Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup raisins, packed (optional)
1 cup diced pecans or walnuts (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease or line with parchment two
baking sheets.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugars, butter, shortening, salt,
baking powder, spices and vanilla, beating until smooth. Beat in the egg,
then add the oats and flour. Stir in the raisins and nuts.
Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Using the
flat bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten each ball of dough
to about 1/4-inch thick.
Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes, until they're golden brown. These are
supposed to be crunchy, so don't underbake them. Remove them from the oven
and cool on a rack.
Variations:
Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies: Add 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate
chips to the Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie recipe.
Very Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies: Add 1 vanilla bean, finely ground, to the
Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie recipe. This will add an assertive hit of
pure vanilla to your cookies.
Trail Mix Jumbles: Prepare the Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie recipe,
replacing the raisins with 1 cup (5 1/4 ounces) dried cranberries, and
adding 2/3 cup (4 ounces) chocolate chips or candy-coated chocolates, and
1/3 cup (1 ounce) flaked coconut, unsweetened preferred.
Cranberry Chews: Prepare the Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie recipe,
substituting 1 1/2 cups (7 7/8 ounces) dried cranberries and 1/2 cup diced
walnuts for the raisins and nuts. Add 1/4 teaspoon orange oil, or 1
tablespoon grated orange rind.
Oat Scotchies: Prepare the Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie recipe,
substituting 1 cup (6 ounces) butterscotch chips for the raisins and using
diced pecans. Add a few drops strong butterscotch or butter-rum flavor, if
desired.
Mocha Chip Oatmeal Cookies: Prepare the Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie
recipe, adding 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder to the dough, and substituting 1
cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips for the raisins, and 1 cup
chopped macadamia nuts for the pecans or walnuts.
Coconutties: Prepare the Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie recipe, adding a
few drops strong coconut flavor to the dough and substituting 2 cups (6
ounces) shredded unsweetened coconut for the raisins and nuts. If you use
sweetened coconut, reduce the sugar (either brown, or granulated) in the
recipe by 2 tablespoons.
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup raisins, packed (optional)
1 cup diced pecans or walnuts (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease or line with parchment two
baking sheets.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugars, butter, shortening, salt,
baking powder, spices and vanilla, beating until smooth. Beat in the egg,
then add the oats and flour. Stir in the raisins and nuts.
Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Using the
flat bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten each ball of dough
to about 1/4-inch thick.
Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes, until they're golden brown. These are
supposed to be crunchy, so don't underbake them. Remove them from the oven
and cool on a rack.
Variations:
Chocolate Chip-Oatmeal Cookies: Add 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate
chips to the Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie recipe.
Very Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies: Add 1 vanilla bean, finely ground, to the
Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie recipe. This will add an assertive hit of
pure vanilla to your cookies.
Trail Mix Jumbles: Prepare the Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie recipe,
replacing the raisins with 1 cup (5 1/4 ounces) dried cranberries, and
adding 2/3 cup (4 ounces) chocolate chips or candy-coated chocolates, and
1/3 cup (1 ounce) flaked coconut, unsweetened preferred.
Cranberry Chews: Prepare the Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie recipe,
substituting 1 1/2 cups (7 7/8 ounces) dried cranberries and 1/2 cup diced
walnuts for the raisins and nuts. Add 1/4 teaspoon orange oil, or 1
tablespoon grated orange rind.
Oat Scotchies: Prepare the Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie recipe,
substituting 1 cup (6 ounces) butterscotch chips for the raisins and using
diced pecans. Add a few drops strong butterscotch or butter-rum flavor, if
desired.
Mocha Chip Oatmeal Cookies: Prepare the Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie
recipe, adding 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder to the dough, and substituting 1
cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips for the raisins, and 1 cup
chopped macadamia nuts for the pecans or walnuts.
Coconutties: Prepare the Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie recipe, adding a
few drops strong coconut flavor to the dough and substituting 2 cups (6
ounces) shredded unsweetened coconut for the raisins and nuts. If you use
sweetened coconut, reduce the sugar (either brown, or granulated) in the
recipe by 2 tablespoons.
