We'll Give AB Another Try.

Do you remember when we gave Alton Brown's gluten free, chocolate chip cookies a try?  We weren't impressed enough to try them again.  But last week, I caught the middle of a Good Eats episode using leftover oatmeal (Oat Cuisine II). I have oatmeal for breakfast every morning.  Dark chocolate oatmeal with strawberries, blueberries and almond milk.  Yumm.  The things he was making sounded good, except he was still adding flour.  I was ready to turn it off until he said, "Hey kids, riddle me this, what the heck is wheat doing in an oatmeal cookie?"  (the segment starts at 2:26-6:36) While deciding which treat to make today, Paul requested we try these cookies.

Oatiest Oatmeal Cookies
(Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown)
about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 16 ounces old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch kosher salt
• 10 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 ounces dark brown sugar
• 3 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces raisins, optional

Directions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread the oats into a single layer on a half sheet pan. Bake until lightly toasted, about 20 minutes. Cool the oats in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes.

Grind 8 ounces of the toasted oats in a food processor until the consistency of whole-wheat flour, about 3 minutes. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the food processor and pulse 2 to 3 times to combine. Set aside.

Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix on medium speed using the paddle attachment until light in color about 3 minutes. Stop once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Reduce mixer speed to the lowest speed and add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture until just combined. Stop once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining toasted oats and the raisins. Stir to combine.

Scoop the dough with a 1 1/2-ounce disher or server onto parchment-lined half sheet pans, leaving 2 inches between each mound. Bake until the cookies begin to brown around the edges, about 12 to 14 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time. Cool the cookies on the pans for 2 minutes, then remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Verdict/Notes
We really like these cookies!  Next time, we will toast more oats.  The leftovers make great oatmeal, and then we will still have the full weight of oats after toasting (they lost a surprising amount of water weight!).  We only had light brown sugar; I will try adding molasses to substitute for dark brown sugar.  Instead of my tiny pinch of salt I used 1/4 tsp salt.  We love the cinnamon flavour, but want to make it stronger.  Next time I will double the cinnamon, and maybe add some nutmeg.  I forgot to plump/hydrate the raisins.  I will remember next time, and increase the amount we add.  We made one dozen using two scoops each of our #50 disher, baked for 12 minutes.  We also made 1-1/2 dozen using single scoops baked for 10 minutes.  It is not even the end of the day, and these cookies are more than halfway gone!