White Chocolate and Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

With winter settling in, I constantly feel like preparing small, warm treats that fill the house with comforting smells of baking. These small cakes are a cross between cookies, American scones, and flapjacks. There’s no flour, there are no eggs. With oatmeal, white chocolate chips, and dried cranberries, there’s practically no need for guilt! But yes, there is a little butter and cream (this is my blog, after all), just enough for the cookies to hold together. I developed the recipe more or less randomly, but I’m publishing it because I know that many of you will want to make it.

Recipe for 9 large cookies

• 3 cups / 9 oz. / 250 g quick-cooking rolled oats (I use Quaker oats)

• Generous 1/3 cup / 30 g ground blanched almonds

• Scant 1/2 cup / 85 g light brown sugar

• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

• 3 tablespoons / 50 g salted butter, room temperature

• Scant ½ cup / 115 ml heavy cream

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 ½ oz. / 75 g dried cranberries

• Scant 2/3 cups / 110 g white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle (K) beater, or in a mixing bowl, combine the oats, ground almonds, sugar, and baking powder. I use XX Quaker oats, and recommend you do the same. If you use larger oats, they will absorb a different amount of moisture and the result won’t be identical unless you modify other proportions.

Add the butter and beat until combined.

Pour in the cream and vanilla extract.

Beat until thoroughly combined. The longer you mix the ingredients, the smoother the mixture will be–the oatmeal will absorb moisture. Go ahead and beat for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Beat for 1 minute further.

Divide the batter into 9 or 10 nicely rounded balls.

Flatten them with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 35 minutes.

Here they are: ready!

Store in an airtight container.