Apricot Blueberry Bundles

Sweet Sunday's Yummy Lit Review:
Apricot Blueberry Bundles

This week I tackled Martha Stewart's Oatmeal-Apricot Cookies recipe.

It is a good recipe, don't get me wrong... but I had to change it around. It was a Friday afternoon, it was beautifully sunny and warm, and I had the hugest craving for a blueberry apricot treat. I searched all of my baking books, baking blogs, baking websites, and still could not find a recipe that combined both of these yummy fruits. And then I found it - there on Martha's website was stated "These treats are a variation on classic oatmeal-raisin cookies. You could also try baking them with other dried fruits, such as cherries, cranberries, or chopped dates." I had found an oatmeal-apricot home for my blueberries!

Martha also gave me some pretty solid steps to follow:

1 1/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup roughly chopped dried apricots
3/4 cup slivered almonds.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars on medium speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add oat mixture, and mix until just combined. Stir in apricots and almonds by hand.
Divide dough into 12 pieces and roll into balls. Place balls 3 to 4 inches apart on baking sheet. Using your fingers, flatten balls to about a 3/4 inch thickness. Bake cookies until edges begin to brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I follow the recipe for the most part... well, besides the addition of 1/2 cup fresh blueberries from BC's interior. I mean, it is Martha Stewart after all. I did not think it was appropriate to mess with a good thing... no pun intended.

These cookies were really fun to make. The batter is sticky, and once you get to the ball stage you'll be covered in the yummy dough. I saved some blueberries to place on top of the cookies for decoration before going into the oven.

However, I do think the cookies were meant to be larger... She states a 25-30 minute baking time and the creation of only 12 cookies.

I ended up with 2 dozen Apricot Blueberry Bundles (as I've aptly named them). They only took 14 minutes in the oven... I hate to think what would have happened to them if they were to be left in for 30 minutes.

Oh, and how do they taste? AMAZING. I thought my favourite oatmeal cookies were from Betty Crocker (last week's Yummy Lit Review). But Apricot Blueberry Bundles are indescribable. The apricots bring a refreshing flavour, the blueberries add richness, and the oats are moist and soft. I love these cookies. I'll definitely be going back to Martha for more recipes.

The perfect cookie to ring in August 2010!
Hope you all have a Sweet Sunday.