Most of my baking life I have been on the search for a simple oatmeal cookie recipe that would result in a beautifully crisp oatmeal cookie. I have tried about a bazillion recipes through the years. That's a lot of cookies.
And for the most part I have enjoyed the results of my labours. I do not think I have ever eaten an oatmeal cookie that I did not fall in love with. I think of all the cookies, oatmeal cookies are my favourites!
I enjoy them in any way shape or form. Soft and chewy, studded with plump sticky sultana raisins, sweet chocolate chips, toasted nuts, etc. I do believe however that I have stumbled upon the perfect oatmeal cookie recipe.Thin. Crisp. Buttery. Unadulterated by any other flavours save that of butter and vanilla. Wholesome, oaty. In short. Oatmeal Cookie PERFECTION.
I recently purchased this cookbook by America's Test Kitchen to replace in part at least, some of the cookbooks I had to leave behind in the UK. (My heart will always be broken about that, but it is what it is.) I had a LOT of baking books.
I was greatly tempted by this one and have to say I have NEVER been disappointed by any of the ATK cookery books. I have had a few of them through the years and none of them have been duds. This one, thus far is no exception.
Granted, this is the first recipe I have baked from the book. I have to say however, if this recipe is any indication of the quality of cookie recipes contained in the book, I am on to a winner here!
My sister thought they almost tasted like oat cakes. And I have to say, that buttery oaty flavor is there in abundance. I adore the flavor of oats in baked goods. So wholesome and almost nutty.
These toasty cookies are pleasantly crunchy, even in the centres. This is something which can be very difficult to achieve in a cookie. You often get them crispy edged, but usually the centres can be a bit chewy.
Not so with this one. Even the centres are perfectly crisp and buttery. That is because they scaled down the amount of sugar somewhat, enabling the oaty flavor to shine through and making for less moisture in the cookies.
There is also not a lot of flour in these cookies. Only one cup. Most cookies take far more than that. In fact there is far more oatmeal in these cookies than there is flour!
There is a full 2 1/2 cups of oats in these which really makes for a delicious wholesome oaty flavor. It is important to note that you really need to use the old fashioned oats, not the quick or instant oats.
I only ever very rarely have quick or instant oats in my cupboard and when I do it is usually in the form of those premeasured breakfast cereal packets. I prefer old fashioned oats on every level.
Wholesome. Toothsome. Hearty. Delicious. In this house organic non gmo oats are the preference.
You want to use butter that is soft, but still cool if that makes sense. We pop it into the microwave for about 3 to 4 seconds. This yields a butter that is spreadable, but still holds its shape.
This gets whipped together with two kinds of sugar. Granulated white and soft light brown. I have come to recognize that granulated white sugar here in the UK is the same as castor sugar in the UK. It has much finer granules than the granulated sugar you will see in the UK.
One reason this is desirable when it comes to baking is because of its ability to melt into batters and doughs without leaving a grainy texture. Ever baked a cake and had it come out looking a bit speckled on top?
These are sugar granules that have not quite melted into the batter. That's why it is important when baking to use a finer granulated sugar. If yours is too granulated, you can blitz it in a food processor to break it down a bit.
The use of a bit of brown sugar gives these an almost caramel like flavor. I love the flavor of brown sugar in bake goods. There is not enough to make the cookies soft, just enough to give them a hint of caramel.
Brown sugar has more moisture in it than white sugar. This is due to the molasses content. Did you know if you have run out of brown sugar you can substitute white sugar for it with the addition of a bit of molasses?
If you have run out of brown sugar and need to make your own, mix 1 cup (200 grams) of granulated white sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses. If you need dark brown sugar, simply increase the molasses to 2 tablespoons. Easy peasy. Just stir it all together.
Also, if you don’t have molasses on hand, you can easily swap it out for maple syrup with almost no change to your recipe’s final product. Combine 1 cup (200 grams) of granulated white sugar with 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup to make a brown sugar substitute that can fool just about anyone. There is no acutely discernable difference in taste.
I have to say that I cannot recommend this Oatmeal Cookie highly enough. They are crisp and moreish. Buttery. Oaty. The best Oatmeal Cookie.
My search is over. These truly are the perfect oatmeal cookie!
Thin & Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
Yield: Makes 2 dozenAuthor: Marie Raynerprep time: 10 Mincook time: 16 Mintotal time: 26 MinThis is the crispest, most delicious oatmeal cooki I have ever baked or eaten. Incredibly moreish.Ingredients
- 1 cup (140g) plain/all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 14 TBS butter, softened but still cold
- 1 cup (195g) granulated sugar (In the UK caster sugar)
- 1/4 cup (50g) soft light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large free range egg
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (200g) old fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Have ready several large baking sheets that you have lined with baking parchment.
- Beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter together at low speed, just until combined. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light in color and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Sift together the flour, soda, salt and baking powder. Stir into the creamed mixture just to incorporate and then stir in the oats until thoroughly blended.
- Using a cookie scoop (or by 2 TBS measures), drop the dough (roll into balls) onto the baking sheet leaving about 3 inches in between each. Lightly press down with your fingrs until the balls are 3/4 inch thick.
- Bake, one sheet at a time, until goldn brown with crisp edges. This will tak abou 13 o 16 minutes depending on your oven. (mine took 16)
- Leave on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before scooping off onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
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