Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Not your average Oatmeal Raisin Cookies - These cookies are nutty, chewy, and full of rich flavor. Brown butter, toasted nuts and oats, and plumped raisins take these cookies to a whole new level!
- Yield: 18-20 cookies 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 4 ounces (1 cup) pecans (or sub walnuts)
- 3 1/2 ounces (1 1/8 cups) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 5 5/8 ounces (1 cup) raisins
- 8 ounces (1 cup) water
- 4 1/4 ounces (1 cup, spoon and level) all-purpose flour
- 3 1/8 ounces (3/4 cup, spoon and level) whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 9 3/8 ounces (1 1/4 cups, packed) brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Brown the Butter: Cut the butter into tablespoons and place in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Whisk occasionally as it melts. Once melted butter starts bubbling, whisk very frequently until it turns a rich hazel color. Remove from heat and set on a cool surface, continuing to whisk for another 30-60 seconds. Set aside to cool until it reaches 70º to 72º on an instant-read thermometer (or until it has thickened substantially and appears to be reaching a solid state again - it will still be soft enough to whisk). You can put the brown butter in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.
- While the butter cools, preheat oven to 350ºF. Spread oats and nuts out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in oven for 10-15 minutes, until fragrant.
- While the nuts are toasting, combine water with raisins in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring very frequently or constantly, to plump the raisins. Strain out water and set aside.
- Whisk together all-purpose and whole wheat flours, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the cooled brown butter, vegetable oil, and brown sugar until well-combined. Add eggs, beating in one at a time, until mixture is smooth and lighter in color. Whisk in vanilla.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet until just combined - a bit of uneveness in the look of the batter is fine since you still need to add your mix-ins. Add oats, nuts, and raisins and fold in just until evenly dispersed. Chill dough in an airtight container in refrigerator for at least 8 hours, or overnight.*
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350º F and line a baking sheet with parchment or silpat. Scoop cookies by 2-ounce (about 1/4 cup) portions and compact each piece of dough into a round disc. If the cookies have only been chilling for 8 hours, shape your dough into taller discs, like cylinders, so that they stay puffier once baked. Space apart on baking sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheet(s) halfway through time**, just until tops of cookies no longer appear wet (don't wait for them to get golden-brown). I would suggest baking for no longer than 13 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
*The cookie dough will keep in the fridge for at least a week, so feel free to only bake a few cookies at a time. That way - you can always have warm-from-the-oven cookies!
**Even if you're only baking one tray of cookies at a time, rotate the tray halfway through the baking time for even baking.