Thank you all so much for your comments on the cakey vs. chewy cookies! I took your (and my) advice and made chewy oatmeal cookies for the first time in years! I am so so happy. Jun is too!
I searched the web for Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. As I read through the comments on the recipe I chose, many people commented that it was the same recipe that is on the Quaker Oatmeal Box top. I checked the box top recipe I have used unsuccessfully, and, yes...it is the same recipe, though the name of the recipe on my box is Vanishing Oatmeal Raising Cookies.
Well, as the copied recipe said they were supposed to be chewy, I took heart and did the following:
I searched the web for Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. As I read through the comments on the recipe I chose, many people commented that it was the same recipe that is on the Quaker Oatmeal Box top. I checked the box top recipe I have used unsuccessfully, and, yes...it is the same recipe, though the name of the recipe on my box is Vanishing Oatmeal Raising Cookies.
Well, as the copied recipe said they were supposed to be chewy, I took heart and did the following:
- Made 1/2 batch. (Abigail - I grew up in a household where cookie recipes were always doubled. Here in Japan, I always halve mine. Not because I can't get rid of them, but...the oven size. I can get 9 cookies in mine at a time, but...who wants to bake cookies all day.? I have refrigerated or frozen extra dough, though.) On to the cookies!
- Actually measured the margarine instead of guesstimating it.
- Packed the brown sugar in the cup instead of lightly sprinkling it in.
- Packed the wet white sugar in the cup too.
- Mixed the sugars and margarine by hand - well, the whole thing by hand, actually!
- Was shocked that the pack of 6 eggs that Ryu bought are advertised as "various sizes", and chose a smallish/medium egg. Nearly 1/4 cup of egg.
- Used regular Japanese flour. Hmm, I should take a pic of the bag.
- Used US Arm and Hammer baking soda
- Carefully measured the other ingredients and mixed well.
- Preheated my oven for 170 instead of 180 (Keiko-san, I hope you are preheating your oven when you bake cookies!)
- Kept peeking at them to see when they got barely brown. (Thanks for the advice, Sue.)
- Remembered that they will cook for a bit on the pan when they get out, so let them sit for about 2 minutes before removing them to the rack. (I always hit 'start' on my oven while I am doing this, so the oven doesn't cool off between batches.) They came off the pan much better/cleaner than at other times.
- And, they are CHEWY!!!!!
Here's the recipe. My cookies are flatter and...look chewier.
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4 comments:
Gosh these sound delicious! I can't wait to see pictures. How did I confuse things and think you were looking for crispy cookies?! I know - I like crispy cookies - clearly I was projecting!!
I'm still confused about why the sugar here is wet....?
You know, Kim, I was JUST reading my oatmeal box (got it at Costco - we all have oatmeal every morning for brekkie) and I thought I might try to make those vanishing cookies sometime. Glad you paved the road for me and took out all the kinks. Thanks! :)
Coffeegrl - yep, so good I ate pretty much the whole 1/2 batch by myself - and AM NOT satisfied! I will be making another 1/2 batch soon! What is your favorite crispy cooky? I think I would like a crispy rather than cakey oatmeal cooky. And the wet white sugar. Hmmm. I thought about it, and, my theory is that Japanese don't traditional bake sweets, but use sugar in cooking (on the stove) instead, and this wet sugar dissolves better. Anyone else with a theory, I'd love to hear it!
Abigail - You HAVE to try them. I got 3 Japanese dozen out of a 1/2 batch. (My calculations are - I get 9 cookies on a pan - so that is a Japanese dozen - at my house. Yours could be different!)
wow...it looks good....I don't know what to say though but just plain wow....
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