Can I use? (baking question) - Failed experiment

[Night Elf]

Whole wheat flour instead of oat flour? I'm snowed in today and want to try a new recipe for no sugar oatmeal cookies. Some of the recipes used things I don't have in the house. This one is the closest I can find. 

 

Update: Yuck! Threw it all out.

Edited January 17, 2018 by Night Elf

[Annie G]

You can make oat flour by grinding up oatmeal in a food processor.  

[Night Elf]

That's good to know. I think it's a moot point though. I just looked in my pantry. I have old fashioned oats. The recipe calls for quick cooking oats. That's probably not the same thing is it?

[kiana]

You can make it the same thing.

 

http://bakingbites.com/2015/04/how-to-make-quick-cooking-oatmeal/

[Night Elf]

You can make it the same thing.

 

http://bakingbites.com/2015/04/how-to-make-quick-cooking-oatmeal/

 

So I can get quick cooking oats simply by putting regular oats in a food processor and chopping it up finer? I can do that.

 

However, I still don't have oat flour. I can put oats in the food processor and blend until a powder and then that's considered flour? 

 

I'd basically be using the same old fashioned oats two ways. My cookies will turn out okay?

[rose]

So I can get quick cooking oats simply by putting regular oats in a food processor and chopping it up finer? I can do that.

 

However, I still don't have oat flour. I can put oats in the food processor and blend until a powder and then that's considered flour? 

 

I'd basically be using the same old fashioned oats two ways. My cookies will turn out okay?

 

I think that you should be fine. Oat flour is just ground oats.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I would say they are not interchangeable no. 

 

 

[TravelingChris]

Yes, that sounds fine. And a much better option than using whole wheat flour because that is very different in several ways that could affect the baking like gluten.

[regentrude]

So I can get quick cooking oats simply by putting regular oats in a food processor and chopping it up finer? I can do that.

 

However, I still don't have oat flour. I can put oats in the food processor and blend until a powder and then that's considered flour? 

 

I'd basically be using the same old fashioned oats two ways. My cookies will turn out okay?

 

yes, you can grind the oats in your food processor to make flour. Blender works, too. I do that all the time.

[Night Elf]

I actually have a food processor in the way back of my cabinets. I hope it's user friendly because I can't even remember the last time I used it. :)

 

Thanks everyone. I'll see what I can do.

[Amira]

Let us know how they turn out!

[SparklyUnicorn]

Oh and you know even if they don't come out super fine when you grind them up, no worries.  I made some oatmeal cookies not long ago that used the whole oats.  It was WAY more oats than flour.  Like 90% whole oats.  And wow those were so good!!

 

 

[Night Elf]

This is a no sugar recipe so it's using mashed bananas to sweeten them I guess. We'll see how they turn out. The first batch is in the oven. I thought about adding chocolate chips but that would defeat my purpose of having a healthy treat during the day to replace some of my sugary carbs.

[Night Elf]

First impression is not good. They kind of taste like banana oatmeal in hard form. They're bland. They're nothing like the no sugar healthy oatmeal cookies I get from my Publix deli. Those are so expensive I decided I need to find a way to get that fix a cheaper way. The ones from the deli have dried fruit in them but I don't taste banana. I just taste oatmeal.

 

I put chocolate chips into the next batch. If these aren't good, I'm tossing it all out. I know I won't eat those.

[Night Elf]

Nope, chocolate chips didn't work. It all went into the trash. So much for that! Yuck!

[regentrude]

Banana would not have been my choice for a cookie because it introduces a lot of liquid into the dough. Banana is fine for breads or muffins, but not for something crunchy.

If you want to avoid adding actual sugar, try dried dates (which have plenty of natural sugar in them)

 

If your cookies are bland: why spices did you use?

Edited January 17, 2018 by regentrude

[Night Elf]

Banana would not have been my choice for a cookie because it introduces a lot of liquid into the dough. Banana is fine for breads or muffins, but not for something crunchy.

If you want to avoid adding actual sugar, try dried dates (which have plenty of natural sugar in them)

 

If your cookies are bland: why spices did you use?

 

I followed the recipe exactly and the only spice they had was ground cinnamon. I don't venture off on my own and add in random spices because I have no idea what I'm doing. 

 

I make banana chocolate chip muffins that taste really good. I just assumed the cookie recipe would be as good as those. They weren't.

[Lady Marmalade]

Share the recipe!  I bet some of us could help you tweak it, or steer you to a similar recipe that is tried and true.

[regentrude]

I followed the recipe exactly and the only spice they had was ground cinnamon. I don't venture off on my own and add in random spices because I have no idea what I'm doing. 

 

I make banana chocolate chip muffins that taste really good. I just assumed the cookie recipe would be as good as those. They weren't.

 

So what IS the recipe?

If all it has is oat flour and cinnamon and no source of sweetener, no wonder it tastes like cardboard.

Tip: you can make everything more tasty with browned butter.

[Night Elf]

Here is the recipe

 

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup oat flour

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 medium bananas, mashed

2 large eggs

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray pan.

Combine oats, flour, cinnamon and salt in one bowl. 

Mash bananas until creamy then add eggs, butter and vanilla extract, whisk until well combined.

Add dry ingredients to wet, mixing well.

Roll tablespoons into a ball and place on cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork.

Bake at 350 until firm to touch and golden brown on bottom, 15-17 minutes. ( I found 11 minutes worked well with these small cookies.)

[regentrude]

Here is the recipe

 

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup oat flour

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 medium bananas, mashed

2 large eggs

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

That does not sound like it can taste any different from baked oatmeal with banana. And it would not get very crisp with all the banana either.

Edited January 17, 2018 by regentrude

[SparklyUnicorn]

You could try using something like Stevia. 

[kiana]

I followed the recipe exactly and the only spice they had was ground cinnamon. I don't venture off on my own and add in random spices because I have no idea what I'm doing. 

 

You can add spices into baking recipes without altering how it works chemically. In other words, it won't change the texture or how it works. I increase spices all the time because I find that most recipes are a bit bland. 

 

IME, 99% of the time, if the dough tastes good, the baked good will taste fine spice-wise too. I add spices and keep sampling the dough until it's a bit stronger than I want it (because the potency decreases a bit while baking). 

 

For what it's worth, if I were going to try those I would have added at least double the cinnamon they say, and also ginger and a bit of nutmeg/cloves/allspice.