Easy Cranberries-Hazelnut Oatmeal Cookies

Cranberries-Hazelnut Oatmeal Cookies

Toronto experienced the most number of very hot days this Summer and that is one of the reasons why I have taken a hiatus from baking for the last two months. I was waiting to try out this cookie recipe that Karen, my friend, so graciously shared with me. I love her cookies because they are not like the conventional oatmeal cookies that are soft and chewy. These are actually baked to a crisp and the roasting of hazelnuts smelled so good...you just can't wait to bite into them! And they are so easy to make! 

Utensils Needed:-

2 large mixing bowls

2 large cookie baking sheets/trays

Parchment paper

1 ice-cream scoop (I used a 1-1/2 inch or 4.75 cm diameter scoop)

Wire rack

Wooden spoon

Measuring cups and spoons

A pair of food safe plastic gloves (if you have none, just wet your hands lightly before you form the cookies)

Ingredients:-

Wet Ingredients:-

1 large egg

1/3 cups brown sugar

1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons filtered cold water

2/3 cups canola oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla essence

Dry Ingredients:-

3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups oatmeal (I used Quaker Minute Oats)

1 cup chopped hazelnuts (you may substitute with walnuts, pecans, almonds, peanuts)

1/2 cups chopped dried cranberries

Method:-

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line two large cookie trays with parchment paper and set aside until ready to use.

Measure and place all wet ingredients in one of the mixing bowls. Whisk with the wooden spoon to mix all the ingredients well. Set aside.

Measure and place all the dry ingredients in another mixing bowl. Mix the dry ingredients with the same wooden spoon until well mixed.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Stir with the wooden spoon until everything is well incorporated and the mixture is wet and sticky.

Put on plastic gloves and scoop the cookie dough using the ice-cream scoop. Press cookie dough firmly into the scoop with your hands. Ensure it is level and then release the dough onto the parchment lined cookie tray. Gently press and flatten the round dough with your fingers until it is about 4mm thick. Space them out and you can place 12 cookie doughs on a large tray.

Place the tray into the oven once you have filled the tray. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until they turn a nice golden brown. Note: Do not flatten the dough too much if you want your cookies to be thicker; you will have to adjust baking time to 15 minutes if cookies are thicker. (I will start to fill the second tray while my first tray is baking in the oven to save waiting time).

Remove and place cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before serving or storing. Enjoy with a cuppa milk or tea or coffee!!! Don't forget to invite some friends over to share the goodness!

Makes 30 awesome cookies