Modular Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

I tinker with stuff, as that is how I learn.

So, I started off looking at the Thick, Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe by Deb at Smitten Kitchen. I liked her style, as she basically wanted to take the Quaker's Best Oatmeal Cookies by Quaker Oats recipe and make it her own.

I love oatmeal cookies, and I like them chewy. I do not like raisins in them though, and I like them sweeter.

I have come up with a modular recipe that I have adapted into several kinds of oatmeal cookies now.

Basic Modular Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) margarine
1/2 stick butter (softened in the microwave for about 15 seconds)
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups Quaker Oats (or similar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In one bowl mix butter, margarine, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.
(If you are making Module One, add syrup. If you are misguided and making the horrid Module Three, make adjustments to vanilla and add extract.)

Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in another bowl.
(If you are making Module Three, just stop and think about how much you have to live for and how good other things are to eat. If that hasn't convinced you to stop and re-evaluate your life, keep going and make adjustments to cinnamon.)

Combine these bowls and mix them. Add oats and mix. (If you are making Module One or the amazing Module Two, add the nuts or white chocolate chips now and fold them in.)

Bake at 350 on cookie sheets with parchment paper. Check at 9 minutes. Take out around 10.5 minutes. Let the cookies sit for 5 minutes on the warm sheet, and then remove to cooling rack.

Module One plus Module Four

Module One: White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Oatmeal Cookies (with additional Module Four Icing)

1/3 cup crushed raw macadamia nuts

A "splash" of Torani White Chocolate Syrup (or similar). I hear that the sauce is better than the syrup, but I had some around and that is what I used.

These are fairly yummy. I recommend the nuts. I am on the fence about using Torani syrup.

Add icing, or not.

These are the stuff! Make Module Two!

Module Two: White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Up to 2 cups of White Chocolate Chips

These are my favorite cookies, hands down!

Module Three: Image Too Horrid to Share
(This is my sense of humor showing, so if it bothers you...jump ship now!)

Module Three: White Chocolate Rum Oatmeal Cookies

Go with the 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon options.
Add about 1/4 teaspoon of rum extract.

I found these to be horrid. My ex husband described them like this, "These have some kind of strange taste in them."

 Module Four: You Can Totally Do Better Than This Icing (Cinnamon and Huckleberry Edition)

 

Powdered Sugar
Milk
Salt

You pick about how much powdered sugar you think you'll need, then add milk until it turns into something that will be a glaze. Add a touch of salt. Add Cinnamon or Torani Huckleberry Syrup.

Drizzle this over oatmeal cookies and wait for glaze to set up.

Verdict:

Make Module Two, or riff off of the Basic recipe and make something a heck of a lot better. The White Chocolate Oatmeal cookies are AMAZING.

~ Patty :)