Crunchy Oatmeal Apricot Cookies Recipe
This recipe produces crunchy oatmeal apricot cookies: crunchy exterior, a soft interior and is loaded with oatmeal, dried apricots, bittersweet chocolate – and, of course, a hint of cinnamon. The crispy exterior comes from rolling the cookie in sugar prior to baking so don’t leave this step out!
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These cookies are one of those classic cookies your gang will gobble up and you’ll want to make these time and time again. The base recipe is easily adaptable and you should feel free to be creative and add ingredients other than chocolate or dried apricots.
Tips for Making the Perfect Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie
Ingredients:
- Bring your egg to room temperature before starting these cookies. Room temperature eggs will emulsify more evenly.
- This recipe uses vegetable shortening instead of butter for the fat – don’t let this deter you from making the cookies! Using vegetable shortening will trap more air bubbles when creaming the fat and sugar together resulting in a cookie that will rise higher and hold its shape well.
- I make this cookie with bittersweet chocolate chips and dried apricots diced into slivers. Most dried fruits or toasted nuts will work well so feel free to put your personal touch on these cookies – or use what you have in the house!
Make the oatmeal cookie dough:
- Sift or whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. All ingredients need to be well distributed throughout the cookie dough.
- A stand mixer works best when creaming fats and sugars together. A hand mixer may also be used – it will just take a little longer!
- Fold the apricots and chocolate into the cookie dough by hand. This will ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes prior to baking. This will help the cookies maintain their shape and make it easier to roll in sugar prior to baking.
Bake the oatmeal apricot cookies:
- After chilling the dough, use a small cookie scoop (approximately 1 ½ tablespoons per cookie) to form balls of cookie dough and roll in granulated sugar. The cookie should be completely rolled in the sugar to form the super-crunchy cookie top we are going for!
After the cookies are cooled, place in an airtight container and leave at room temperature. To freeze the cookies, simply wrap in plastic and freeze for up to 2 months.
Yes, there are several ways to dry your own apricots. Check out this article by Drying All Foods which explains the processes.
I hope your family and friends enjoy these crunchy oatmeal apricot cookies as much as we do!
Crunchy Oatmeal Apricot Cookies
Equipment
- 2 Cookie Sheet Pans Lined with a Silpat or parchment paper
- 1 Hand Mixer or
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Dried Apricots Chopped into small pieces
- ½ Cup Chocolate Chips Bittersweet
- 187 Grams All-Purpose Flour (1 ½ Cups)
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Salt
- 190 Grams Vegetable Shortening (1 Cup)
- 200 Grams Granulated Sugar (1 Cup)
- 105 Grams Light Brown Sugar (½ Cup)
- 1 Large Egg Room Temperature
- 1 Tbsp Water (for combining with the egg)
- 100 Grams Granulated Sugar (for coating cookies before baking) (½ Cup)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Combine the egg with 1 tablespoon water and whisk lightly.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, begin creaming the vegetable shorting, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy (2 – 3 minutes on medium speed). Scrape the bowl as needed.
- Add the whisked egg and water to the mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
- Add the oatmeal and mix on low speed until combined.
- Stir in the apricots and chocolate chips by hand.
- Wrap the dough and place in refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes or until chilled.
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Using a small cookie scoop (approximately 1 ½ tablespoons per cookie) form balls of cookie dough and roll in granulated sugar.
- Place the dough on parchment-lined baking sheets leaving approximately 2 inches of space between each cookie.
- Lightly flatten each cookie using a dinner fork.
- Bake cookies for 8 – 10 minutes, or until tops and edges of cookies are browning.
- Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.