Martha’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Or, Recipe #1 and I’m Already Not Following Directions)

Welcome to Recipe #1 from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Now, in theory, as I bake my way through this Martha Stewart cookbook, I would like to do these recipes in order, but since New Year’s Eve called for cookies instead of biscuits, I skipped right on ahead to Chapter 3: Cookies!

My first recipe in, and already I’m unable to fulfill all of the ingredient requirements (this might be a longer journey than anticipated). So I’m doing what I do best: adapting!

The original recipe called for shredded coconut. WELP, don’t have that and not going to buy it, so that’s out.

Also the original recipe called for maple syrup. Again, don’t have any of that, so I’ll sub in molasses. Well I’ll be darned if I don’t even have enough molasses! So some molasses and some honey it will be.

Okay, well other than those two things, I did *pretty much* follow the recipe and the cookies turned out great! Dense and sweet with just the right amount of oatmeal to raisin ratio.

Oh, I also used salted butter when it called for unsalted. *Grimace face emoji*

Whatever, they were delicious. I’m confident that however you choose to sweeten these or how much or little salt you use, you’ll do just fine.

So here’s the scoop (get it, like scooping cookie dough? no? okay fine) on how I re-created these.

Ingredients:
1 & 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter at room temp (I softened a little bit more than room temp in the microwave for 5-10 seconds on high)
1 cup light brown sugar (mine was hard as a rock so I put a few drops of water on it in a bowl and microwaved it for 10-15 seconds on high and then mashed it up with a spoon…it was about 1 cup *wobbly hand motion to indicate “more or less”*)
1/3 cup molasses and honey mixture
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup raisins

To Make:
1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
3. Mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a bowl (aka “dry”)
4. Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (in a separate bowl duh) (aka “wet”)
5. Add molasses & honey to wet and mix
6. Add egg and vanilla to wet and mix
7. Mix the dry into the wet with the mixer on low speed – add it in two pours so it incorporates well and you don’t spin flour all over yourself and the kitchen by just dumping it in all at once
8. Once flour is integrated, mix in the oatmeal and raisins gently

9. Use a small cookie scoop (or spoon) to scoop balls of dough onto the baking sheets and cook for 15-18 minutes, swapping the top and bottom pans halfway through for even baking.
10. Cool on the pans and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

My Suggested Drink Pairing: Coffee with milk and cinnamon

My Suggested Adult Drink Pairing: Port