Thin & Crisp Oatmeal Cookies

 
Its that time of year again. With the kids going back to school, its cookie baking time, whether you are baking cookies to pop into their lunches or for an afterschool snack!
I always had some loving fresh from the oven waiting for my kiddos when they got off the school bus. Old habits die hard.  
I used to get so much joy out of sitting around the table with them afterschool with milk and fresh baked cookies, listening to how their days went.  Especially on these first few days when the excitement of the new school year was still  alive and well!

 
And they each had their favorite cookies as well. I tried to vary them every couple of days.  It wasn't always cookies either. Some days it was cake or muffins, but mostly it was cookies.
They went through them really fast as well, between the after school snacks, bed time treats and lunch box fixings, a batch of cookies never lasted very long.
  
I didn't mind really. I was happy to bake them cookies so long as they were happy to eat them. My mother was not a cookie baker really. She baked old fashioned Molasses Cookies from time to time, and whipped shortbread cookies at Christmas, but that was about it.
The rest of the time we had store bought cookies.  I really wanted my children to enjoy homemade cookies.  But then I had the luxury of being a stay-at-home mom. My own mother had worked.
 
I do confess that I enjoy the odd store bought cookie myself.  I adore the Tate Bakery ones, but they are hugely expensive. They make the best chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies.  You pay $7.99 for a dozen, which to me seems a lot of money.
But every once in a while I treat myself.  They are so good!
I found this recipe for a copycat Oatmeal Cookie on Alpana Sing's page.  They were purported to be the same as Tate's Oatmeal cookies. I decided to try them out for myself.
 
They turned out to be almost exactly like the Tate cookies!  Crisp and buttery and delicious!  I think I have found a new oatmeal cookie recipe!  
These are so dangerously delicious you could almost eat them like potato chips. Well I could at any rate! There are a few secrets to their success, but more on them later.
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIN & CRISP OATMEAL COOKIES
Pretty straightforward simple baking ingredients.

• 1 1/2 cups (210g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups (120g) old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup (150g) raisins (optional)
• 1 cup (240g) butter, softened
• 1 cup (200g) lightly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 large free range egg

 
The secret to these cookies is in the use of straightforward simple ingredients.  Plain flour.  Real butter and two kinds of sugar.  Soft light brown and white granulated.
They are flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
Do not be tempted to use anything other than old fashioned oats. It is the old fashioned oats that give these their lovely texture and nuttiness.  It is the butter and the amount of butter that give them their delicious crispness.

I chose to use raisins in mine when I made them. You can leave the raisins out if you don't like them, or you can use dried cranberries, or even chopped dates.
You can also add some chopped and toasted nuts if you wish.  Pecans are especially tasty.
Or you can leave everything out and just have plain oatmeal cookies. In that case I might add a bit more cinnamon than I chose to add. The original recipe called for 1 1/2 teaspoon, and I only used  1. Ground cardamom would also be very nice in these.
 
HOW TO MAKE THIN & CRISPY OATMEAL COOKIES
These are very easy to make.  Start by preheating your oven to 325*F/ 160*C/ gas mark 3. You will also need two large baking sheets, lined with baking paper.

Measure the oats into a food processor and pulse a few times to break them up. You want a coarse mixture, not powdery.Whisk the flour, spices, soda and salt together in a bowl. Stir in the oats. Set aside.Using an electric whisk, cream butter and both sugars together until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the vanilla. Beat in the egg until just combined.Stir in the oat-flour mixture, mixing just to combineAdd the raisins, if using, again mixing just until combined. 
Drop TBS of dough onto baking sheets and flatten firmly with a fork. (Dip the fork into water if the dough is sticking. Leave space between for spreading, and for the air to circulate.)Bake until cookies are crisp and uniformly golden brown. (12-14 minutes.)Cool the cookies on the baking sheets until set, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

I am a dunker, are you?  Whether it be in a glass of milk or a hot cup of herbal tea.  I just love nothing more than a dunked cookie and the crisper the cookie the more I like to dunk it! 

These are really, really, REALLY excellent oatmeal cookies.  I think you best prepare yourself to fall in love!

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Thin & Crisp Oatmeal Cookies

Yield: 2 1/2 DozenAuthor: Marie RaynerPrep time: 10 MinCook time: 14 MinTotal time: 24 MinThese are deliciously thin, crisp and buttery. I can eat these like potato chips. You have been warned! Don't be tempted to use anything other than old fashioned oatmeal in these. You won't get the same results.

IngredientsUSMetric

• 1 1/2 cups (210g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups (120g) old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup (150g) raisins (optional)
• 1 cup (240g) butter, softened
• 1 cup (200g) lightly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 large free range egg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325*F/160*C/ gas mark 3. Line two large baking trays with baking paper. Set aside.
2. Measure the oats into a food processor and pulse a few times to break them up. You want a coarse mixture, not powdery.
3. Whisk the flour, spices, soda and salt together in a bowl. Stir in the oats. Set aside.
4. Using an electric whisk, cream butter and both sugars together until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the vanilla. Beat in the egg until just combined.
5. Stir in the oat-flour mixture, mixing just to combine
6. Add the raisins, if using, again mixing just until combined.
7. Drop TBS of dough onto baking sheets and flatten firmly with a fork. (Dip the fork into water if the dough is sticking. Leave space between for spreading, and for the air to circulate.)
8. Bake until cookies are crisp and uniformly golden brown. (12-14 minutes.)
9. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets until set, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

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