Oatmeal / Apple Caramel Cookies

• 0.205 kg Shortening/butter
• 0.200 kg Brown sugar
• 0.200 kg Sugar
• 2 Eggs (0.110 kg)
• 0.010 kg Vanilla
• 0.030 kg Milk
• 0.250 kg Flour
• 0.005 kg Baking powder
• 0.004 kg Baking soda
• 0.005 kg Salt
• 0.0023 kg Cinnamon
• 0.180 kg Old-fashioned oatmeal
• 0.170 kg White chocolate chips
• 0.100 kg Granny Smith apple peels, julienned
• 0.040 kg Butter, white #1
• 0.100 kg Sugar
• 0.050 kg Butter #2, cut into cubes

1. 1 Preheat oven to 180°c / 350°f degrees.
2. 2 Cream together shortening or butter and sugars.
3. 3 Add egg, vanilla and milk and mix well.
4. 4 Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well.
5. 5 Stir in oatmeal; mix until well combined.
6. 6 Add minced apple julienne and the white chocolate chips.
7. 7 Spoon onto a lined cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden brown.
8. 8 Cool onto a cake rack.
9. 9 While the cookies are cooling, make the caramel; in a saucepan, add the butter and cover with the sugar.
10. 10 Melt over a medium heat, not stirring or mixing; let the butter melt and start to caramelise the sugar.
11. 11 Once the sugar starts to caramelise, gently mix in the melted butter together, until you have a smooth mixture.
12. 12 Once cooled down a bit but not completely cold, add the butter #2 in cubes, whisking it in.
13. 13 Let the mixture cool and slightly set before using.
14. 14 Once cold, drizzle over the cookies while on the cake rack.
15. 15 Nutritional Highlights: oatmeal-apple-caramel cookies are delicious but calorie-dense treats. Retaining the apple peel significantly boosts their nutritional profile, adding dietary fibre, essential vitamins, and antioxidants. These added nutrients can help offset some of the sugar and fat, though the cookies remain high in carbs and calories overall. Increase dietary fibre. This fibre helps slow down the digestion of the sugars and carbohydrates in the caramel and cookie dough, which can lead to a more gradual rise in blood sugar. It also promotes a feeling of fullness. Vitamin C and minerals. Apple skins contain high concentrations of Vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium compared to the flesh alone. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that supports immune function, while minerals like potassium are essential for heart health and muscle function. Rolled or old-fashioned oats contribute soluble fibre, specifically beta-glucan, known to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and improve overall heart health.

Sustainability impact

Wasted avoided: leftover peels from peeled apples. By-product used: apple peels. Valorisation strategy: using apple peels in caramel apple oatmeal cookies; different valorisations are added when turning them into a functional powder or paste. This maximises nutritional value and flavour. Convert peels into a fibre-rich powder to substitute a portion of the flour, or simmer them into a concentrated compote/jam to naturally sweeten the cookie dough, or simply add them to the mixture to have different texture will maximise the added value. Circular economy principle: by blending the peels into your cookie batter, you upcycle food waste into an antioxidant-rich, moist, and flavorful functional ingredient, Apple peel valorisation, while reducing kitchen disposal.