oatmeal cookies, for reading

Oatmeal cookies, in all their lumpy nooks-and-cragginess make me think of old libraries and crowded bookshelves (I have some screencaps of my favourite book-ish scenes for you below). It’s an odd association, but they seem to be the right cookie for reading dusty hardcovers or thick block-ish softcovers.

As I’ve rambled about before, I hardly read anymore. So while I think these cookies are best with a novel, odds are that I’ll usually settle for a textbook. This summer I’m hoping to do some reading and overall it hasn’t been a bad year.

Book, book, play. Funny Face, Le Hérrison, The Royal Tenenbaums (image sources: 1, 2, 3)

I’ve been working on the well-written The Adventures of Cavalier and Klay by Michael Chabon (which is about comics and some form of The American Dream). It’s taken me a while to get into it, but I think I finally am. Recently I finished reading the beautifully written All the Light That We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, which is a nearly solid amalgamate of metaphor and simile, and yet you never get tired of them. I also just soared through a YA novel, Games Wizards Play by Diane Duane. I started reading the series over ten years ago, which gives you some idea of how long the series has stretched on for. It was one of my favourites (and still is–it combines sci fi and fantasy and is just so optimistic and benevolent and I think most of the books are perfect.) The intergalactic ethics and the moral efforts of the main characters has a bit of a Doctor Who sort of appeal.

Happy reading!

oatmeal cookies with dried fruit

• Servings: 10 large cookies
• Print

Makes around 12 big chunky cookies. Adapted from the back of the oats package.

• 6 dried pitted medjool dates, cut crosswise into rounds
• 50g dried cherries
• 50g dried apricots, quartered
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
• 125g dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 90g whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves or allspice
• 100g quick oats
• 50g rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 325F. If your dried fruit is quite dry, cover it with boiling water and set aside to plump while you make the cookies.

Cream the butter with the sugar, then beat in the egg, vanilla, salt. Separately, whisk together the flour, spices and baking soda. Mix into the butter, then mix in the oats. Finally, drain the fruit, pat dry and mix into the dough.

Portion the dough using a 1/4 cup measure into 10 generously sized cookies. Evenly space apart on 2 baking sheets and press to flatten with your fingers.

Bake until the bottoms and edges are browned, 13-15 minutes. Once they have firmed up, transfer to a rack to finish cooling.

Update notes: Images and recipe updated slightly April 2021.