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    Home » Recipes » Cookies & Bars

    Cardamom Oatmeal Fig Cookies

    September 17, 2012 by keepinitkind 27 Comments

    Chris told me recently that "It's not quite dessert unless there's chocolate in it."  Is there any question as to why I adore him?

    Cardamom Oatmeal Fig Cookies

    So I was all set to make some sort of chocolatey dessert to surprise him with after a long, hard day of work, when I found that I was out of chocolate chips (gasp!).  And cocoa & cacao powder (double gasp!).  How had I let this slip?  Actually, this was not a shock as this is the sort of thing I do all the time.  Lets say it's part of my charm.

    Cardamom Oatmeal Fig Cookies

    I remembered that Chris sometimes likes oatmeal raisin cookies, and I hadn't made them in ages, so I decided to go that route.  Raisins aren't my favorite things in the world, and though I had some, I just didn't feel like using them.  I had purchased some figs that morning because they were on sale and I had plans of making this salad, but decided on a whim that they would be better in these cookies than raisins.

    Cardamom Oatmeal Fig Cookies

    I pulled out my trusty old oatmeal raisin cookie recipe and made some adjustments which included trading all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour, brown sugar for brown rice and maple syrups, and cinnamon and ginger for cardamom and cloves.  I folded in my chopped figs (In the batch shown, I just quartered the figs, though in my next batch, I cut them into smaller chunks.  Either way is fine, but I recommend the latter) and I had a very hard time not eating all of this cookie dough straight from the bowl.  Eating way too much cookie dough could also be attributed to being part of my charm.  I restrained this time, however, because I wanted Chris to come home to a gorgeous plate of oatmeal fig cookies so we could test his dessert theory.

    Cardamom Oatmeal Fig Cookies

    Not only did these cookies, though chocolateless, prove to be worthy of being called "dessert," but they had Chris exclaiming, between mouthfuls, "What is IN these?".  He was taken by how soft, chewy, and fragrant these cookies were.  The juice from the fresh figs seeps into the cookie making them very soft and moist.  Because of how aromatic the cardamom and cloves are, every bite you take is not just tasted by the tongue, but the nose as well.

    Cardamom Oatmeal Fig Cookies

    If you are like Chris, and a firm believer that desserts require chocolate, I urge you to challenge that theory with these cookies.  If you don't think desserts require chocolate, then you're likely to love these even more.

    Cardamom Oatmeal Fig Cookies

    Print
    Cardamom Oatmeal Fig Cookies

    Yield: 20-24 cookies

    Cardamom Oatmeal Fig Cookies

    Ingredients

      dry ingredients
    • 2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
    • 2/3 cup gluten-free flour mix, such as Bob’s Red Mill (or all-purpose flour)
    • 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
    • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
    • wet ingredients
    • 1/3 cup brown rice syrup
    • 1/3 cup maple syrup
    • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
    • 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • add-in
    • 1 cup fresh figs, stems trimmed and chopped into chunks

    Instructions

    1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, egg replacer, baking soda, salt, cloves, cardamom and oats together until thoroughly combined.
    2. In a smaller bowl, mix together the brown rice and maple syrups with the coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together. Fold in the fig segments. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
    3. Once the cookie dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the baking sheets, keeping in mind that these cookies will spread out (so don’t crowd them together).
    4. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until cookies have firmed and are golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and let sit on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before serving. Enjoy!
    3.1

    Cardamom Oatmeal Fig Cookies
    Speaking of Chris, last we week we started a little contest to see who could come up with a great story for how he got arrested by the Disney police.  We have picked a winner!   This little clever little poem from Beth had Chris and I busting up:

    There once was a guy named Chris
    who got the Disney cops pissed
    They threw him in jail
    and his wife got him bailed
    but the whole story is truly a dish

    I know what you’re thinking…
    but only DCA has drinking!
    he made some kids cry?
    he said the Peter Pan boats don’t actually fly?

    Maybe he stole some great loot
    like The Witch’s apple or Buzz’s Andy-marked boot
    Did he sneak backstage?
    it puts Cast Members in a rage!

    The truth is Chris thought it’d be extremely funny
    To ask every single person he met “Where the heck is BUGS BUNNY?!??!”

    Beth, you can expect a gift card to be appearing in your email inbox very soon.  Now, as promised, here is the real story:
    When Chris was 13 he went on a church outing to Disneyland.  The kids were allowed to split up so he and his friend, also named Chris, hopped onboard the people-mover, a series of connected, open pod-like cars that followed a track around the park.  They were in the very front car and at one point, they decided they wanted to be in the back car.  They climbed out of the front car and ran along the track next to it and jumped into the back car.  As soon as they climbed into the back car, the ride, which had just entered a tunnel, stopped and the lights turned on.  Disney Police appeared (one of them looking uncannily like Harrison Ford) at the Chris's car and asked them if they had climbed out of the ride to change cars.  They lied and said they hadn't, but the police still took them into the Disney police station where they were detained for several hours with some chain-smoking, punk-greaser Canadians who had also been arrested for something else.  After spending those several hours in great fear that they were going to "juvi," they were finally questioned and then released, their punishment being a 1 year banishment from the happiest place on earth.
    It's probably a little anticlimactic after all the build-up, but it still cracks me up every time I hear it.  Thank you, Beth, for your fantastic poem, and thank you all so much for participating- we had a blast reading through your crazy, off-the-wall stories!
    Love animals? Help support Farm Sanctuary’s mission to protect farm animals from cruelty! Keepin' It Kind's goal is $500, but we can’t do it alone! Together, we can make a real difference for farm animals everywhere. Donate today!  Learn more about Why I am Walking for Farm Animals and join our team!

    Photography by Chris Miller

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Somer

      September 17, 2012 at 8:12 am

      I was all excited by the title of this post because I have dried figs in my pantry waiting to be used. But the fresh figs my dear... OH MY! And would you believe I don't have any cardamom in my spice cupboard? I fully intend to remedy that situation today.

      LOVE the poem, and the actual story of Chris' arrest even more. Banished from the happiest place on earth for a year for his shenanigans! Bwahaha!

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        September 17, 2012 at 1:55 pm

        Cardamom is a must-have in our kitchen and these cookies would not be the same without it!

        Isn't Beth's poem a riot? Only Chris could get banished from Disneyland while on a church field trip. The first time I heard this story, I just about died from laughing. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Beth

      September 17, 2012 at 8:41 am

      Oh my goodness- this totally made my week! Thanks you guys!(and thanks Chris for being such a "deviant", haha.)

      What a weird coincidence....my husband is exactly the same when it comes to chocolate! He scoffs at all the fruity, non-chocolate desserts on a restaurant menu.

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        September 17, 2012 at 1:57 pm

        No, thank YOU, Beth! We both got a huge kick out of your poem- you are so creative!

        That's funny that your husband is a chocolate fanatic too! I think Chris craves chocolate more than I do (which is a LOT)! 😉

        Reply
    3. Annie

      September 17, 2012 at 9:05 am

      Sounds like a great combo for cookies - beautiful big bites of fig in there! And chocolate...Chris is right. Gotta have chocolate. Congrats to Beth! Maybe Chris' experience at Disneyland has kept him on the straight and narrow all of these years ;-)!

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        September 17, 2012 at 2:09 pm

        Thank you, Annie- these are likely the best oatmeal cookies I've ever made, but I just might throw a few chocolate chips in the next batch for Chris. 😉 I agree with you- his disney experience is probably why he never pursued a life of crime. 😛

        Reply
    4. Cadry

      September 17, 2012 at 11:15 am

      The cookies sound wonderful! I've subbed figs for raisins in the past in savory dishes, and I like how much more muted they are in flavor. They don't have the same "LOOK AT ME!' quality that raisins do.

      Excellent pick on the contest! Beth's poem is so cute and totally cracked me up!

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        September 17, 2012 at 2:11 pm

        hahaha! Yes, raisins are quite the little showboats. Figs could definitely be the new raisin! 😉

        Reply
    5. Melissa

      September 17, 2012 at 12:25 pm

      These cookies are beautiful! And the real disneyland story is too funny. I am betting the disney police deal with more "teen hijinks" there than actual issues. 🙂

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        September 17, 2012 at 2:15 pm

        Thank you, Melissa! I agree with you- they probably catch tons of teens doing crazy crap! 😉

        Reply
    6. Andrea

      September 17, 2012 at 1:47 pm

      The cookies are filled with flavors I love — must be a sign that I should make some before all the fresh figs disappear.

      Reply
    7. Richa`

      September 17, 2012 at 4:01 pm

      that is such a cool poem:) and the real story is funny too. a 13 yr old getting caught and 1 yr ban.. gasp:)
      i ran out of nuts this week and i had planned to make some cheese.. i think i will use some coconut cream instead.:)
      i love these cookies with the figs. till last year, between the 2 of us, we would not finish 2 bars of chocolate in the whole year. and this year, i am single handedly funding Theo chocolate;)

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        September 18, 2012 at 8:11 am

        Hahaha! I know what you mean- there are several companies that I'm beginning to think I should buy stock in because I send so much money their way. It is interesting how your tastes change, though, even as an adult. I love that you love chocolate now (more goodies for us!!!).

        Isn't the poem fantastic! Beth is a clever gal! 🙂

        Reply
        • Richa`

          September 18, 2012 at 5:05 pm

          i dont think my husband appreciates the unpredictability of my tastes 😉 some weeks he looks at me like really another chocolate something for breakfast.. can u please make me some poha(savory oats);)
          btw. i am still skipping around on 3 machines and that means free site testing for the blogs! Internet explorer(i think the older version) either shows mobile version of your posts or elongates all the pictures. it might just be a one off thing. just thought of letting you know.

          Reply
          • keepinitkind

            September 19, 2012 at 9:16 am

            Weird. Let me know if it persists. :-/

            And I'm sure your husband does appreciate your tastes- with your cooking, I bet he eats like a king! 🙂

            Reply
    8. Gabby @ the veggie nook

      September 17, 2012 at 5:57 pm

      Want to ship me a big box packed full of these? I'd love you forever!! Pssh who are we kidding, I already do 🙂

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        September 18, 2012 at 8:14 am

        No. I actually I want you to move here so I can make a batch and be able to bring them to you right next door. I would do it (almost) everyday! Pretty please! No matter. I'll love you wherever you are living. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Shira

      September 18, 2012 at 10:07 am

      Gorgeous! I like your brand of charms Kristy 🙂 Sounds familiar! I am sure Chris was more than happy at the sight of these - especially baked just for him! Luck guy, I say! xo

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        September 19, 2012 at 9:12 am

        Thank you, Shira! I would have to agree with you- Chris is a lucky guy (but I'm a lucky, lucky gal too)! 😉 Take care! xo

        Reply
    10. Courtney Jones

      September 18, 2012 at 3:04 pm

      Wow! These cookies look so so so yummy! I love oatmeal cookies. Great idea to use figs instead of raisins. Makes them seem extra fancy! *hehe*

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        September 19, 2012 at 9:15 am

        Well, I'm nothing if I'm not fancy. 😉 Thank you so much, Courtney.

        Reply
    11. Heather

      September 20, 2012 at 6:05 am

      First things first - these cookies look amazing and I bet they made your house smell even more amazing - I am thinking I could eat an entire plate of these beauties!

      Secondly - WOW Disney Police are tough....banishment for a whole year for pod jumping 🙂 That Chris of yours is such a rebel! xo

      Reply
    12. Suzanne

      July 10, 2013 at 7:12 am

      Funny story! I'm going to make these cookies ASAP to use up the figs in my fridge!

      Reply
    13. Laura

      August 13, 2013 at 8:07 am

      I want to make these STAT! Any ideas on what I could use instead of the Ener-g Egg Replacer?

      Reply
      • keepinitkind

        August 13, 2013 at 4:11 pm

        I would replace it with 2 tablespoons of flaxmeal. 🙂

        Reply
    14. K

      July 12, 2015 at 8:25 am

      I just made these and cookie itself is great, but the cloves are VERY overwhelming. Next time I would use maybe 1/8 tsp of cloves, so that the cardamom and fig comes through. I used 2 tbsp flax meal instead of the egg replacer!

      Reply
      • K

        July 12, 2015 at 8:26 am

        but you know what I might do? I might actually dip the bottoms in chocolate, or drizzle some over, just so that they DO have some chocolate in them 😉

        Reply

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