It is both chewy and crispy at the same time with a hint of Cinnamon and Vanilla and sweetened with Dark Brown Sugar. The Oatmeal Cookie is another classic American Cookie which can be spiced up with plump Raisins or made super indulgent with rich Chocolate Chips. Eat one or two and when no one is looking eat another because you are Cooking The amazing.
Here is the recipe.
2 Sticks Butter, softened, unsalted
1 1/4 c Dark Brown Sugar, packed
1 c Sugar
1 t Salt (fine Sea Salt preferably)
2 1/2 t Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs, large (room temp.)
2 c All Purpose Flour
2 t Baking Soda
2 1/2 t Cinnamon
3 c Oats, old fashioned (not quick/instant oats)
OPTIONAL: 1 c Raisins or Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or toasted Pecans, chopped or Butterscotch Chips.
*This makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Approx. Cooking and Prep Time: 1 hour plus cooling
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 cookie sheets with non-stick Cooking Spray.
2. If you are using Raisins: Measure 1 c of Raisins into a small bowl and pour about 3/4 cup of Orange Juice over them and stir. Allow to soak and plump up while preparing the batter. Drain well before adding to batter.
3. In a large bowl cream Butter, Dark Brown Sugar, Sugar, Salt, and Vanilla together until well mixed.
4. Add the Eggs one at a time and mix well.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk Flour, Baking Soda, and Cinnamon until well combined.
6. Slowly add the Flour mixture to the creamed Butter mix and mix well without over mixing.
7. Add the Oats one cup at a time and mix until just incorporated. The batter will be dense and thick.
8. If adding Nuts or Chocolate Chips fold them in last. If adding Raisins, drain them from the Orange Juice well then fold them in.
9. Form 2 inch round flattened disks about 1/2 inch thick with your hands and place them 3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake 9-13 minutes in the center of your oven at 350 degrees until the edges are lightly browned and centers are still pale. Half way through baking rotate your cookie sheet for even baking and bake just one sheet at a time for best results. Use a dark cookie sheet if possible.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing with a spatula to cooling rack.
11. Respray the cooled cookie sheet between batches with non stick Cooking Spray. These will stick if the pan is not well oiled.
COOKIE BAKING SUCCESS TIPS:
1. Use high quality ingredients. Better made flours (like King Arthur Brand, Gold Medal), Better Vanilla Extracts (Like Nielsen Massey), Better Chocolate (Like Ghirardeli, Dove, Scharffen Berger). Fake Vanilla makes a fake tasting cookie. Use a box mix if you want the fake flavor taste. Bad Chocolate tastes like bad Chocolate. Period. A good brand of Flour ensures a uniform flour that is consistent every time. Generic Flour companies in the US often use the lowest quality wheat from different sources.
2. Use fine Sea Salt. Morton Table salt with iodine is the last thing you want to use in baking. It has a very chemical after taste and just a small amount is noticeable. I use Hain Brand Sea Salt without iodine. Don't buy expensive Sea Salts for baking. Just get a good real Sea Salt. Do not use large grain Kosher salts. They do not dissolve as well leaving salt pockets.
3. Use the Freshest Eggs and Butter. Old Butter and Eggs makes cookies that taste rancid. Room temperature Eggs and Butter for cookies is best.
4. Sugar, brown and white, should be fresh. Use the freshest, softest Brown Sugar. It makes a huge difference. Brands of sugar are not as important. Sugar manufacturing in the US is fairly consistent brand to brand so a generic brand is just fine.
5. After you have added the Flour to a recipe, do not over mix but still be sure to mix the ingredients well to form a uniform batter. Over mixing makes a tough textured cookie because over mixed flour produces gluten leading to a bread like texture. As soon as the Flour is no longer seen, it is well mixed.
6. Form uniform sized dough balls/disc so the Cookies bake all the same. This eliminates some being over cooked and some being raw in the center.
7. Use a dark colored cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet in the center of your oven on the center rack and rotate the cookie sheet around 1/2 way through baking. This keeps the cookies evenly baked if you have a hotter spot in your oven. Bake one sheet at a time. Keep the oven door closed as much as possible so the temperature stays consistent.
8. Allow the Cookies to rest for 3 mins. on the cookies sheet once removed from the oven. The Cookies are still cooking and need to set up before removing.
9. Place on a baking rack to cool completely before storing in an air tight container. Minimum 2 hours cooling time.
10. Make sure the cookie sheet cools completely before adding another batch of dough.
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