Iced Oatmeal Cookies

There are certain cookies that bring back fond memories of my childhood.   One of those Proustian madeleines would have to be Mother's Cookies Iced Oatmeal.  While chocolate chip  might top the cookie ranks for most, I was always team oatmeal.  There was something so attractive about these crunchy cookies with the pebbly white tops.  You can't imagine my joy when I saw a homemade version included in Shauna Sever's cookbook "Midwest Made."

Shauna's tribute to Midwestern baking has to be one of my favorite cookbooks of 2019.  As I was flipped through it there were so many delicious and nostalgic bakes that I had earmarked for future projects.  I previously made her Chocolate Bumpy Cake for this blog, with great success, so I knew her iced oatmeal cookies were going to be excellent.  Admittedly I was a bit skeptical about how authentic the cookies would turn out, but I stand corrected.  I couldn't believe how legit the finished cookies looked to the brand name.   

One of the best things about this recipe?  It's made entirely in the food processor!  How easy is that? These iced oatmeal cookies are definitely going to be added to my cookie arsenal.

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

Makes about 24 cookies

DOUGH

1 1/2 cups (150g) old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup (170g) firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (64g) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cut in to cubes

1 large egg yolk

ICING

1 large egg white

1 1/4 cups (150g) confectioner's sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel S blade, grind the oats to a flour. Add the brown sugar, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg and process briefly to blend. Toss in the butter cubes and process until the butter is well incorporated and the dough begins to clump and pull off the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolk and pulse until the dough comes together with no dry pockets.

Line a work surface with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Turn out the dough onto the plastic wrap and form it into a log about 10-inches/25cm long and 1 1/2 inches/3.8 in diameter. Wrap the dough tightly. Chill the dough until firm, about 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Position a rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a thin, sharp knife to slice the dough log into 2 dozen rounds, each just shy of 1/2-inch/1.25 cm thick. Transfer the rounds, evenly spaced about 2 inches/5cm apart, to the prepared baking sheets. 

Bake until golden and firm on the edges with a bit of give in the centers, about 12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely—they will crisp all the way through as they cool.

To Make the Icing:

In a small bowl, combine the egg white, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and thick. (Alternatively, you could also do this in a stand-up mixer or in a medium bowl by hand.) Blend in 1 teaspoon of water until smooth. To ice the cookies, working 1 at a time, kiss the tops lightly to the surface of the icing—you want to just show the cookie to the icing, not submerge it.
Let the excess icing drip off for a moment, and then set the iced cookie on a wire rack. If the icing begins to firm while you’re dipping, loosen it with a few drops of water. Allow the icing to dry completely before serving, about 1 hour.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.