Saturday, January 7, 2012

Blueberry Oaties

It is a new year and like everyone else, I'm thinking healthy, especially in my baking.  I started with the idea of an oatmeal cookie and from there I pumped up the fiber with ground flax seed and added dried blueberries instead of raisins or chocolate chips for their anti oxidant properties. 

Oats have been around since 1000 B.C. in Central Europe and was brought to North America in 1600s.  They were planted on Elizabeth Island, off the Massachusetts coast as well as, up and down the eastern seaboard, and used mostly to feed livestock and make a porridge or gruel.  In 1901, the Quaker Oats Company put a recipe for oatmeal cookies on their box and the rest is history...so to speak.  Oatmeal cookies were part of my childhood and remains one of family's favorite.  It's one of those cookies that provides a base for your creativity to add other ingredients to change the taste.

Flax seed has been an attention getter for it's healthful properties--delivering high soluble fiber and can even lower bad cholesterol.  Adding it to your baked goods doesn't alter the flavor, but can certainly make a better snack choice.

Blueberry Oaties
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Butternut flavoring (optional) 
1/3 cup ground Flax seed
1 1/2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups Old-fashioned Oatmeal
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup dried Blueberries

Preheat oven to 350F-degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
In a bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until light--about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the flavorings and beat again.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low to combine, then, add the blueberries and mix on medium until thoroughly combined. 

Use a 2-tablespoon size scoop to portion out the dough onto the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies.  Press the tops slightly to flatten.
Bake in preheated oven 12 minutes or until brown and completely cooked in the center.
Let cool about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, before transferring to a rack to cool completely.  Makes about 2 dozen--3-inch cookies.

As I was baking them, I turned around to see a little hand take a cookie.  Ari said, "I try them??"  Of course, they're good for him and he doesn't even know it.  Enjoy!

7 comments:

  1. These look really good! I love the recipe on the oatmeal package too.... had a version of them last year at an open house with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. They were yummy!
    Fun to bake when you have somebody special to taste test for you! I'm sure Ari loved them!
    DeniseB

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  2. oatmeal cookies are one of my favorites.
    stamping sue
    http://stampingsueinconnecticut.blogspot.com/

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  3. Hope you are feeling better and these sounds simply delicious!

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  4. Love dried blueberries! These sound great and a welcome change from raisins. Glad to see you're feeling better and back baking!!

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  5. OH MAN OH MAN - Ari and Mimi in the kitchen - now THAT is a site!

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  6. Hello my lovely friend~!

    A happy new year to you...I have missed that you have been ill..my goodness I hope you are feeling better. I have had a month of crazy busy family... I hope all went well for you. I just brought fresh blueberries this morning so what a treat to bake for the children. I have never seen dried ones here. I will have to dehydrate some!

    Let me know how you are when you get a chance.

    Love you
    Suzanne
    X

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  7. The last line in this post reminds me of something I do when the children and grandchildren are all gathered with me. When the first batch of cookies and even a coffee cake comes out of the oven, I pass around a cookie or piece of cake, asking if it passes "the taste test". We all laugh....and with approval from the group, I am pleased to serve it later on. You have the best recipes. Right now I am looking for some using oatmeal. The cookies, in the above post, are the winner ! By the way, I wrote a post on Dec. 3rd, showing my granddaughter helping me make cookies. Sending love to you, my dear friend.

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