I don't know where Chicago Crunchy Cookies got their name, but I started making them back when we lived in Chicago so it fits. They are a spin-off of a recipe called World's Best Cookies which are small, crunchy cookies made with oats, Corn Flakes and a mix of three fats, oil, butter and margarine. All of the different elements make them unique chocolate chip M&Ms cookies. They don't really have enough oats to be oatmeal cookies, and there's only a cup of Corn Flakes.
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Margarine, Oil and Butter
What makes Chicago Crunchy Cookies a little different is a blend of butter, oil and margarine. The margarine is a good addition here, provided you use the right type. Most modern margarines have less fat and more water, so you want to find one that's higher fat (should say 90 to 100 calories per tablespoon) and has a good flavor. My go-to brands are Earth Balance and Olivio. For the oil, you can use any neutral vegetable oil such as Wesson.
How to Make Chicago Crunchy Cookies
Chicago Crunchy Cookies are pretty easy to make, especially if you have a stand mixer because they involve a lot of beating. First, measure out your flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix them together. Be sure to weight the flour. If you don't have a scale, aerate and stir, then spoon it into the cup. Next, cream your butter, margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy, and then add the flour mixture alternately with the oil. Lastly, stir in the chocolate, M&Ms, oats and cereal. The dough should be soft and scoopable, not dry and crumbly. Scoop and form small balls, then press into disks. Bake for 10 minutes, rap against the counter, bake for another 3 or so, then remove from the baking sheet to cool and crisp.
Why Make These?
Well, they are a great way to use up M&Ms! But also they are so flavorful and crisp! You can definitely taste the margarine, so be sure to use one with a good flavor. The oil should be neutral, but it might be fun to try with butter flavored oil for even more butter flavor. The cinnamon is barely detectable, but it adds some backnotes. The best thing about these cookies is their texture. They are so light and crispy! The oil and margarine plus the fact they only have 1 egg helps them stay fresher longer so you can keep them in a tin for a while rather than the freezer. Or freeze anyway because they are great frozen.
HALVING AN EGG FOR HALF BATCH RECIPES
This recipe makes a fairly large batch, but you can halve it easily. To halve an egg, crack the egg into a little cup, mix it with a fork and measure out about 2 tablespoons or weigh out about 24 to 27 grams.
Recipe
Chicago Crunchy Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups all purpose flour ( weigh for best results or spoon lightly also see note about flour) (440 grams)
- 3 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup butter (114 grams)
- ½ cup Earth Balance or other higher fat margarine (114 grams)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (220 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1 large egg
- 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (15 ml)
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons milk only if needed
- 1 cup corn flakes lightly crushed after measuring
- 1 cup oats, preferably quick cooking but you can use rolled
- 2 cups assorted chocolate chips or M&Ms or any chips you have You can use more or less candy
Instructions
- Mix together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside
- With an electric mixer, beat the butter, margarine and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy, stopping often to scrape the side of the bowl.
- Add half of the flour mixture and stir until it is almost fully incorporated, then stir all of the oil. Stir until blended, then stir in remaining flour. Some versions of this recipe call for a little milk, so if your dough seems dry for some reason you can add it. I've found I never need it if I measure the flour properly.
- Add the cereal, oats and candy.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out rounds of dough and place them on dinner plates or something you can fit in the refrigerator. After scooping out the rounds, shape them into neater balls and press down slightly
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Arrange rounds about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. You can bake one or two sheets at a time. If baking two sheets at a time, rotate them between the lower and higher rack so they'll brown evenly.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. Your time may vary depending on your oven. Mine generally take 15 minutes. Also, if you want you can take the pan out of the oven after the first 10 minutes, rap it against the counter top to deflate the cookies, then finish baking. This makes them a little thinner and crisper.
Sue says
These sound really good!