Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Learning Curves

When I first read this recipe, I thought, This is quintessential Grandma. Look at all those ingredients she loved apples, oats, raisins, pecans . . . almost all of Grandma's faves in one compact bite.  

The recipe also reminded me of another one I tested not long ago that also had a filling. I'd learned a few things on Peekaberry Boos, and rather than go through the steep curve again, I decided to make some changes right from the start. 

For one, I would decrease the amount of milk the recipe called for. Using the full amount in Peakaberry Books had created a sheet pan full of cookies so flat that they looked like one giant rectangular jam-swirled pancake. 

On top of that, I'd discovered that covering the filling was not worth the hassle. Leaving it exposed had made for an easier process and a prettier cookie, so I went into my test fully intending to leave the filling exposed.  Thus began the next learning curve.  

How to make Apple Oatmeal Cookies

I started with the filling because it needed to be cooked and cooled before I could use it. The recipe said to finely dice the apples, so I pulled out my trusty Chop Wizard (not an affiliate link) and began chopping the apples. I like to use Granny Smith in baked goods because their tartness adds an appealing contrast to sweet baked goods.  

Next, I added the apples, sugar, nuts, and water to a saucepan. I had decided to forgo the raisins (forgive me, Grandma) because the title of the recipe said nothing about them. I stirred the ingredients together and brought them to a simmer.  

There was nothing on the recipe card about how long the apples would need to cook. Ten minutes was my guess, but they were still firm at that point. Also, they'd given off a lot of liquid, which made me wonder if the raisins were included in the filling to absorb some of the liquid. Okay, okay. In went the raisins.  

I let the filling simmer for 10 more minutes. The raisins did indeed plump up and absorb some of the liquid, but there was still more in the pan. The apples were tender but not mushy. Was that good enough? I had no idea what Grandma intended, but I took the pan off the heat anyway and let the filling cool. 

The process for the cookie dough was a little more straightforward. I creamed together some butter and brown sugar (I halved the recipe from, added an egg, and beat it in. 

Next, I sifted in the dry ingredients and added the oats. 

I beat that together, and then I added milk, a tablespoon at a time, until I achieved a cookie dough consistency, which was half the amount called for in the recipe. 

The recipe said to set aside some dough for topping the filling. Remember, I wasn't intending to cover the filling, but I set the dough aside anyway, just in case I changed my mind. Then I used my medium scoop to portion out the rest of the dough. 

The recipe then said to "make a small depression in top of cookie." I did that. 

I was then supposed to "put in teaspoon of filling." I drained the rest of the liquid from the filling and filled the holes I'd made with the apple-raisin-nut mixture. 

As I did so, I realized that this filling was much different from the jam I used in the Peekaberry Boos. I doubted that the chunks of apple, nuts, and raisins would adhere to each other and to the cookie like the jam had. What if the chunks fell off while they were being eaten or transported? 

Maybe it would be better to cover the filling up after all. I pinched some cookie dough into flat pieces and laid them on top of half the cookies. 

When they came out of the oven, they had spread slightly, but nothing like the Peakaberry Boos had after my first attempt.

 At first, the filling on the covered ones wasn't as hidden as I'd hoped, but they settled down and looked a little better after they'd cooled. 

Now to taste them. 

The Verdict

The now-standard disclaimer was issued to my family as I served the cookies, and, just to be safe, I'd made this cookie to go with them for National S'mores Day. 

Turned out, the Apple Oatmeal Cookies were just as popular. In fact, the half-batch I made was almost gone by the end of the evening, and I found myself wishing I'd made more. They were chewy and deliciously spiced, almost tasting like these excellent Oatmeal Raisin Cookies of Grandma's, but with a twist. 

The apples in the filling were that twist. Tart-sweet and tender, they set this cookie apart from the usual Oatmeal Raisin cookie. Covered or uncovered, the cookies tasted about the same. However, the covered ones were more portable because there was no worry about bits of filling falling off. Also, there was something about biting into that loaded pocket of filling that almost made eating the cookies like a treasure hunt.  Topped or untopped, this is one good cookie.   

The downside: it isn't a quick make. The filling takes time to cook and cool, and some of the other steps are fiddly, such as adding the filling to the indentations and pressing out pieces of dough. Still, I would absolutely make these again, maybe for a special occasion or simply for a change of pace. I'm still wishing I'd made the other half of the batch, so I'm thinking it'll be sooner rather than later.     

Try them. I'd love to know what you think.