I have always loved oatmeal raisin cookies, they are among my favorite treats. I had making a batch in-mind when I picked up a monster container of Quaker Oats the other day, but before I could get them mixed up and in my oven I stumbled across this recipe for oatmeal date cookies. Given that I had a container of Medjool dates in my pantry I decided to make these instead, and I'm so glad I did because they really are a very different cookie, and they are super tasty.
I must admit that I was concerned that these cookies would turn out a little sweet for my tastes due to the full 1 1/2 cups of dates in the mix, but I'm happy to report that the the abundance of nuts and oats temper the sweetness nicely. Unlike most oatmeal cookies, these don't spread much and lack the chew of the originals brought by the raisins. Instead, they stay rather chunky and remain meltingly soft throughout, it's almost as if the dates dissolve into the batter….YUM.
The original recipe for these cookies didn't call for nuts, but I wanted to add a little more texture than the oats would provide themselves, as well the earthiness that the nuts would add to keep the sweetness of the sugar and dates in-check.
Mission accomplished. LOVE these!
Cheers – Steve
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 1/2 cups chopped, pitted Medjool dates
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Position racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat it to 350℉.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cardamom.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the two sugars and the butter on medium spreed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just blended.
- Remove the mixing bowl from the stand and stir in the date pieces, oats, and chopped nuts by hand.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.
- Scoop 10-12 tablespoon portions of the cookie dough onto each sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes, rotating pans top to bottom and spinning front to back halfway through cooking, until cookies are golden.
- Pull the sheet trays from the oven and let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the trays. Move the cookies to wire racks to cool completely and repeat with the remaining dough.