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Wednesday, 7 December 2011

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies stuffed with chocolate ganache

Whenever I ask Mr X his opinion on what I should bake, the answer usually is "cookies". I had been wanting to bake a cookie that had oats in it (that wasn't ANZAC cookies) for a while, probably to trick myself into thinking I was baking a "healthier" version of something he loves. When I came across this recipe I couldn't wait to try it.


To increase the chocolate factor (and therefore probably cancelling out any healthy bonus points from the oats), I added a ball of chocolate ganache to the centre. Yummmmmm.


The recipe makes approx 36 cookies. The cookies turn out thick and soft on the inside with a slightly crispy shell. Bake them all at once - or freeze some and bake at a later date.
Cookie recipe from Brown eyed Baker

Ingredients:

3 cups plain flour
1½ cups rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1 3/4 cups top deck chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped

Chocolate ganache, frozen, to stuff cookies with (approx 1/2 cup)

Method:
Preheat oven to 176 degrees C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat both sugars ad the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla.

Add a third of the flour and beat it into the sugar/butter/egg mixture, mixing only until just combined. Repeat with remaining flour - do not overmix.

Using a large wooden spoon, gently mix in the oats, then the chocolate chips.

I use an ice cream scoop for easy cookie making. Roll ice cream scoop sized balls of cookie dough. If you are inserting some ganache (you should), do it like this: 



Place on baking paper lined baking tray approx 5 cm apart (they flatten and spread while baking). You should be able to fit about 9 comfortably on a tray. Bake cookies until they are lightly golden on the outside but still soft (they firm up when cooled), about 12 - 14 minutes. I bake my cookies in batches, one tray at a time. I pop one tray in the oven and roll the next batch while they are baking, but it is up to you how you do it. If you bake two trays at a time, switch oven trays from top to bottom at the 7 minute mark to ensure even baking. Remove from oven and leave to cool before removing from baking trays. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.