Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened227 g
• 1 cup sugar200 g
• 1 cup packed brown sugar213 g
• 2 large eggs, room temperature100 g
• 1 tablespoon molasses21 g
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract9 g
• 2 cups all-purpose flour240 g
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats160 g
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda7 g
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon3 g
• 1/2 teaspoon salt3 g
• 1 cup each raisins and chopped pecans109 g
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips170 g

Method

1. Like with most drop cookies, you're going to start by creaming together the softened butter and sugars. Once well combined, add the two eggs, molasses and vanilla and beat, beat, beat. This should take about five minutes. You really want it light and fluffy!
2. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Just a quick stir to combine these ingredients will ensure they are evenly distributed in the cookie dough. Editor's Tip: Any type of cinnamon can be used in this recipe. If you're a big fan of spicy cinnamon, look for Indonesian or Korintje cinnamon—it packs the most punch. If you prefer a more mild flavor, stick with traditional Ceylon cinnamon.
3. Next, add the dry ingredients to your creamed mixture in a few batches. Beat until just combined—and don't forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. This is a pretty big batch of cookie dough, so have patience. It will take a bit of time to get all the oats, flour, butter and more fully incorporated. Editor's Tip: Be careful not to overmix at this stage. Too much mixing here can lead to tough cookies.
4. It's time to add in all the tasty mix-ins; this recipe has a whopping 3 cups! Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir the chocolate chips, raisins and chopped pecans in by hand. Editor's Tip: Consider toasting the nuts before adding them to the cookie dough. This helps develop the flavor of the pecans. And if you don't have pecans on hand, walnuts, almonds (OK, any type of nut) work well as a substitute.
5. Use a cookie scoop to portion out cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Be sure to leave about 2 inches between each cookie since they do spread a good bit in the oven. Bake at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes—until the edges start to turn golden brown. Once baked, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Watch out for: Spread complaints usually trace to the formula (wet, sugar-heavy) or a skipped hydration chill — not the oven.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened )
• 1 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed )
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs (room temperature preferred)
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch (cornflour in UK)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon table salt
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 ½ cups chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or raisins (optional!)

Method

1. Beat butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or using an electric beater) for about 30 seconds.
2. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy (pause to scrape down sides and bottom of bowl, if needed).
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined.
4. Stir in vanilla extract.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
6. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture until completely combined. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so ingredients are well-mixed.
7. Gradually stir in oats until completely combined. If using raisins or chocolate chips, stir them in at this point.
8. Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
9. Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and prepare cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper.
10. Drop cookie dough by rounded 2 Tablespoon-sized balls onto parchment paper, spacing at least 2" apart. If desired, roll cookies between your palms to make a smooth ball, which will give you more uniform cookies.
11. Bake on 375F (190C) for 10-12 minutes (edges should be slightly browned, centers may still be slightly underbaked but shouldn't be raw, they'll bake completely as they cool).
12. Allow cookies to cool completely on cookie sheet before serving and enjoying.

Watch out for: This formula is one enthusiastic half-cup from the cliff: 'grainy, loose, hand-molded' is the symptom that you crossed it. Edges will read soft; that is the price of the position.

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour (2 cups)250 g
• Brown sugar (3/4 cup (packed))135 g
• White sugar (1 1/2 cups)315 g
• Butter (3 sticks)312 g
• Egg (2 large eggs)100 g
• Baking soda (1 3/4 tsp)9 g
• Salt (3/4 tsp)4 g

Method

1. Mix: cream; white-led sugar split
2. Dry: light oat load (90%), generous leavener
3. Chill: none — spread is the point
4. Shape: slight flatten
5. Bake: 375F for early color, watch by the minute
6. Rest: cool on sheet until set

Watch out for: The 375F color comes fast; a minute past first deep gold is dead chew. Margarine-based fats at this fat level flirt with structural failure.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled until no longer warm to the touch)
• 1 cup dark brown sugar (firmly packed )
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs (room temperature preferred)
• 1 Tablespoon molasses (use a molasses that says “unsulphured” on the label, I like “Grandmas” and “Brer Rabbit” brand)
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon table salt
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 ½ cups raisins

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine melted, cooled butter, sugars, and cinnamon and stir until well-combined.
2. Add eggs and stir well, then stir in molasses and vanilla extract until completely combined.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt.
4. Gradually stir dry ingredients into butter mixture until completely combined.
5. Add oats and raisins and stir until oats and raisins are uniformly distributed.
6. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes before baking (see note if you would like to chill longer).
7. Once dough is nearly finished chilling, preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Once dough has finished chilling, remove from refrigerator and scoop into rounded 1 1/2-Tablespoon sized scoops. Drop scoops onto prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies at least 2” (5cm) apart.
9. Bake on 350F (175C) for 10-12 minutes. The centers will look slightly underbaked still but allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet and they will finish cooking to perfection, leaving you with soft, chewy cookies.

Watch out for: The soak's documented cost: a measured hit to structural integrity in the fullest test. If the cookie matters more than the raisin, skip the soak.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (212g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)212 g
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon3 g
• 1/2 tsp baking soda2 g
• 1/2 tsp baking powder2 g
• 1/2 tsp salt3 g
• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, (softened slightly (it should still be somewhat cold and firm))226 g
• 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar200 g
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar100 g
• 2 large eggs100 g
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract6 g
• 3 cups (260g) rolled old fashioned oats*260 g
• 1 cup (153g) raisins** (preferably from a freshly opened package)153 g
• 1 cup (118g) chopped walnuts118 g

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line rimmed 18 by 13-inch baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined.
4. Mix in one egg, then blend in second egg and vanilla.
5. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined then mix in oats, raisins and walnuts.
6. Scoop dough out and shape into 1 1/2-inch balls (or 40 grams each), transfer to prepared baking sheet fitting 12 per sheet and spacing 2-inches apart.
7. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown on edges and nearly set (center should look under-baked), about 12 - 14 minutes.
8. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
9. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Watch out for: Margarine-for-SHORTENING is oddly low-risk while margarine-for-BUTTER is the disaster — the reports separate the two cleanly, so read your recipe's baseline fat before swapping.