Auntie Em's Oatmeal Cookies are big, flat, bakery style cookies made with a recipe originally from the LA Times and Auntie Em's.
Boy, are they ever great, and I think they’d sell like crazy at a bake sale because they’re big and homey looking and sturdy enough to be wrapped and individually. Just make sure your oven temperature is correct because if it runs hot, the edges may cook much faster than the center. My cookies were done in exactly 15 minutes, but at 12 minutes the middle looked raw. So keep a close eye the cookies as they bake.
Small Batch Giant Oatmeal Cookies
If you’d like to do a test batch before committing to a full batch, here’s a scaled down recipe. This makes 8 gigantic cookies. You can make them with regular AP flour or white whole wheat.
Auntie Em's Oatmeal Cookies Small Batch
Servings: 8 giant cookies
4 oz unsalted butter at cool room temp
½ cup minus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (3.4 oz granulated)
½ cup minus 1 teaspoon firmly packed brown sugar (3.4 oz brown)
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup oats
⅔ cups plus 2 teaspoons (2.8 ounces) flour (white whole wheat)
1 /4 cup wheat germ
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cups seedless raisins
⅓ cup toasted pecans or walnuts, chopped
Heat the oven to 350 degrees
Cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Stir in the egg and vanilla just until mixed.
Mix together the oats, flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in raisins and nuts.
Divide dough into 4 sections. Divide those sections in half to make 8 equal sections. Shape into neat balls. At this point, I chilled the dough. Not sure if it was necessary. If you started with overly soft butter, it may help.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 4 dough balls on a baking sheet and space about 3 or 4 inches apart. Press down slightly so cookies bake more evenly. Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 15 minutes on center rack. Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 8 large cookies
Katrina says
I made a half batch today. Using a 1/4 cup scoop, they are HUGE! Probably 6 inches round. Good cookie, crisp/chewy. I think I like a thicker oatmeal cookie though. I've got some chilling to bake tomorrow, too.
I didn't realize I was out of O. F. Oats, so I used quick cooking, I think it was fine, but may have caused them to spread a bit more. They are just a little thinner than Anna's and the LA Times photo.
HeartofGlass says
Katrina, since you live in Kansas and these are called 'Auntie Em's Cookies,' I think you have to make them sometimes, large or small 😉
They look like they would make fantastic Chipwiches with vanilla ice cream. Very healthy thought I know.
dawn says
I love how you always manage to scale down the recipes and still come out with a perfect cookie. Looks good, I think I will have to try these as others have commented on how good these ones are as well.
Anna says
Cookie Update: I baked 4 more cookies using dough that I'd chilled overnight. The chill time made a difference. The cookies are still large, but they are slightly thicker.
About the white whole wheat flour, CL -- the truckers won't noticed. If you sneak bran in, let me know. But I think that would be noticed.
Susan, white whole wheat flour is not a good substitute for whole wheat pastry flour. It might work in a pinch, but they have different weights and protein levels. I think wheat pastry flour weighs about 4 oz per cup and white whole wheat is closer to 4.5. So if you wanted to use white whole wheat, you'd subtract a about a tablespoon for ever cup. You still might have issues with toughness because pastry flour has less protein than white whole wheat.
If you can't find the pastry flour, try using cake flour and adding in a little wheat germ for some wheat flavor and fiber.
Susan says
YUM!! They look wonderful.
Slightly off topic, do you know if white whole wheat flour the same as whole wheat pastry flour? I can't seem to find the pastry flour anywhere, yet the white WW is all over the place. Thanks so much for all the recipes and useful information you share with the world!
Trish says
I have been following your site for some time now...very very good recipes and winners all the time. Hmmm.....I may just have to try these this weekend. Thanks for sharing them with us.
PhillyGirl says
I just love how you create half-batch recipes and let us know about them. These would be perfect to whip up quickly just after dinner for a nighttime snack. I also just happen to have wheat germ in my pantry so these may get baked in the next few days. Thanks!
bakingblonde says
MMM I love the look of those, like you said, so big and homey looking!
These would be great at a bakesale!
Elyse says
Yum! These look better than the pictures on the LAT website. (A great website, btw.) I'm always up for a new oatmeal cookie recipe, and these look absolutely scrumptious!
Karen says
I was hoping you'd make these! They look terrific. Looking forward to seeing the cake. I love cake and need to make one for a biggish group soon, so I'm curious to see what you've done.
Natalie says
Those look so yummy! My mouth is watering 🙂
C L says
I'd love to take the Bran Cake to work but somehow the guys would figure out it was "healthy" and they might not eat it. No joke, those guys are more finicky than kids sometimes. 😉
C L says
I finally broke down and bought white whole wheat flour, and am I glad I did! The baked goods still have the same texture but they are a bit healthier. 🙂 Now to make the oatmeal cookies...we just won't tell the truckers at work that these are good for them! What they don't know won't hurt them. LOL Could we sneak some bran into these, too? How do I go about doing that? 😉
Katrina says
And ha, I love how you called them More Oatmeal Cookies.
Is that all you bake?
No wait, cake! 😉
Katrina says
They look just like the picture in LA Times. Thanks for the scaled down version. I'm really craving an oatmeal cookie right now!
Just pulled the Bran Cake Loaf out of the oven. I made a ton of changes, but it looks good!
Danielle Deskins says
I make all the birthday cakes in my office and used to always fear what the finished product would taste like. That is until I purchased mini cake pans and use it to make a mini trial cake. Now I don't have to wonder and worry what it tastes like! Of course I can't do anything about it but at least I know if I should share my misgivings.
Jeremy C. says
They certainly look good. I have been looking for a good oatmeal cookie recipe, I will have to give these a try soon.
Louise says
Those look great. Why can't we see a photo of the frosted cake? That is, before it's cut. And what kind of cake is it? When I was looking through the LA Times this morning for the Oatmeal Cookies, I looked at a slew of recipes. The Buttercake Bakery's Marble Cake and Clementine Bakery's Banana Cake both look terrific, and I'm not really into cake. It seems like you just had Teachers' Appreciation. 🙁
VeggieGirl says
They definitely look great!! Yum!!
Can't wait to see the big cake!!
snooky doodle says
THESE LOOK DELICIOUS! HAVE TO TRY THEM i LOVE OATMEAL COOKIES. gOOD LUCK WITH THE CAKE 🙂