The farms, forests, and lakes that surround Toronto are invaluable resources for local and sustainable ingredients (and a good bit of foraging, too). Think wood-nettle spätzle or slow-cooked chicken with fresh corn pudding. Toronto is a city that likes to cheer on its sports teams with one-handed party food, and that’s where homemade pizzas, fried chicken and fish tacos come in handy.
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Oatmeal Vanilla Bean Cookies
Makes 36 cookies
Recipe from Sandra Katsiou, Baker and Scone, 693 St. Clair Ave. W, Toronto
1/2 cup organic unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups large flake oats
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and sugars and mix on medium speed until smooth. Add egg and vanilla extract, scrape in seeds of the vanilla bean, and mix until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix flours and baking soda together until combined. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and mix for 30 seconds. Add oats and mix until just combined. (Do not overmix.)
Place 2-Tbsp mounds of dough, 2 inches apart, on a baking sheet. Leave dough in a mound, rather than flattening. (This will create thick, chewy cookies.) Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, until golden.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Figure .1 Publishing.