Oatmeal Gems Recipes

JOY OF COOKING'S OATMEAL COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sift (sifting is important!) flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg (its not in the recipe, but I add about 1/8-1/4 tsp of ground cloves, too) into a mixing bowl.
• Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla with a hand mixer at medium speed.
• Sift (yes, again!) flour mixture into butter mixture and mix well.
• Fold in raisins (or chocolate chips or chocolate covered raisins) and oats.
• Spoon 1.5 inch balls onto non-stick cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350°F for 6-9 minutes, rotating half way through baking. (Should be lightly firm in the center when done) Be careful -- oatmeal raisin cookies don't look done when they are, so they are very easy to over cook (unless you want then to be crispy) :).

OATMEAL JAMMYS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Lightly spray a regular size 12-well muffin pan with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, oats, sugars, baking powder and salt until blended. Add the butter and vanilla. Pulse until the mixture becomes a crumbly dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed to help it combine. Some of it will seem dry - that's okay.
• Transfer the cookie dough to a large bowl and stir to combine. The dry crumbs in the bottom will be used for the streusel so no worries if it all won't stick together.
• Scoop out a level, slightly packed small cookie scoop full of dough (1 tablespoon) and drop into one of the muffin tin wells. Using your fingers lightly press the dough into the bottom of the pan making sure it is level. Repeat until the pan is full.
• Dollop one full teaspoon of jam into the center of the cookie base in the muffin tin. Using a small spoon scatter crumbled dough around the outside edges of the cookie surrounding the jam. Press very lightly if needed to hold it together.
• Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the jam is bubbling and the cookie is lightly browned on the edges. Do not over-bake! Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. To remove the cookie from the muffin tin use a small rubber spatula to tilt the cookie up. If it starts to crumble, let it cool a little longer. Once cooled, store at room temperature in an airtight container. Cookies will keep for up to 5 days.