Name: Oatmeal–Raisin Cookies
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Ingredients: 1½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1¼ cups (7 ounces/198 grams) Sucanat; 16 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened; 2 large egg; 3 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats; 1 cup raisins

Why This Recipe Works

Our first attempts turned out dry, unappealing cookies with disappointing oat flavor and an overwhelming spice profile. To boost the oat flavor, we tested various flour-to-oat ratios; 1½ cups of flour for 3 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats provided the best flavor without making the cookies tough. Although traditional, cinnamon had an overpowering flavor; we preferred the cleaner, subtler flavor of nutmeg. Making big cookies encouraged the edges to crisp while the centers stayed soft. To ensure good spread, we pressed the dough balls to a ½-inch thickness before baking them.

Before You Begin

You can learn more about Sucanat in this article. Do not substitute quick oats, instant oats, or steel-cut oats in this recipe. You can skip grinding the Sucanat in step 1; however, the cookies will have a speckled appearance. Do not shortchange the dough's 30-minute resting time in step 3 or the cookies will be drier and slightly bland.

Instructions

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg in bowl. Working in 4 batches, grind Sucanat in spice grinder until fine and powdery, about 1 minute.

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and ground Sucanat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture, and mix until combined, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed. Add oats and raisins and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Give dough final stir by hand.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Working with 2 heaping tablespoons of dough at a time, roll into balls and space 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Press dough to ½-inch thickness using bottom of greased drinking glass.

Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges begin to turn golden and firm, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let cookies cool completely on sheet. Serve.