In a continuation of one of our slowest rounds of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies, I’m finally getting around to my fifth cookie of the season…
I’ve been sending all of these cookies to the office with Eric, so his co-workers have become my test kitchen, offering suggestions, critiques, and (thankfully) compliments. One of Eric’s co-workers came in last week and told him that I needed to make some cookies from the Wall Street Journal. Now, I don’t read the Wall Street Journal, but I wouldn’t have thought of it as a particularly interesting recipe source. But apparently they entered a similar cookie baking bonanza this year, so I tested out the recipe for “The Cookie.” Apparently this cookie is so famous in the recipe creator’s family that it is simply referred to as “The Cookie,” which sounds amazing and like a goal I should have for my own baking. (“Ally, please tell me you are making The Cookie this year!” #lifegoals)
“The Cookie” is an oatmeal cookie filled with quite a few unexpected ingredients (coconut! walnuts! dates!), and then topped with a cinnamon-coffee frosting. I don’t know that I’ve ever really been an oatmeal cookie enthusiast (although I suppose the Monster Cookies are a variant of an oatmeal cookie), but these sounded interesting enough to try.
I followed the recipe exactly (except for the tiny substitution of coconut flakes for shredded coconut because that’s what I had on hand), and they turned out lovely. When Eric and I ate them, we both kept expecting to taste raisins, despite a lack of raisins in the recipe (I guess we just associate any oatmeal cookie with oatmeal raisin cookies), so it was kind of a mind game trying to settle expectations with actual flavors. I have to admit that they were not my favorite simply because they didn’t contain chocolate, which is really what I desire in a dessert, but they were definitely good, interesting, and a nice step outside of the traditional Christmas cookie. Plus, the cinnamon-coffee frosting was dynamite. They were a big hit at Eric’s office (some folks even claimed these were the best of the bunch, so far!), and the recipe makes a ton of cookies, so it’s definitely good for a crowd.
You can find the original recipe and their pretty photos here.
- cookies:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup pitted, chopped dates
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- frosting:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons brewed coffee
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugars until smooth. Mix in eggs and vanilla until combined.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture, in two parts, to butter-sugar mixture, mixing until just combined. Add remaining ingredients and mix at low speed until just combined.
- Cover and chill dough in refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight. (If you leave it overnight, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use a tablespoon measure to scoop dough balls and place them on a baking sheet. Use your palm to flatten dough balls slightly. Bake until set, around 10 minutes (watch them closely). Remove from oven and let cool before frosting.
- Make frosting: Use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add remaining ingredients, mixing until incorporated.
- Frost the cooled cookies and let the frosting sit for at least an hour before storing or transporting.
For more cookies from the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies archives, check out these links:
2014, Day 6: Nutella-Stuffed Cinnamon Sugar Donuts (still an all-time favorite)
2013, Day 6: Chocolate Truffles
2012, Day 6: N0-Bake Cashew Clusters
2011, Day 6: Holiday Biscotti
2010, Day 6: Turtle Graham Bars
-Ally
Betsy Ringer says
Mmmm….I think we might try these this year…. however, I will substitute the “extras” with chocolate chips and rice krispes!
Ally says
Sounds like a fun idea! If you make them, let me know how they turn out!