Kids' Choice Chip & Fruit Oatmeal Cookies
(a.k.a. Cranberry Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Drops...)
Kids and cookies go together like - well, like kids and just about anything sweet. Given kids' affinity for sugar, you might as well temper it with some of the "good stuff" - in this case, oats with their soluble fiber, and whole wheat flour, with its extra vitamins, minerals, and bran. Trust us: the kids won't know they're getting anything "healthy" in their favorite cookie!
Read our blog about these cookies, with additional photos, at Bakers' Banter.
- 1/2 cup butter, right from the fridge, or at room temperature
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cider or white vinegar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspon baking soda
- 1 3/4 cups Unbleached King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
- 3 cups chips, chunks, dried fruit, and/or nuts of your choice
Directions
|
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets. |
|
1) In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, shortening, sugars, vanilla, salt, and vinegar. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Recipe summary
- Hands-on time:
- 10 mins. to 15 mins.
- Baking time:
- 12 mins. to 14 mins.
- Total time:
- 22 mins. to 29 mins.
- Yield:
- 4 1/2 dozen cookies
- Recipe comments (17) »
Tips from our bakers
- If you bake the cookies for 12 minutes; they'll be crunchy around the edges, with a slight bend at the center. If you bake for the full 14 minutes, till they're almost a light mahogany color, they'll be crisp/crunchy all the way through.
- For smaller cookies (great for smaller kids!), drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets, and bake for just slightly less time: 30 seconds to 1 minute less than the larger cookies. Yield: about 7 dozen 2" cookies.
- What's vinegar doing in a chocolate chip cookie recipe? Ah-HA! Vinegar is our secret weapon. It tempers cookies' sweetness just a tad, and reacts with the leavener to give them a bit more rise, making them lightly crunchy/chewy rather than hard.
- Want to make the dough now, freeze, and bake later? Scoop the dough in tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet; place them close together to save space. Cover the sheet with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for about 2 hours, till the dough balls are frozen. put the dough balls in a plastic freezer bag, removing the air as best you can. A drinking straw, inserted into the almost-closed bag, can be used to suck out air and effectively shrink-wrap the cookies. Keep frozen for up to a month before baking. When you're ready to bake, place as many dough balls as you like on a prepared baking sheet, and let them sit at room temperature while you preheat your oven to 350°F, for about 15 minutes. Bake partially thawed cookies for 15 to 17 minutes, till as brown as you like.
Reviews
09/02/2009
I've made these several times with various add in's. My latest batch was dried cranberries. coconut and mini chocolate chips. Fantastic cookies every time.
06/16/2009
Wonderful recipe. I think the vinegar makes the difference. I used dark brown sugar, and the dough has a wonderful flavor. It was great with dried cranberries, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips--I divided the dough and made some of each. I have been baking cookies for over 50 years and have many chocolate chip cookie recipes, but this one is the one I will use from now on. Thanks much!
04/09/2009
I just made this recipe and I love it! I used 2 Cups of chocolate chips, 1 Cup of mashed bananas (2 ripe bananas) and 1 Cup of dried cranberries. SUPER YUMMY! I'd have to say this has to be my most favorite cookie ever!!! But... I do wish it was maybe a little bit fluffier. I REALLY like the kind of cookies that crumble in your mouth and are almost muffin like... Hmmm....
03/17/2009
Amazing! This recipe tastes so good, you would not believe it is made with whole wheat and whole oats! Chewy and slightly crispy at edges, not greasy, even though shortening is called for. I used 1 1/2 C chocolate chips, and 1/2 C walnuts and it was just about the right amount of chunkiness. I've frozen some for later and will rate those later.
03/16/2009
The cookie flavor is terrific! But 3 cups of add-ins was too much. I found myself picking raisins and cranberries out of the dough. I'll try a total of 2 cups next time. The only reason I'm giving this recipe 4 stars instead of 5 is that I can't bring myself to give a top rating to a recipe that calls for vegetable shortening.
12/26/2008
By far the best choc chip cookies ever. Made them several times with various combos of craisins, raisins, walnuts and chips. I do walnut sized balls and press down slightly on cookie sheet and bake for 15 min. Perfection. Also form the same way and freeze and bag for later baking - then we can have fresh cookies at last minute. I did not have quick oats so put the reg oats in mini processor and it worked fine. I have been baking cc cookies for almost 50 years and this will be my main choc chip cookie recipe from now on. Thanks KAF - keep those recipes coming!
12/24/2008
I have been making choc chip cookies fro over 50 years and these are the best I have every made - I love that they have oatmeal and white whole wheat flour. I have used combos of raisins or craisins and chips and walnut - about 2 1/2 cups. Highly recommended - will be my go-to recipes from now on!
12/19/2008
Love these cookies. I didn't have white whole wheat flour, so I did half whole wheat and half AP and they were great. Actually, the second time I accidentally did all whole wheat and they were good, but not as great as the first time. I additionally always use old fashioned rolled oats (not quick cook).
12/19/2008
These cookies are wonderful. My husband likes chocolate chip cookies and I prefer oatmeal raisin, so this is a great combination. They are easy to make and taste fabulous.
11/20/2008
Not only were these cookies extremely tasty (I made date, cherry, pecan ones) the dough and the clean-up were finished in 14 minutes. Awesome recipe. I also used old fashioned oats and the results were great.
Bookmark/share
this recipe