These Big, Chewy Oatmeal Cookies are a variation on Marion Cunningham's Cape Cod Oatmeal Cookies from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. What's funny is the original recipe makes 70 cookies and this version makes 10. Given that information you'd think these cookies would be outrageously large. However, they are a fairly reasonable size compared to what you'd buy at a bakery.
Great for Bake Sales
They fit perfectly into cookie sleeves, which is handy for bake sales. Of course the drawback is that the recipe only makes 10 cookies. If you like the cookies you'll want to make the recipe twice rather than doubling. Actually, you can try doubling but I've never done it. I generally make 10 big balls of dough and bake a couple at a time or as needed.
Best With Add-Ins
When made as large cookies, they are thick, chewy oatmeal cookies that are satisfying, but not too buttery or rich. They take well to lots of add-ins, so you may want to add even more raisins, cranberries and nuts than called for. When made small, they're okay but not terribly exciting. In my opinion these are better made large.
Recipe
Big Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter (114 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour (200 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 ⅔ cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup pecans -- toasted and coarsely chopped
- ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
Instructions
- Melt the butter in the microwave or in a saucepan. In a mixing bowl, whisk together hot melted butter and sugar, then mix in the molasses, vanilla and egg.
- In a second bowl mix together flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture until thoroughly combined.
- Stir in milk, then stir in oats, pecans and raisins (or dried cranberries)
- At this point the dough should be a bit soft. Put the bowl in the refrigerator and chill the dough just until it is firm enough to hold its shape when scooped (about 30 minutes).
- Using a generous (heaping) ¼ cup measure, scoop dough into 10 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and shape into a neat mound with a flat top. Place dough mounds in refrigerator and chill, covered, until ready to bake.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick foil.
- Place 4 or 5 chilled dough mounds on a cookie sheet.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until cookies appear brown and set. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack and let them cool and crisp on rack.
- Repeat with remaining cookies. The cookie get sturdier and sturdier the more they cool. The should be sturdy enough to be individually wrapped and propped up in an appealing manner. This one is not propped up, but it is individually wrapped.
Jersey Girl Cooks says
My kind of oatmeal cookie!
Sue says
I want to make these!
Anna says
Carol, that is a great question! I've never tested the Cape Cod recipe with anything other than molasses, but I think honey or maple syrup would work. The only problem is the molasses really adds flavor, and since there's no brown sugar in the recipe the cookies need that bit of molasses.
The good news is I have another recipe which I've tested over and over through the years. This one uses the same technique as above, but the ingredients are slightly different and it uses honey instead of molasses. I like this recipe as much as the recipe above, but could only choose one for the post. For you and anyone interested in the other version, here it is.
I like to use a mixture of melted butter and shortening for this one. Nutiva and Spectrum work just fine if you don't want to use Crisco. You could also try it out with all butter, though the cookies may spread a bit more. I may try it out with all butter today. Update: Made them with butter and no shortening and it worked just fine! Not too much spreading.
Big and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies $2
1 stick unsalted butter (114 grams)
1/4 cup shortening (Spectrum, Nutiva or Crisco) -- around 48 grams or use another 56 grams butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
3/4 cup light brown sugar (150 grams)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (200 grams)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup pecans -- toasted and coarsely chopped (more or less)
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
Place butter and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl heat for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until butter and shortening are melted. Pour the warm butter mixture into a mixing bowl and add both sugars, then stir in vanilla extract, honey and egg.
Mix together flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in oats, pecans and raisins.
At this point the dough should be a bit soft. Put the bowl in the refrigerator and chill the dough just until it is firm enough to hold its shape when scooped.
Using a generous (heaping) 1/4 cup measure, scoop dough into 10 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and shape into a neat mound with a flat top. Place dough mounds in refrigerator and chill, covered, for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
If you do not chill them thoroughly, the cookies will spread more.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or nonstick foil.
Place 4 or 5 chilled dough mounds on a cookie sheet and bake for about 18 to 20 minutes at 325. You can also try baking at 350 for about 15 to 18 minutes. Set the cookie sheet on a rack and let the cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack and let them cool on a rack.
Note: If you use a microwave safe mixing bowl such as a Pampered Chef batter bowl, you can just microwave the mixing bowl with the butter and shortening then add the other ingredients directly to it. You could also just use a large (3 1/2 quart) saucepan and just make all the dough directly in the saucepan.
Carol & Charles Rogers says
I do not use molasses. What would you suggest? Would honey or maple syrup work?
Sonya says
Mmmmmmm, these look delicious!!!
Jerry says
I didn't see any milk in the recipe
Anna says
You caught me! Yes, I put a few extra pecan and cranberries on the top of that dough ball before baking. Feel free to add more nuts and fruit.
Susan says
Anna, did you include the add-in ingredients differently in the larger cookies? Some of the nuts and raisins seem to be peeking out temptingly.