The other day I was doing some surfing and happened upon a message board where they were discussing Oatmeal Cookies. A few years ago when I was at the King Arthur store I bought some Oatmeal Cookies and they were the best I have ever eaten. I had never been a big fan of oatmeal cookies, most seemed too dry to me. That cookie at King Arthur put me on a quest to remake that cookie. I’ve tried many recipes since then and until now none compared. It still isn’t that cookie but it is really good. I baked them yesterday and even today they are soft and moist.

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Whisk together and set aside:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream:
1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 extra large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons Karo syrup

Stir in:
3 cups oatmeal - I used regular oatmeal and put it in the food processor after measuring it to chop it up a little
1 1/2 cups raisins - soak in boiling water for a couple of minutes, drain and let cool before adding
1/2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk dry ingredients; set aside. Combine wet ingredients with a mixer on low. To cream, increase speed to high and beat until fluffy and the color lightens.

Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until no flour is visible. Chop oatmeal in food processor. Now add the oats, raisins and pecans; stir until mixed together.

Fill cookie scoop with dough.

Drop 2-inches apart onto baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. I put 9 cookies on a half sheet pan.

Bake 11-13 minutes (on center rack), until golden, but still moist beneath cracks on top. Remove from oven; let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy and Happy Baking!

This recipe is adapted from the no flour peanut butter cookie recipe. I added flour, salt and vanilla to it. These cookies are easy, fast and quick! They taste good too….

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl with a wooden spoon, beat peanut butter, salt and sugar. Add the egg, vanilla and mix. Stir in flour.

When well blended, drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet or spray with cooking spray to prevent from sticking.

Bake at 350°F degrees for about 12-15 minutes or until you see them golden brown at the bottom.

Makes about 12 - 16 cookies.

Tip: To make cookies of uniform size use a small scoop.

This recipe comes from Cook’s Illustrated magazine this month and I just had to try it. I was not disapointed, they are crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle. Delicious!!!

Brown Sugar Cookies

14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (about 1 3/4 ounces)
2 cups packed dark brown sugar (14 ounces) - Use fresh brown sugar, as older (read: harder and drier) brown sugar will make the cookies too dry
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. In shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, rubbing between fingers, until well combined; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl; set aside.

3. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter; mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Divide dough into 24 portions, each about 2 tablespoons, rolling between hands into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, toss balls in reserved sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, 12 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but it will take 3 batches.)

5. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone; see photo below), 12 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.

6. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Makes 2 Dozen Cookies