It’s pouring rain outside, which is music to us
Californian’s ears. I, for one, am ecstatic. All of a sudden I want to bake and
knit and read and watch movies under a blanket. Okay, okay, so I do these
things anyway, but the rain gives me permission
to do these things, and, sometimes, that’s nice and…important.
Maybe if the rain keeps up, we’ll recoup some of our losses
in the Sierras, which when I visited at the end of January were completely bare
of snow, even at 7000 ft. This was a travesty on many levels. In the short term, no
snow meant no sledding at Shot Rock, which was the whole point of the
three-hour excursion. In the long term, the bare granite and dry alpine forests
that slid past my window made me feel downright bleak about the future.
Climate-change! drought! forest fires! went off like alarms in my head. Not to
mention just how weird it is for an east-coast girl like me to go through a
winter without any precipitation or temperatures that dip below 55 degrees.
I’ll just never get used to that I guess.
Which brings me to this: Oatmeal Currant Cookies. Just like
oatmeal raisin cookies, only better (though I did use half currants and half
golden raisins, which if you’re going to use raisins, is—in my opinion—the key
to a sublime oatmeal cookie). When I was a kid on snow days we always made
cookies to brighten up the day and warm up the house. And, while it’s only
raining here, it’s as close as I’ll get to reliving the past. For all my
east-coasters suffering through your cold wintry season, this one’s for you.
Oatmeal Currant Cookies
Adapted from Alice
Waters’ recipe
Makes 3 dozen cookies
½ C currants (or, if you follow my adaptation, use ¼ C currants and ¼ C golden raisins, chopped)
¼ C water
1 ½ C rolled oats
½ C flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter
6 T granulated sugar
6 T dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp boiling water
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375° F
1. In a small saucepan over medium heat combine currants,
raisins, and water. Heat until the currants and raisins are plumped and the
water is absorbed.
2. In a blender, process the oats until ground.
3. Transfer to a bowl and stir in flour, salt, and cinnamon
4. In a large bowl, cream together until light and fluffy
the butter, white, and brown sugars.
5. In a small bowl mix together baking soda and boiling
water.
6. Stir this into the butter mixture, then beat in egg and
vanilla.
7. Stir in the dry ingredients and the currants and raisins.
8. Scoop dough into 1 inch balls and put them 2 inches apart
on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.
9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet
halfway through. When done they should be golden brown around the edges and
soft in the center.
