[Written yesterday] Today is a proud mama day. My 4th grade daughter Mimi who is quite gifted in sports played in her 2nd softball game. This is a new sport for her. While practicing pitching with my husband and her older 6th grade sister for the last few weeks, she went into the game as the backup pitcher to the 2 starters. Well, she was called up and struck out the first batter, then walked the next one, and struck out the 3rd and 4th batters. Everyone went nuts and I made victory cookies.
Not just any cookies. These cookies were inspired by a Savory Sweet Life reader (Hi Evie!) who emailed me this morning asking whether or not I had any oatmeal raisin cookie recipes on my site that are as good as my famously viral Best EVER Chocolate Chip Cookies. As I read her email, I knew what she was getting at and looking for. I told her how I personally liked the Quaker Oats recipe on the box but that I would give it some thought and get back to her. As I thought about all the oatmeal cookies I have ever tasted and personally enjoyed, I started to think about what would be the quintessential oatmeal raisin cookie I would consider the best and most memorable. A cookie so good, that when shared, people would devour them.
As I was telling someone yesterday, when I develop recipes I always think about the end product in mind. Trusting my own finicky palate, then working backwards. This means thinking about certain characteristics I want the final baked good to have, then approaching the recipe like a food scientist understanding how technique is as important as ingredients. I know this all sounds silly but it is completely true. Just last week I spent long late night hours over 5 days with 3 failed attempts at perfecting a vegan vanilla cupcake that was so good and that I could be happy with. Because at the end of the day, I am the one who wants to be satisfied and happy with my work. And in case you’re wondering, I made a pretty amazing vegan vanilla cupcake yesterday, waking up at 3 am to give it one more shot before bringing them to a birthday party alongside my favorite chocolate ones.
Back to the oatmeal cookies. To call your cookies the best takes courage and guts, especially on the internet. Well, these are the best! I realize I just threw a gauntlet down. But when I eat these cookies, I can’t recall a more satisfying, delicious, crispy and toffee tasting on the outside and every so chewy on the inside oatmeal raisin cookie. I think the blend of spices is perfect, the texture, height, and flavor is perfect, and the overall look of the cookie is perfect. They aren’t runny and flat nor do they look dense and heavy.
My husband’s favorite cookie is oatmeal raisin and I consider him a pretty good judge when it comes to this type of cookie. He has fond memories of his grandma baking them for him as a child. They remind him of his childhood in the same way a Hershey bar reminds me of mine. But my kids aren’t crazy about cookies with raisins in them. They are my hardest critics, sometimes brutally too honest. When my kids told me these cookies were awesome, I knew they were special. If I can get my kids to love and rave about these cookies then I stand by my claim. Yep, these are the best. If you are looking for a classic oatmeal raisin cookie that will make have you smiling bite after bite, look no further.. you’re home. Enjoy!
Using a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high for 30 seconds, then increase the speed to high for up to 2 minutes until the sugar-butter mixer looks whipped like frosting and not like wet sand.
Reduce the speed to medium and add the egg and vanilla until well combined.
Add the oats, flour, raisins, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice.
Continue to mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds until the dough is completely mixed.
Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough approximately 2 inches apart on a baking sheet that is lined with either parchment paper or a silicon mat.. A medium cookie scoop is slightly bigger than a tablespoon.
Bake for 11-12 minutes turning the baking sheet around half way through the baking time until the cookies are golden brown, slightly lighter in the center.
Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a plate or wire rack. Best when eaten slightly warm, the edges of the cookies will become crispy when cooled down.
Raisins: I love to soak the raisins in warm water before using. This step is optional, but it guarantees they are plump and soft. Blot dry before adding to cookie dough. (You can also use this cookie dough to make my white chocolate chip cherry oatmeal cookies.)
Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which can produce tough cookies. If the recipe doesn't call for an electric mixer, mix in dry ingredients using a wooden spoon. When dry ingredients like flour are "scooped" into the measuring cup directly from the container, it compresses, or becomes packed.
Too much sugar and not enough flour could lead to flat cookies. If your cookie recipe calls for a high ratio of white sugar, it's likely that your cookies will turn out flat. A great way to prevent this is by using a mix of white and brown sugar instead.
Old fashioned oats give these cookies the best chewy texture. I don't recommend using quick oats instead! Baking powder and baking soda make them nice and puffy. Brown sugar adds the perfect caramelized sweetness.
Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.
Although I like to use dark raisins in these cookies you could also use golden raisins. Both dark and golden raisins are simply dried Thompson seedless grapes.
Popping your dough in the fridge allows the fats to cool. As a result, the cookies will expand more slowly, holding onto their texture. If you skip the chilling step, you're more likely to wind up with flat, sad disks instead of lovely, chewy cookies. Cookies made from chilled dough are also much more flavorful.
Dry – “Dry” or “Crumbly” dough is a product of over-mixing or using too much of any ingredient during the mixing process. This can be reversed by adding one to two tablespoons of liquid (water, milk or softened butter) to your mix.
This can easily happen if you're using an electric mixer. Combining flour with water or other liquids activates the gluten. So the more you mix the two together, the tougher the gluten will be, leading to a drier cookie.
Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.
Bakery or homemade cookies can be stored at room temperature two to three weeks or two months in the refrigerator. Cookies retain their quality when stored in the freezer for eight to 12 months.
Try using baking powder instead of baking soda. Baking soda encourages spreading while baking powder puffs the cookies up. If your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, you would use 3 to 4 teaspoons of baking powder.
Old fashioned oats provide a chewy, nutty texture and flavor to oatmeal cookies. They are thicker and heartier than quick oats (instant oats). I don't recommend using quick oats because the cookies won't have as much texture and you want a nice and chewy oatmeal cookie that is hearty with lots of texture going on.
When it comes to the two types you probably already have in your kitchen—rolled oats and quick oats—you can use them in recipes interchangeably. If you need quick oats, but only have rolled oats, just pulse the rolled oats a few times in the blender to get the textural effect your recipe needs.
Place the raisins in a microwave-safe bowl and cover them with liquid; microwave for 2-3 minutes, then soak for 10-15 minutes before folding into batter. Cover the raisins with room temperature liquid and soak for 30 minutes. After that time has passed, they're ready to use!
Soaking raisins has several benefits for your baking. First, it plumps up the raisins, making them softer and juicier, improving their mouthfeel. Soaking these fruity goodies also prevents them from absorbing moisture from the batter during baking.
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Introduction: My name is Laurine Ryan, I am a adorable, fair, graceful, spotless, gorgeous, homely, cooperative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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