Oatmeal cookies are one of my favorite desserts because while they are a treat, they taste slightly healthy. When I was a kid, we baked often and chocolate chip cookies seemed to be the most popular, but I always enjoyed an oatmeal raisin cookie. As an adult, I think I can appreciate an oatmeal cookie even more, especially one with a fantastic chew flecked with some raisins soaked in rum.
Many people are eating gluten-free, even though they may not be allergic to gluten, and I am one of those bakers who likes to change up my grains and combine different flavors to keep food interesting. In this recipe, I soak the raisins in rum first to enhance the fruit and add an adult-like taste to a traditional cookie. I think the raisins give the oats a unique lift in taste and turn them into something different, not just another cookie you will find at your local bakery.
I baked these cookies in a deep dish heart-shaped pan for a Valentine’s Day look, but if you don’t have anything similar, you can scoop them out with an ice cream scoop and bake them the traditional way, on a cookie sheet. I think the over-sized shaped cookies make great gifts, especially for that special someone.
Ingredients
3 cups gluten-free oatmeal
1/2 cup warm water
3/4 cup almond flour
2/3 cup gluten-free flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 stick butter, melted & cooled
1 egg + 1 yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup rum
(Makes 1 dozen large cookies)
To Prepare:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place oatmeal on a sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown, let cool. Pour half of oats into a bowl with warm water and stir. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let water absorb for 10 minutes.
2. Pour rum over raisins and let sit while you prepare dough for cookies. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, gluten-free flour, salt, baking powder, xanthan gum and cinnamon, set aside.
3. In a stand mixer, combine brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, yolk, melted butter and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes or until smooth. Add dry ingredients, wet oats and remaining toasted oats, mix on low until combined, about 1 minute. Add rum raisin mixture to dough and stir by hand until smooth.
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rest for 30 minutes. Spray pan lightly with oil and scoop dough into each cup, about 1/3 cup. Bake in oven for 20-24 minutes, or until tops are lightly golden brown. *If using a standard cookie sheet, you may need to adjust time down depending upon size of cookies. Remove from oven and let cookies rest for 10 minutes before removing them from pan.
5. Remove cookies from pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Serve immediately or place in cookie jar, or pack in bags as gifts. Enjoy!
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