I decided to bake some cookies today to give to a few people. I didn't feel like combing through my many cookbooks and cooking sites for new recipes, and instead went with two old, trusted recipes. Also known as back-of-the-box recipes. After all, the reason some recipes stay on the back of the box, or under the lid, is because they are great. Today's choices: Quaker Oatmeal's Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies (found under the lid), and Nestle's Tollhouse Cookies. Along with whipping up 2 batches of cookies, I also happened to discover the secret to perfect chocolate chip cookies. That is, perfect if you like gooey, soft, oozing-chocolate kind of cookies. That's right. You heard it here first. Or maybe second. Third? I don't know. Here it is: Take the cookies out of the oven when they are starting to brown on the bottom and still look undercooked on the top--even a bit pasty on the top. Then let them sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to a cooking rack. They will be golden brown, melt-in-your-mouth perfect. Trust me. I also used a Silpat baking mat and a medium scooper,both of which making baking so easy. The cookie scoop ensures that your cookies will be uniform in size and the mat makes removal of the cookies from the baking sheet as well as clean-up easy.
QUAKER OATMEAL'S VANISHING OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
1/2 pound (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened (I use butter for baking--let sit out on counter to soften)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins (I use a mix of dark and golden raisins and Craisins)
(Optional add-ins include 1 C chopped nuts and/or 1 C chocolate chips--can substitute for 1 C of the raisins if you like)
Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy. This is where your KitchenAid comes in handy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.
Use cookie scoop or tablespoon to place dough onto Silpat ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Check after 10 minutes. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.
NOTE: I whipped up a pretty little glaze for the top--powdered sugar, a bit of vanilla, and milk. Whisk and add more sugar or milk til desired consistency. I used a squeeze bottle to apply. Consistency should not be runny. Glaze is not necessary--I just wanted to use the squeeze bottle!
TOLLHOUSE COOKIES
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. (I just realized I cooked them at 350 because I had baked the oatmeal cookies first. Note to self: Always read your directions completely before starting. Maybe the 350 temp is another secret to perfect chocolate chip cookies.....)
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by cookie scoop or rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven when cookies are just starting to brown on bottom and look not quite done on top. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
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