We recently spent some time in the Bluegrass and had the opportunity to visit Chef Ouita Michael's Midway Bakery where many of the sweet and savory baked goods that fill her restaurants dotting the Bluegrass countryside. One of the items we purchased (and enjoyed) was a Woodford Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie.
Created by Sara Gibbs, this cookie was served at the Woodford Reserve Distillery Visitor's Center. When experiencing bourbon, tasters often reference a flavor wheel to describe the array of scents and tastes you'll find in your glass. In the cookie, the Woodford Reserve flavor wheel for their Distiller's Select is represented by:
- Toasted nuts providing the earthy wood notes
- Rolled oats to provide a malty, biscuit-like flavors
- Vanilla and chocolate offer sweet aromatics
- Ground cinnamon and cocoa provide complexity and spice
- Cranberries provide a fruity, floral finish
This is the perfect cookie to enjoy with your favorite hot morning beverage or for a flavor sensation to compliment a glass of Kentucky bourbon.
Recipe courtesy of Just a Few Miles South by Ouita Michael, Sara Gibbs, and Genie Graf.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate or bittersweet baking chips
1 cup toasted chopped pecans
1 cup dried cranberries
Steps
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars together until well blended.
Add eggs and vanilla and beat until thoroughly mixed. Add oats and chocolate and mix again. Add flour mixture, mixing well. Fold in nuts and dried cranberries.
Drop 1½ oz scoops (about 2 tablespoons) of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets 1½ inches apart. Chill 15 minutes. Bake until toasted on the edges, but still moist in the center - about 15 minutes.
Transfer to racks to cool. The cookies will flatten out and will be moist and chewy on the inside and crisp on the outside.
Makes about 48 3-inch cookies.