The One and Only Oatmeal Cookie

  

In the world of oatmeal cookies, there is only one recipe really worthy of your consideration, time, effort, ingredients, and appetite: The King Arthur Essential Chewy Oatmeal Cookie. Complex in its flavoring with five different extracts and spices, perfectly tender in its chewiness, this was a a staple in our house two years ago (as evidenced by the pictures of my adorable but 600-days-younger brother, Jonah) and it remains a classic today. 

Butter and Margarine: Modern Art Exhibit 1

 Life is so much more fun with a cheerful sous-chef at your elbow!

Modern Art Exhibit 2: Sucrose and Fatty Acids

Almond extract, vanilla extract, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon at the ready!

Spices added: bliss in the making.

"I got this egg-cracking bizness covered, Sis. Do you really need to supervise and document the evidence with your camera?"

Corn syrup is a secret ingredient in these cookies.

As is the milk. Shh! Don't tell!

In case you weren't aware, all recipes with chocolate in the ingredient list warrant careful sampling of said chocolate by one with a discerning palate.

Combine the lovely dry ingredients together (and don't let the Sous-chef lose interest).

Add in only the chocolate and butterscotch chips which pass your kitchen's stringent quality standards (see sampling instructions above).

The Essential Chewy Oatmeal Cookie
from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion Cookbook

Yield: 45 cookies

½ cup unsalted butter

 ½ cup vegetable shortening

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 large egg

6 tablespoons light corn syrup

2 tablespoons milk (not nonfat)

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup butterscotch chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, sugars, extracts, spices, salt, and baking soda, beating until fairly smooth. Beat in the egg, scraping the bowl, then beat in the corn syrup and milk. Stir in the oats, flour, and chips.
3. Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 11 minutes, until they’re a light golden brown. Remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.