Big Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

(from 226-2tone’s recipe box)

MAKES 16 TO 20 LARGE COOKIES

If you prefer a less sweet cookie, you can reduce the white sugar by one-quarter cup, but you will lose some crispness. Do not overbake these cookies. The edges should be brown but the rest of the cookie should still be very light in color. Parchment makes for easy cookie removal and cleanup, but it’s not a necessity. If you don’t use parchment, let the cookies cool directly on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Source: Cook's Illustrated (ths.gardenweb.com) (from RecipeThing user Bethany)

Categories: Desserts

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound), softened but still firm
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
  • 3 cups rolled oats

Directions

  1. RAISIN OATMEAL COOKIES: Add 1 1/2 cups raisins.

  2. DATE OATMEAL COOKIES: Add 1 1/2 cups chopped dates.

  3. GINGER OATMEAL COOKIES: Add 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger.

  4. CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES: Add 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips.

  5. NUT OATMEAL COOKIES: Decrease flour to 1 1/3 cups, and add 1/4 cup ground almonds and 1 cup walnut pieces along with oats. Almonds can be ground in food processor or blender.

  6. ORANGE AND ALMOND OATMEAL COOKIES: Add 2 tablespoons minced orange zest (remove zest with peeler, being careful to leave behind any white pith) and 1 cup toasted chopped almonds (toast almonds in 350-degree oven for 5 minutes) along with oats.

  7. Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of electric mixer or by hand, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time.

  8. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg together, then stir them into butter-sugar mixture with wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Stir in oats and optional ingredients.

  9. Form dough into sixteen to twenty 2-inch balls, placing each dough round onto one of two parchment paper–covered, large cookie sheets. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. (Halfway during baking, turn cookie sheets from front to back and also switch them from top to bottom.) Slide cookies on parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

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