I named these cookies Goldilocks’ Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies because after many tries these are just right. I wanted an oatmeal cookie made with whole grain spelt flour because it’s a lot healthier. The trick, however, is that spelt flour doesn’t necessarily bake cup for cup with white flour.

When making the first batch, I adapted this recipe from Thomas Keller and the cookies were too wet. Goldilocks said, “this cookie is too wet, too buttery, too sweet.” They flattened out and she likes her cookies puffy, and chewy. I did some nerdy baking research and discovered that spelt flour doesn’t absorb liquid in the same way white does and, thus, the flat cookie, which tasted good, but wasn’t what I was looking for. On the second batch, I thought I would be clever and add in more spelt flour. I added too much and Goldilocks said, “this cookie is too dry.” Even the kids wouldn’t eat them. On the third batch, I simply added in one more tablespoons of spelt flour, decreased the sugar and Goldilocks said, “these are just right.” She ate them all, leaving Mama Bear and Papa Bear with no oatmeal cookies, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

Baking with Spelt Flour

Spelt is an ancient grain, with a hard husk that protects it from bugs and the need for pesticides. Even if a person isn’t wheat sensitive, spelt is a healthy choice to consider, as it is higher in protein, easier to digest, higher in fiber and has many other benefits that make it a better choice than wheat.

Unlike wheat, in which the gluten gets stronger as you mix it, the gluten in spelt gets weaker. It takes a little practice to cook and bake with, because typically our frame of reference comes from working with wheat. It’s naturally darker (unlike bleached white wheat) and naturally nuttier.

If you substitute it cup for cup, don’t expect the same results. Although spelt flour is higher in protein than wheat flour, it tends to spread out more as it doesn’t absorb liquid the way white flour does. To correct this, I added a little more flour to the mixture, which worked out well. In other baking products (cakes, muffins) I would decrease the liquid a bit.

I like baking and cooking with spelt. Recently I perfected my spelt pancake recipe here.

So how do they taste? What I love about these cookies is that before you actually bite into the chewy oatmeal cookie, you smell it. They are full of cinnamon and once it has baked with the butter, it smells heavenly.

I especially love the texture. These are more oats than flour which along with brown sugar adds to the chewiness, but they are not dry. If you want the original recipe which I adapted from Thomas Keller, using white flour and more sugar and dried cherries, go here. For another healthy twist on oatmeal cookies you might like these made with dried plums and rosemary, go here. 

Tell me, what’s your favorite way to eat oatmeal cookies?

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Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Made with Spelt Flour

Oatmeal cookies made with Spelt Flour, Golden Raisins, the best oatmeal cookie I've ever eaten.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 33 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon whole grain spelt flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 11 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature (154 grams) (see notes)
• 1 egg /
• 1-1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats (do not use instant
• 1 cup golden raisins

Instructions

• Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt together in a bowl set aside.
• Cream butter at medium speed.
• Cream the sugar with the butter until well incorporated.
• Add the egg.
• Add the vanilla.
• Add in the oats, mix well. Normally, one would add the flour mixture first, but spelt flour should not be over mixed, as the cookies will get tough. After adding the oat, add the flour mixture.
• Add in raisins.
• Bake at 350 for 18 minutes, (depending on what size cookies are). Check cookies at 15 minutes.

Notes

One of the readers here added 1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and loved them.

The post Goldilocks’s Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Made with Spelt Flour appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

A few months ago the Hunger Games premiered, and the food in the movie was almost as talked about as the characters. If you’re a foodie or a food blogger,  the series is worth reading just for the food aspect.

The main character, Katniss, fell in love with lamb stew made with dried plums. Every time she ate it, I felt happy for her, as much of her life, she went hungry.

I created a recipe for that stew,  based on the two ingredients and entered it into a contest, for Stapleton’s. I won judges’s choice and part of the prize was a case of dried plums.

Beautiful dried plums, but lots of them. Not your grandmother’s jarred slimy prunes, but chewy, moist, rich dried plums.

So far, this is the first recipe I’ve made with them.  I added some chopped rosemary because the lamb stew had rosemary and I wanted to repeat the flavors a bit and make a grown-up cookie.

The proof of how good these were was their disappearance the day I took them to the pool. I almost laughed watching the kids eat one after another,  because these are high fiber cookies, not very sweet with more grown up taste.

They travel well because they don’t leave crumbs,  and there is no chocolate to melt in our southern heat. This is the cookie to take on an airplane or long car ride to keep everyone in a good mood.

Stapleton’s California Gourmet d’Agen Pitted Prunes or Dried Plums contain no preservatives or added sugar.

I didn’t have to give them a shout out, but I truly believe in their product. These are good for a quick snack, chewy, moist, and only 25 calories each.

I’m looking for some more dried plum recipes, and if you have any, please send them my way or leave a link.

Tell me have you ever won an on-line cooking contest and with what recipe?

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Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Plums and Rosemary

A twist on the classic oatmeal cookie, adding dried plums also known as prunes and rosemary for a high fiber, grown up cookie, kids love too.(adapted from generic rolled oats box).

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Total Time 33 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups oats
• 1 3/4 spelt flour can use all-purpose, or whole wheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 cup dried plums finely chopped

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Mix together in separate bowl flour, baking powder, salt, rosemary.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
• Add in dried plums. Mix well.
• Drop onto baking sheet by the tablespoon.
• Bake for 18 minutes. Cookies may appear soft.
• Let cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before removing or they will fall apart.
• Store in plastic container or cookie tin.

The post Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Plums and Rosemary appeared first on Spinach Tiger.