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05/17/2018 12:01 AMI used some leftover bananas recently, to make banana bread. Then, I saw I had more leftovers: two pounds of unsalted butter recently thawed. I also came across a package of cinnamon chips and a package of candied ginger.
Soon I was looking for my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe and, after a search, found it: Big and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies. The page from The Best Recipe by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated had three or four stains on it and was wrinkled, so clearly, it’s a favorite.
I’m not crazy about raisins, so I skip those, and use instead those cinnamon chips (1 cup) and candied ginger (½ cup). I chop the latter coarsely with a sharp knife. You can use any combination for this recipe or none at all if you just want a delicious oatmeal cookie.
As with many recipes, I double this one. The cookies freeze beautifully.
Big and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
From The Best Recipe by editors of Cook’s Illustrated (Boston Common Press, 1999)
Yield: about 18 large cookies
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar*
1 cup granulated sugar*
2 large eggs
3 cups rolled oatmeal
1 ½ cups raisins (or leave them out and sub in something better)
Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. (I use Silpat instead of parchment.)
Whisk flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
Either by hand or with electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
Stir dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture with wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Stir in oats and optional raisins (or chips or candied ginger or dried cranberries).
Working with generous 2 tablespoons of dough each time, roll dough into 2-inch balls. (I often make smaller cookies.) Place balls on parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each ball.
Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. (Halfway through baking, turn cookie sheet from front to back and also switch them from top to bottom.) Slide cookies, on parchment, to cooling rack. Let cool at least 30 minutes before peeling cookies from parchment.