I love a good oatmeal cookie: moist, kind of chewy, thick and substantial, not too sweet with a nice buttery backdrop showcasing lots of oats, raisins and walnuts throughout…
Well, I think i’ve found that perfect oatmeal cookie in these Oatmeal Cookie Kings. This cookie is everything i’ve been searching for and more! The bulk of the cookie consists of quick-cook oats, not flour, which gives it that substantial feel missing in most oatmeal cookies.
The 1/2 butter 1/2 butter shortening combination contributes to the moist, almost cakey texture that sets this cookie apart from most others. Instead of regular vanilla extract the recipe calls for vanilla bean crush, a vanilla extract that is packed with crushed vanilla bean and little vanilla seeds, resulting in a richer flavor that adds dimension to the cookie.
The recipe calls for 3 ounces of dried cranberries or apples and 3 ounces of chopped nuts. I used 6 ounces of raisins that I plumped up overnight in some spiced vanilla rum and 6 ounces of roughly chopped walnuts.
The recipe also suggests using a teaspoon of dough per cookie but I wanted BIG bakery-style cookies so I used a 3″ muffin scoop, which gave me thirteen 4″ cookies. These cookies are so good that I had to pack them up and freeze them so I wouldn’t finish them off in one night!
Here is how you can make your own:
You can find the entire recipe here. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment or Silpat and set aside.
Nuts: Roughly chop nuts and set aside. I used 6 ounces of walnuts.
Dried Fruit: I plumped up 6 ounces of raisins by covering them with some spiced vanilla rum and heating in microwave for one minute.
I let the raisins sit overnight but they would probably be fine to use right after microwaving. Putting moisture back into the raisins helps to keep the cookies moist. I used the spiced vanilla rum for a little extra flavor but water or apple juice would work just as well.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, butter-flavor shortening, brown sugar (I used dark brown sugar) and granulated sugar until fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time until completely incorporated. Beat in the vanilla bean crush extract. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Add the oats, chopped nuts and raisins and mix until well incorporated.
If using a 3″ muffin scoop, scoop out the dough and place 4 to a baking sheet. Bake for a full 12-13 minutes, until the cookie looks lightly golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
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