Using Brown Sugar
This recipe uses both white sugar and brown sugar. While the white sugar is great in this recipe – it brings sweetness and helps the cookies spread – the brown sugar is critical. It is the brown sugar, with the molasses it brings to the party, that keeps these cookies soft and chewy. Here I’m taking that five-star recipe and simply swapping the raisins for chocolate chips. The result is a cookie that my family devours quicker than you can blink! I’m sure they will be a huge hit in your house too.
They don’t spread too much. The dough doesn’t need to chill. The cookie texture is the perfect amount of soft and chewy. There is a hint of cinnamon that is magical without being overbearing.
The Best Oats For Cookies
I’ve made this recipe with both quick cooking and old fashioned oats. Some recipes will tell you that old fashioned oats will yield a chewier cookie, but honestly, I’m not sure that’s what’s making it chewy. I think that has more to do with the ratio of white to brown sugar and how the ingredients were combined. I think you can use either type of oat and both work well.
Mixing Flour
For years and years, I gradually added my flour to my creamed butter and sugar so as to not overbeat it, develop the gluten too much, or create tough cookies. I have since learned that adding it slowly actually makes the gluten issue worse. Now I add all of the flour at once, give it a really slow quick mix so it doesn’t fly everywhere, and then a quick high-speed mix to integrate it. It adds the flour quicker – win – and it means less overall mixing – double win.
Use room temperature butter. Do not soften it in the microwave! Let it sit on the counter, cut into one inch pieces, for a half hour. You should be able to press your finger in and dent it easily without pushing it all the way through. Make sure your baking soda is fresh. Both baking soda and baking powder need to be replaced every six months or so because they lose their freshness. To test your baking soda to see if it needs to be replaced, mix a little bit with some vinegar. It should bubble up right away. If it doesn’t, it is time to toss it and get new baking soda. Measure your flour correctly. This step is so important it gets its own section below. Thoroughly cream the butter and sugar together. This process of combining the butter and sugar, or creaming it, is critical. The sugar is adding air to the butter which will not only puff up in the oven, it will actually make it so you get more cookies out of your batch of dough than if you just mixed them together. (Did your mind just explode?) You need to beat the sugar and butter together until it is light and fluffy and this will take about five minutes. Make sure you scrape your bowl! Sounds basic, but it’s easy to forget and during different steps the dough doesn’t stay together as it should. Invest in a cookie scoop. I love my cookie scoop! The benefits of using a cookie scoop are that it makes all the cookies the same size so they bake at the same rate. It also makes scooping very quick. This is great since your ingredients are already combined and science is already happening in that bowl! Finally, it keeps you from heating up the dough a ton with your hands.
Storing and Freezing Cookies
These oatmeal cookies are great for freezing. Simply allow them to completely cool and transfer them to a freezer safe bag or container and store in the freezer for up to three months. Enjoy right from the freezer or allow to thaw on the counter. If you make these Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know! I love hearing from you!
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