great, but they are super soft & crumbly.... So after some research & consultations with other bakers, I've determined to try it again, this time adding 1 more egg & more flour. Stay tuned to another update...

New Toys!!

Ok, I'm just bursting to share & who better to share these things with than YOU?   I've been so busy that I am SO far behind on my blogging!  

Last weekend I got a used Chest Freezer off Craiglist for agood price, it's almost liek new & works great!  It's about 4 ft wide, I think it's about 14 cubic ft...?  Anyhoo, it works GREAT!  I was so excited to transfer everything to it from my small stand up freezer & the tiny one in the house!  It looked very nice & organized for about 5 minutes! Naw, just kidding, it's still looking pretty good, I just REALLY need to get a 'working inventory list' going & stick with it so I always know what's in it!  See in the top left corner?  That's the Kitchen Aid ice cream maker attachment I just got last week (WHAT???  I had a gift card!)  So far I've tried an all RAW creamy Peach Ice Cream, Peach Sorbet & Strawberry Sorbet, I love that I can use honey in them!  Now I just need a source for raw goat's milk & I can give Laloo's a run for their money!  EIGHT DOLLARS a pint at Whole Foods (and ya can't get it anywhere else locally!) I don't think so! 

On Wednesday I received my Kitchen Mill!  I already used it! ;)

On Friday I noticed sprouts in my garden that I just seeded in the last 2 weeks!  YIPEE!

Today I received my dehyrator!   You can buy from Excalibur directly, I got a Refurbished model, because they come with a 10 yr warranty & the lower price on it allowed me to get the bigger, better model.  It has 9 trays!   I also got some of those Paraflexx sheets for it, so I will working on some Fruit leathers & stuff like that! 

I knew it was coming so I had wheat berries ready for it!

The Garden Update

Goodness how things have changed!  I planted tomatoes before the trip, and while I was away, Tami & Terrie (good garden fairies) came over & planted some cucumber & other seedlings in that same box. (See above)  So that was fun to come home to! ;)

Since being home, I've been VERY busy trying implement the rest of the plan.   I had to fill & seed the Right box & we are still working on the watering & timer set up...for now we have to do it manually each evening...ugh...

Today I working on building mounds in front of the smaller boxes along my wall.   It was a beautiful morning!  But man was I sweaty!  The idea is that lots more things can be grown outside the boxes too!  So I built some tiers, so we'll have lots of 'edge space' for things like strawberries...and then taller things like onion & chives will be behind them - cool huh!?

 

This is the left box, when it was first built & Joe attached it to the wall!  Then he lined it with landscaping paper so my precious dirt (hey, I had to PAY for it!) wouldn't sneak out the cracks...

The same Left box after being filled with dirt & grapes!

Today, after I made the tiered mounds... I'll be planting onion, chives & strawberries on them!  Oh, and notice the beautiful trellis?  My wonderful Joe borrowed a friend's truck to bring those home from work where he discovered them in the dumpster!  FREE!

Isn't that AWESOME???

Ok, one more brag about my JoeBacon, he is going to let me (that sounds so wrong somehow!  I bring home the bacon too, you know! ;)  But we are trying to be more careful about where our money goes & get a handle on our debt, etc... so in light of that) he is OK with me spending money on: an electric grain mill & a super cool dehrydrator!!  I know, you're all got them already, but this is HUGE for me!  I'm so excited!  I was gonna say nanny nanny boo boo, but being the mature grown up woman that I am, I will graciously accept your congratulations.

** grin **