Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

Ok, that's it. This is THE Oatmeal cookies recipe that I am going to keep. The one from Quaker's website was not too bad, but this one is my official favorite! And I am so going to repeat this soon for our friends.

This is a recipe from American Test Kitchen. I used cranberries, instead of the usual raisin. I love raisin but the combination of chocolate chunk + cranberries + walnut is really heavenly.....As usual, I cut down on the sugar required in the recipe, as Americans generally have VERY sweet tooth, but it still turns out sweet.

Last Sunday I baked a batch of chocolate hazelnut cookies for OCT's colleague who had gotten us some nice ice-cream. Apparently, it was not very well received....OCT told me that it was shared during their lunch hour, and there was still some leftover that was being casually left on the table. Well, to be honest, I didn't think that's the best cookies I have ever made. But nevertheless, I used the best ingredients I can ever get, and baked just the night before to ensure freshness. OCT was quite mad about the unfortunate fate of my cookies. But what really bothered me was the cookie itself. The texture was not right. I can't pinpoint on what's wrong, but I don't feel right about the cookies. Anyway, it bugs me so much, and I keep thinking about what's wrong with the cookies...So much so that I decided to bake another batch, from another source. And I am delighted that this batch of Oatmeal Chocolate cookies turn out really well!
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Makes sixteen 4-inch cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 cups rolled oats , old-fashioned, (3 1/2 ounces)
1 cup toasted walnut(4 ounces), chopped
1 cup dried cranberries(5 ounces), chopped coarse
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate , chopped into chunks about size of chocolate chips (about 3/4 cup)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar (10 1/2 ounces), preferably dark
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


1. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together oats, walnuts, cranberries, and chocolate.

3. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until no sugar lumps remain, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl; with mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture; mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oat/nut mixture; mix until just incorporated. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Divide dough evenly into 16 portions, each about 1/4 cup, then roll between palms into balls about 2 inches in diameter; stagger 8 balls on each baking sheet, spacing them about 2 1/2 inches apart. Using hands, gently press each dough ball to 1 inch thickness. Bake both baking sheets 12 minutes, rotate them front to back and top to bottom, then continue to bake until cookies are medium brown and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will seem underdone and will appear raw, wet, and shiny in cracks), 8 to 10 minutes longer. Do not overbake.

5. Cool cookies on baking sheets on wire rack 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.