German Oatmeal Cookies

 

German Oatmeal Cookies
(Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 94.

One of our favorite cookies are the ones from the Quaker Oats oatmeal box. These are very similar but there are a few differences. They include dates and chocolate chips as well as some additional spices. They are soft and dense cookies and very tasty. The chocolate chips are a great addition and I would almost add more chips, especially if you are a chocolate lover.

1 cup raisins
Boiling Water
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped
2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1/3 cup water
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Makes 48 cookies

Preheat oven to 400. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. 

Boil a cup of water in a small sauce pan and pour the water over the raisins. Let is set for five minutes. Drain the raisins. Save 1/3 of the water to use later.

 Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and allspice together. Set aside.

 Cream the butter -

Add the sugar, beating well -

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well -

Add the dates and the raisins -

Add the oatmeal -

Add the 1/3 cup of water that was used for the raisins (only 1/3 cup!) -

On low speed, add the sifted dry ingredients -

 

Add the chocolate chips and pecans -

 

Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of the dough and place them on the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart

If you want, you can place a whole pecan on top of each cookie (I didn't do this).

Bake for 12-14 minutes, reversing the pans halfway through for even browning. Bake until the cookies are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed.

Transfer to a cooling rack.

Plum Coffee Cake (a non-Maida recipe)

 

This is not a Maida Heatter recipe but it turned out so good, I wanted to share. I could not find any recipes in Maida's books for plums. A member of the family who owns the nursery where I work has a fantastic vegetable garden and he brings wonderful things (corn!) in to share with employees. It is the time of year for these delicious plums and he has presented us with two boxes full during the past two weeks. A customer and I were discussing them and she shared this recipe. It is wonderful and I would think that you could substitute apples, peaches or just about any fruit if you don't have plums.

Cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon zest

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (softened)

2 large eggs

8-10 plums (about 1 lb.), pitted and sliced

Streusel Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (softened)

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper. Spray or butter the paper and the sides of the pan.

 

Whisk together the flour and the baking powder in a mixing bowl.

On low speed, add the sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and lemon zest. Beat for 2 minutes until well combined.

The batter will be sticky. Carefully spread it over the bottom of the springform pan. (I find that coating a spatula with cooking spray helps).

Arrange the sliced plums over the dough in a spiral pattern. Set aside.

 

 

Make the streusel topping:

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter and beat until it becomes crumbly.

Spread the topping evenly over the plums.

 

 

Bake for 45-50 minutes. If the top hasn't browned, turn the oven to the broiler setting for 5 more minutes.

After removing from the oven, let it sit on a wire rack for 15 minutes before running a knife around the perimeter of the pan and releasing the sides. Cool completely.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy