Russian Oatmeal Cookies
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 2 dozen
Description
Oatmeal cookies can be divisive, but if you’re a fan of these crunchy cookies try this vegan version which is great dipped in milk or even acting as a cracker to a spreadable cheese.
Ingredients
- 20 g (2-1/2 tbsp) dark seedless raisins (currants), roughly chopped
- 198 g (scant 1 cup) coconut oil (margarine in the original version)
- 295 g (1-1/2 cup) sugar
- 8 1/2 (1-1/2 tbsp) g ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 34 g (3-1/2 tbsp) molasses or dark corn syrup
- 170 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) oatmeal flour
- 75-118 ml hot water
- 5 g (1 tsp) salt
- 4 g (1 tsp) baking soda
- 397 g (3 cups + 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Chop raisins with a knife or in a processor.
- In a bowl, mix chopped raisins, coconut oil, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and molasses.
- Dissolve soda and salt in hot water (it should be quite hot and barely touchable by hand), and add to the bowl.
- Add oatmeal flour immediately and mix everything very well for at least 3-4 minutes, allowing oats to absorb as much liquid as possible.
- Add the all-purpose flour and make the dough. Dough should be kneaded well to create soft, rich, slightly tacky mass, but not longer than 6 minutes.
- Roll the dough out into a 3/8″ thickness.
- Using a cookie cutter or a glass, cut out the cookies of the desired diameter.
- Re-roll scraps and cut again, until all the dough is used up.
- Transfer cookies onto parchment lined baking sheet, leaving a bit of space in between. They will not expand too much, but 1/2? distance is desirable.
- Bake in the oven preheated to 400°F for 12-15 minutes. Exact timing greatly depends on the cookie sheet quality and your individual oven properties. Cookies should be lightly browned and fully set.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: Russian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the baking soda and salt dissolved in very hot water rather than mixed into the dry ingredients?
The water needs to be quite hot — barely touchable by hand — before you dissolve the soda and salt. This activates the leavening immediately and triggers a reaction with the molasses added to the same bowl, producing the characteristic crispness of these cookies.
Why does the oatmeal flour get added separately before the all-purpose flour?
Add the oatmeal flour immediately after the hot water and mix for at least 3–4 minutes, allowing the oats to absorb as much liquid as possible. This hydration step is what gives the cookies their crunchy texture; then add the all-purpose flour to bring the dough together.
What makes this version vegan?
This is a vegan adaptation: the original uses margarine, but I substitute 198 g (scant 1 cup) of coconut oil. There are no eggs or dairy anywhere in the recipe.
it looks delicious! way to go.