After yesterday's partially successful but mostly overpowering and unpleasant espresso infusion, I had some leftover dried orange and nutmeg mixture. Unwilling to waste good flavour, I decided they would make an excellent modification to my previously published (on my ladyfriend's blog) and mildly overconfident Perfect Bailey's Oatmeal cookie recipe. I used a half cup of dried cranberries and a good teaspoon of the dried orange and nutmeg as optional additives.
They turned out pretty well! They were crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside and generally a joy to eat. Tonight's midnight snack will certainly be milk and cookies. Some fell apart on the cooling rack and will be used as ice cream topping.
Normally they should be allowed to cool for several minutes on the pan to ensure they stay together, however I was using a pizza stone to bake them. This means they would have burnt on the bottom or become crisp all the way through. Unconscionable! A few cookie fatalities are worth the even baking that the stone provides.
The initial flavour was an intense sweetness with a hit of bailey's. The cranberries add to the chewy texture in the mid chew and help keep the cookie moist. The orange and nutmeg emerge simultaneously in the finish with a swirling flourish that teases the palate before the inevitable next bite.
I love the balance of these cookies and their egg-less nature means guilt free cookie dough eating for the baker. If you make these, tell me of any variations you made in the comments and how they worked. Happy eating!
No comments:
Post a Comment