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Joanne Chang's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies|Weston Table

Sweet Things

Joanne Chang's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
There is more than just a little nostalgia in a recipe for oatmeal cookies. The smell while they are baking conjures up memories of most mom's best attempt for serving up an after school treat with at least some nutritional value. Fresh from the oven, the perfect oatmeal cookie, according to Joanne Chang (Boston's charming Ivy League mathematician turned chef) has little more than a nutty sweet scent enhanced by a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon and textural goodness with plump raisins poking out of all sides. As she notes in her cookbook Flour, "this recipe is as basic as it gets". This recipe proves beyond doubt that sometimes the simplest ingredients and methods lead to the best results. If ever a glass of milk was made for dunking cookies, this is the recipe!
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cuisine American
difficulty Easy
makes 24 cookies
season Year Round

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups raisins

Directions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and the sugars until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed until the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir in the raisins by hand. On low speed, add this dry mixture to the creamed butter mixer and mix just until the flour is incorporated evenly.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  5. Drop the dough in 1/4 cup (50 g) balls evenly spaced on the baking sheet and flatten the tops slightly with your hand. 
  6. Bake for 20 minutes, rotaitng the baking sheet halfway through and giving the baking pan a tap on the oven rack so the tops of the cookies flatten a bit. When the cookies are just  golden, remove from oven and cool completely.

Kitchen Notes

These cookies may be stored for up to three days (seriously suspicious if they last that long) in an airtight container. Leaving the dough to rest overnight in the refrigerator, Joanne claims, makes for the best cookies--we have yet to verify :) The dough lasts a whole week in the refrigerator, making it possible to bake these off fresh as needed.
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