Oatmeal cookies, the other part

The fall weather this weekend has me ready to jump straight into my favorite jeans (wow, they are tight after a summer of eating pastries), throw on a scarf and sit outside at my favorite coffee shops nibbling on coffee cake and sipping something caffeinated with spicy fall flavor, like a chai tea latte.

I am quickly reminded that it is still technically summer, by the 80-degree days that follow the 65-degree days, However, I'm stuck on fall pastries now, so we can explore, at least a little, the deeply complex flavors of fall in Sugar Lovin goodies.

While summer flavors tend to focus on fruits and the light, refreshing side of sweets, fall explores the depth of a late summer harvest and the headiness that a well placed spice can give a sweet treat. We'll begin with "fall-light" pastries. Something that can easily straddle both sides of the summer/fall fence based on the recipe you choose-an oatmeal cookie.

The summer side of an oatmeal cookie begins by adding a touch of honey and nixing those traditional raisins. With dried fruit abundantly available, you could easily go with apricots or cherries to give it a summery flair.

Try this recipe for a summery oatmeal cookie to help you transition to fall.

For the fall end of the spectrum, we go back to our traditional oatmeal raisin recipe. But this time, we are going to add some cinnamon and some cloves to amp up the seasonal flavor. Raisins, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and walnuts all go so very well in the fall version of this cookie.

Try this recipe for the fall version of the oatmeal cookie.

While we are talking about cookies, in general, we should probably discuss the fact that cookie bakeries are fast becoming the new cupcake bakery. Milk and Cookies in NYC and Cookie Bar in Chicago are showing us that specialty baking doesn't start and end with cupcakes. And if you'll notice, both places have the classic oatmeal raisin cookies, though Cookie Bar is taking oatmeal cookies in all kinds of fun places with their Red, White and Blue cookie and the Oatmeal Chili Mango Macadaemia cookie. 

Here in Pittsburgh, we don't have a cookie bakery per se, but we certainly have a few shops known for outrageously delicious cookies. Nancy B's in Homestead was rated the best chocolate chip cookie in all of Pittsburgh by Pittsburgh Magazine, but she also boasts a long menu of different cookies to try. I'd recommend her oatmeal raisin. It's pretty delicious.

While I would typically recommend avoiding the traditional bakeshops for cookies (Potomac Bakery and Prantl's come to mind- their cookies just aren't a point of focus and it shows), Bethel Bakery does do a pretty good job with most of their cookies. The oatmeal raisin is a solid choice.

Shockingly, Giant Eagle Market District does a nice oatmeal cookie. You can get oatmeal raisin, oatmeal cranberry, and more. They usually are fresh and have a nice buttery, spicy flavor.

Light and summery or spicy and delightful, an oatmeal cookie is a great place to start when beginning to explore the fall spectrum of Sugar Lovin goodies. We have many more fall items to explore this week, so stay tuned!

Giant Eagle Market District's Oatmeal Raisin Cookie on the Sugar Love Scale:
Taste ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Texture ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Appearance ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Overall ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Thoughts on a summery oatmeal cookie

Oatmeal cookies- not just with raisins and cinnamon any more! Try these summer oatmeal honey apricot cookies for a fun twist on a classic recipe. Then, when the wind gets chillier and you feel October really coming on, try my spicy oatmeal cranberry white chocolate cookies.

Summer Oatmeal Honey Apricot Cookies

Yield: About 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Unsalted butter

1/4 cup Butter flavor shortening ***

3/4 cup Packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp Molasses

1/4 cup Honey

2 Large eggs

1 tsp Vanilla

1 1/2 cup AP flour

1 tsp Salt

3/4 tsp Baking soda

3 cups Old fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups Chopped dried apricots

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter and shortening on medium until smooth. Beat in sugar, molasses and honey until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beat until smooth. Add in vanilla.

2. In large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda and oats. Slowly beat into butter mixture, in three additions. Add in chopped apricots and mix until well combined.

3. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop cookies (about 2 Tbsp a piece) onto baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges of cookies are set. Remove from oven and allow to rest on pans for 5 minutes before moving to wire rack to cool.

*** Why shortening and why butter flavor shortening?

I don't normally recommend using shortening in baking. However, with cookies, shortening does two things- it provides a very smooth texture and it increases the temperature at which the fats (the butter and shortening) in your cookies melt. This keeps your cookies from spreading too thin during baking and allows your cookies to stay chewy and soft.

I use butter flavor shortening to at least mimic the rich flavor of real butter since I'm using an otherwise flavorless, highly processed ingredient.

Don't worry, regular shortening will work too and if you only have butter and don't wish to use shortening, that's ok too. Just be prepared for a thinner cookie!

Thoughts on an autumnal oatmeal cookie

This spicy cranberry white chocolate oatmeal cookie is an update on the basic oatmeal raisin cookie. You can swap the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips for butterscotch chips and apple chips or raisins and walnuts or chocolate chunks with a raspberry drizzle.

Spicy Cranberry White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Unsalted butter

1/4 cup Butter flavor shortening***

3/4 cup Packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp Molasses

3/4 cup Granulated sugar

2 Large eggs

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1 tsp Salt

3/4 tsp Baking soda

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Ground cloves

3 cups Old fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups Dried cranberries

1 1/2 cups White chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter and shortening on medium until smooth. Add in brown sugar, molasses and granulated sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beat until smooth. Add in vanilla.

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and oats. Gradually add into butter mixture on low speed until just combined. Add in cranberries and white chocolate chips, mix until well combined.

3. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop cookies, about 2 Tbsp in size, onto baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are set. Allow to rest on baking sheets for 5 minutes before moving to wire rack to cool.

*** Why shortening and why butter flavor shortening?

I don't normally recommend using shortening in baking. However, with cookies, shortening does two things- it provides a very smooth texture and it increases the temperature at which the fats (the butter and shortening) in your cookies melt. This keeps your cookies from spreading too thin during baking and allows your cookies to stay chewy and soft.

I use butter flavor shortening to at least mimic the rich flavor of real butter since I'm using an otherwise flavorless, highly processed ingredient.

Don't worry, regular shortening will work too and if you only have butter and don't wish to use shortening, that's ok too. Just be prepared for a thinner cookie!