1st Yummy Post!

My first entry yet! Yumm Humm Dumm... So excited and happy ^_^
Although, to be honest, I have a premonition that this blog might not be updated that frequently... But.. hey I'll try my best! You can't blame me for not being able to have more than 24 hours a day!

I am a HUGE fan of cookies... I like them so much I can eat them for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Whoa! Especially those chewy ones with crispy edges and a chockful of macadamia nuts.. and they melt in your mouth. Noo! I've died and gone to cookie heaven!

Don't get me wrong, I love crispy cookies too... As an Asian kid, I grew up eating mostly crunchy-crispy cookies. It's kinda hard (Actually, I couldn't find them in Indonesia) to find soft pillowy chewy cookies which we can easily find (read: consume!!) in America.

When I came back home last summer, I had a mission... that was to "poison" my family with chewy cookies! But... I failed miserably... My parents hated them. But thankfully, those beautiful batches of baked goodness were warmly welcomed by my siblings and relatives :D

Having been back for good for almost a good half-year, sometimes (read: many many times), gets me cravings of for soft chewy cookies. At the same time, however, it also reminds me of how good crispy cookies are! The cookies I used to eat growing up as a kid, those I had every year during Chinese Lunar New Year. Yum...

So anyways, sometime after Lunar New Year 2010, I had this strong craving for a crunchy oatmeal cookie..Yes it has to be oatmeal! I've combed the whole World Wide Web to search for one good recipe the other day, and found what I hoped, or rather thought, to be something that would satisfy this sweet tooth just fine...But instead, I've found not just another cookie recipe. This might just be the best Crispy Oatmeal Cookie recipe! I love them and my parents adore these cookies so much that they started throwing out ideas of opening up a bakery!

I tried saving some for SS. But, cookies this good don't last long. I'm sorry SS I'll bake more for you next time!

Crispy Salted Oatmeal Cookies

Crispy Salted Oatmeal Cookies, makes around 24 big cookies
Adapted From Smitten Kitchen, Original Recipe by Cook's Illusrated

These cookies are so versatile, you can chuck in anything you like! I made the cookies in a couple of ways: plain; with butter toffees; with dark chocolate and cranberries. They are all TO DIE FOR!

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

3 ounces good-quality dark chocolate bar, chopped.
2 ounces of dried cranberries
1 ounce of butter-toffees

1/2 teapoon flaky sea salt (I like fleur de sel) (for sprinkling on top)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and toppings of your choice and mix until well incorporated.

3. Divide dough into 24 equal portions, each about 2 tablespoons. Roll between palms into balls, then place on lined baking sheets about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using fingertips, gently press down each ball to about 3/4-inch thickness.

4. Sprinkle a flake or two of sea salt on each cookie

5. Bake until cookies are deep golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool.