Hubby is addicted to salt. Seriously. Almost nothing is salted enough for him, he loves salt and vinegar chips, and actually licks his finger and dips it in the salt pig. One Christmas I nearly bought him a salt lick as a joke, until I realized that I would be the one stuck finding a real home for it. In true fatherly generosity he passed this love on to The Monster.Daddy salts his food, she wants salt on her food. Mama seasons the sauce, she has to season the sauce. We've developed the fine art of faking it for her. She is a wickedly smart girl, but somehow the motion of salting her food satisfies her, even if she doesn't see any salt crystals falling from our fingers. We're either that tricky or she's only two.
With the past few weeks filled with a lot of sick days we've turned to baking as a way to keep her engaged and away from Yo Gabba Gabba (she is a child obsessed). When she asked to bake cookies this week I inquired as to what kind.
"Salt."
Yup, salt cookies. In a freaky twist of fate, I had pulled out my Cook's Country cookbook and had it open to the cookie table of contents. Wouldn't you know, they have a recipe for salty thin and crisp oatmeal cookies? Considering it was a real recipe and all, I figured we had a better chance than last week, when she requested salt muffins. In case you didn't know, salt as a crunchy topping on a banana muffin is okay, but not something I have a desire to repeat. Salted oatmeal cookies are another matter entirely.
Crispy, thin, and with just a touch of salty crunch. These are good cookies for people who don't like sweets. Such a change from dense and chewy oatmeal cookies. Equally delicious, and I'm not a big fan of salt.
Salted Oatmeal Cookies
(adapted from Cook's Country)
Makes 2.5-3 dozen cookies
1 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp table or kosher salt
14 tbsp unsalted butter (2 tablespoons less than a cup)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick or instant)
fleur de sel or Maldon salt
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.
3. Beat together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. Slowly add the flour mixture until just blended, then stir in the oats until well mixed.
4. Roll cookie dough into balls about 1.5 - 2 inches around. Place them 8 to a cookie sheet and press down with your palm. Cookies should be about 3/4 inch in thickness.
5. Sprinkle with fleur de sel or Maldon salt, a generous pinch per cookie.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are spread out and lightly golden. Let them cool completely on the cookie sheet.