Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I'm not really a cookie person. I seldom bake cookies and rarely buy them as I always think that cookies taste overly sweet and dry. When I do buy cookies, I tend to get sick of the taste after eating just a few pieces, so the whole pack usually ends up in the bin after being chucked into the darkest corner of the pantry till expiry date.

My toddler son seems to like cookies (is it a kids thing or what?). As far as possible, I try to buy organic cookies for him, but recently I thought of baking for him after coming across an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe by Camemberu. She was raving about the cookies and I think to myself, maybe I should give it a go? Afterall, the recipe looks fairly simple and oatmeal is supposed to be wholesome.

She was so right! While the cookies were baking in the oven, I could already smell the heavenly aroma. After the cookies were done, they were still soft so I had to wait for them to cool completely. The wait certainly tested my patience! In the end, I couldn't care less and took one cookie while it was still lukewarm. Oooh, I must say, it was absolutely scrumptious!! I didn't know Oatmeal Raisin Cookie could taste this delicious? What have I been missing all these while? Even hubby loves it (he ate 5 at one go), needless to say my toddler too. As for me, all I can say it's so addictive that I kept going to the cookie jar and sneaked a cookie every now and then :p

I modified the recipe slightly. As the raisins are already very sweet, I reduced the sugars by about half and the cookies still turn out sweet. Probably I can try reducing the sugars further next time. I also made small size cookies (20g dough each instead of 50g) which are great for toddlers to hold. I also reduced the baking time so my cookie is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. My family prefers this texture. For more crispy cookie, just increase the baking time. And oh, I must add, pair the cookies with milk, really nice! (Psst, do you like the glass jar? I got them from Tokyo. Kawaii right?)

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES (Makes About 57 small size cookies)

For original recipe, pls refer to Camemberu's blog.

Ingredients

• 225g Unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 100g Caster sugar
• 100g Light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs (60g with shell), at room temperature
• 245g Plain flour
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• 1 tsp Sea salt
• 1/4 tsp Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 175g Rolled oats (not instant or quick-cooking type)
• 240g Sundried sultanas/raisins (can use other dried fruits like cranberries)

Steps

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon, making sure there are no lumps of baking soda. Stir in the oats and raisins. Set aside.
3. Add the eggs into the butter mixture, one at a time, and beat until thoroughly combined. On low speed, or by hand, gradually add the flour and oat mixture to the butter mixture, mixing until completely incorporated.
4. Chill the batter a few hours or overnight, covered. Alternatively, chill the entire mixer bowl in the freezer compartment for an hour.
5. To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
6. Roll the dough into 20g balls and place them evenly spaced on the baking sheet. Flatten the cookies slightly with your hand. (I got about 20 cookies per baking sheet.)
7. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes or 20 minutes for more crispy texture. (I find the cookies do not spread much, not sure if it's due to the chilling of the dough).
8. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Storage: Once cool, the cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week, or frozen for up to two months.

I packed a tub of cookies for dear friend C as I was meeting her for lunch. She told me later that the cookies were well received by her family =D Maybe I should consider selling them, since I'm already selling cupcakes. Any takers?

Anyways, now I take back my very first sentence of this post. I was not really a cookie person, until I met the right cookie!

P.S. I kept the cookies for more than 3 days. They turned a little soft, so I popped them into the oven for a few minutes. The outside became crispy once again with the inside still chewy. I love warm cookies!