Flour Cafe's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I was in the mood to bake, but wanted something that was more on the healthy side.  If you ask any nutritionist (which I did) what is the healthiest cookie, they will most likely tell you Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.  Who would have thought that you could eat these babies with very little guilt?  In the realm of cookies, this probably isn't the most favorite maybe due to the oatmeal or the raisins or both, but I love them.  They just have that old-fashioned goodness.

I have a couple of recipes that are pretty good, but wanted to try these from one of my cookbooks.  They are from Joanne Change's cookbook "Flour:  Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Cafe and Bakery".  I have written about this cookbook before on my blog about her Banana Bread.  So here's the recipe:

Flour Cafe's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light (golden) brown sugar

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (King Arthur's is best!)

1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled outs (not instant or quick cooking)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt (if you don't have kosher use 1/2 tsp. regular salt)

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cinnamon (Vietnamese is best!)

1 1/2 cups raisins

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer or wooden spoon), cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy.  (This step will take 10 minutes if using a handheld mixer or spoon.)  Stop the mixer a few times and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and the paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar.  Beat in the eggs on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined.  Scrape the bowl and the paddle again to make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  Add the raisins and toss to combine and coat.  On low speed (or with wooden spoon), slowly add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture and then mix just until the flour mixture is totally incorporated and the dough is evenly mixed.  

For the best results, scrape the dough into an airtight container and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight (or for at least 3-4 hours) before baking.  When ready to bake, position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  

Drop the dough in 1/4 cup balls onto a baking sheet, spacing them about 2" apart.  Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand.  

Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown on the edges and slightly soft in the center.  Be careful not to over bake.  Soft, chewy centers make these cookies irresistible.  Let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5-10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

I highly recommend using a stand mixer for this recipe.  It's important to get the butter-sugar mixture to that light and fluffy stage which the stand mixer is perfect for.  Also, when you incorporate the flour-oatmeal mixture into the butter-sugar mixture the mixer will save your arms. 

In this recipe she calls for freshly grated nutmeg which I always use if a recipe calls for nutmeg.  You can purchase the whole nutmegs at any grocery store and all you need is a micro-grater.  The smell of freshly grated nutmeg is heaven!  As always, I use King Arthur's flours and their Vietnamese cinnamon.  Another thing, don't substitute regular butter for the unsalted butter or your cookies will be salty.  Unsalted butter really is best in baking anyways. And if you have had that container of oatmeal in your pantry for a while, please check the expiration date.  If it's stale or too old, it will ruin your recipe.  Fresh is best!

I did as she recommended and let the dough sit overnight in the refrigerator.  I also use this technique for my chocolate chip cookies.  It really does make a difference.  To form the cookies, I use my Pampered Chef medium scoop (my standard for all cookies).  No baker should be without at least 1 of each size.  I have 2-3 of each size and use them constantly.  The small scoop is perfect size for small mouths and you'll be amazed at the lack of crumbs on your kitchen floor or car back seat.  The recipe calls for you to slightly flatten each ball, but I have to admit I forgot to do that, but they turned out just fine probably due to the convection mode.

For this batch, I used my convection setting at 325 degrees (convection is always 25 degrees lower than the recipe calls for) because I was cooking 2 sheets of cookies in each oven.  They cooked in 15 minutes (convection usually takes 5 minutes less than the recipe calls for) and were perfect.  I always use a sheet of parchment on the cookie sheets because when I take them out of the oven, I just slide the parchment with cookies directly onto the cooling rack.  I do this because when you let them cool on the rack, they are still cooking.  You can eat them slightly warm or cooled completely.  

So enjoy your only very slightly guilty pleasure in all their oatmeal-cinnamon-nutmeg glory!