The Good Cookie - Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

I’d like to think that oatmeal raisin cookies are good for your health. You have oats, which is known to be a good source of fiber, and you have raisin, also known to help the digestive system (please tell me if I’m wrong hehe). Decided to try a new oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, again I got from Smitten Kitchen. I believe in this man’s blog and recipes. Actually hundreds of us rely on him for good recipes.

I think I may have more ‘eye’ on photography than my brother. All I need is a nice camera to make my blog wow-wah-wee-waw (i need to read more! running out of adjectives tsk)! The photos are all his idea. He’s using his awesome camera so he’s got the say in how the photos will look.

I’ve got some points to say after the ingredients and procedure. Might I remind you that if you are a fan of thick and chewy oatmeal raisin cookie, then this is a perfect recipe for you! If you’re all about the thin and crispy variant, then skip this one.

Ingredients:

     1/2 cup butter, softened (room temperature)

     2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

     1 egg

     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

     3/4 cup all-purpose flour

     1/2 teaspoon baking soda

     1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

     1/4 teaspoon salt 

     1 1/2 cups rolled oats (the big old-fahsioned oats. Don’t use quick oats, or instant)

     3/4 cup raisins

     1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

     1 1/2 cups of dessicated coconut (this is my own version because I had this in the house so I added them in. PERFECT combination. Makes the cookes more fragrant and chewy!)

Yield: About 2 dozens

Note: I doubled the recipe because I like to bake A LOT of cookies. People in the house just gobble them up like they’re water. Just double the ingredients stated above and it will yield about 3.5-4 dozen cookies. 

Procedure:

1. Cream or beat your butter until light and fluffy. Add in your brown sugar, beat it for a while. Then add your egg. Beat until it is smooth an creamy consistency. Set aside.

2. Sift (yes, it is always important to sift your dry ingredients), flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in another bowl. Mix it thoroughly you want the cinnamon, slat and baking soda to be evenly distributed throughout your flour.

3. Add you dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix or beat until properly incorporated. Don’t beat too much because we don’t want the gluten to form and make our cookies rubbery. Set aside.

4. In another bowl, mix your rolled oats. raisin and walnuts in another bowl.

5. Add in the oats, raisin and walnut mixture to your other mixture (the wet one).

(I know my hands look so manly :/ It’s a curse, these genes I have hehe ) 

6. A tip from Mr. Smitten Kitchen: If you want a thicker and chewier cookie, refrigerate and chill your cookie dough for 30 mins-1 hour. 

7. While it is chilling inside your refrigerator, preheat your oven to 350 F 

8. Scoop these yummy babies onto your baking sheet. I line mine with some parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking.

9. Bake these for about 8-10 minutes. Mine browns up quickly, I think it depends on your oven. Turn your heat a notch, reduce it to 325 F if this happens.

10. Take them out of the oven and cool in your wire rack.

MY CRITIQUE OF THE RECIPE:

I must admit the recipe didn’t impress me at first. I actually wanted to stick with my old oatmeal raisin recipe, BUT, there is a but!!! But, the following day, I found out the cookies were divine! It becomes more chewy! 

The dessicated coconut did wonders for the recipe. You don’t know how much I am loving these cookies! It’s not too sweet, the raisins are actually the one which sweetens the cookie up. The walnut add that crunch and texture to the cookie. The oats and dessicated coconuts add the chewiness that we like and also doesn’t hurt it’s a good source of fiber.

I’m sorry that I doubted Smitten Kitchen’s recipe, tsk. Never again, sir!

The only thing I don’t like is how my cookies look so brown. I think I should turn down my oven temperature next time.