Recipe Swap: Oatmeal Cookies

It's that time again! This swap's theme was holiday cookies. After submitting the Spoon Cookies recipe I found in an old issue of Gourmet, I received a recipe for oatmeal cookies from The Imitation Chef. I grew up baking oatmeal cookies for my father, but only recently have come to like them myself. I've been a loyal Quaker Oatmeal Cookie baker (you know, the recipe under the lid of a jar of Old-Fashioned or Quick Cooking Oats?). So, I was looking forward to trying a different recipe.

I wasn't planning on adapting the recipe at all, save for adding some white chocolate chips, but the resulting dough was so dry and crumbly, I couldn't form any cookies - the dough just fell apart. So, I added some additional oil, and a second egg (the recipe below reflects my changes). During baking, however, my cookies did not spread - they remained in the same ball shape that I had formed as directed.

I was expecting to bite into a dense, rock-like cookie, however, they were still light and chewy. They had a pleasantly sweet flavor, so I'm unsure where I went wrong. Usually, I'd assume my baking powder was old, but I just recently bought it.

Oatmeal Cookies
From The Imitation Chef

Ingredients

• ½ cup (4 ounces) whole wheat flour
• ½ cup (4 ¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ cup canola oil
• ⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup (1 ¾ ounces) rolled oats
• ¼ cup (1 ½ ounces) raisins
• ¼ cup (1 ounce) craisins (dried cranberries)
• 6 ounces white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine whole wheat and AP flours, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. 
3. In a separate bowl, beat the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add flour, and stir to combine. 
4. Mix in the oats, raisins, craisins and white chocolate chips until combined. 
5. Form balls of dough, 2 tablespoon at a time, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 15 to 17 minutes. 
6. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.