I often ask people what their favorite___________ is. This time I asked people at work about cookies. One person said Oatmeal Raisin to which I gave a slight look of horror. “Not oatmeal chocolate chip?” I asked. Nope. She wanted oatmeal raisin. Other people said different types of cookies but as I had an abundance of oats I decided to try two different oatmeal raisin cookie recipes.

The recipes couldn’t be any more different from eachother but in terms of a winner, I am at a loss. At first I thought it was the one with the coconut (left cookie). Then I thought it was the other cookie. They both have different qualities to them which make them appealing in different ways. The one with the coconut is much hardier and has a nice texture. It is sweet and a has a slight spice to it. The other cookie has much more spice and a bit more sweetness to give it a very well-rounded flavor. After asking numerous people, it is a tie. When the person who loves these cookies was asked, she picked the coconut one. Take your pick.

…from Martha                                                   …from Better Homes and Gardens

Oven: 325F                                                      Oven: 375F

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour                                  1 3/4 C all-purpose flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon                                    1/2 tsp ground cinnamon & 1/4 tsp cloves

1 tsp baking soda                                             1 tsp baking powder & 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 C sweetened, shredded coconut

1/3 C pure maple syrup*

1 C butter, softened                                           3/4 C butter, softened

1 C packed brown sugar                                   1 C packed brown sugar, 1/2 granulated sugar

1 egg                                                                  2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla                                                        1 tsp vanilla

3 C old-fashioned rolled oats                             2 C rolled oats

1 C raisins                                                          1 C raisins

*Martha says to use a grade B syrup instead of a grade A, as it has a deeper flavor. I just used what I had in my pantry.

Either way, Enjoy these Oatmeal Raisin cookies (if you like raisins in your cookies that is, I have always preferred chocolate instead)

Sorry for the delay on all these baking posts but I did not even have a computer until my birthday. Now that I have one, I can publish my few old things that I had stored and move on to new projects. This one is on chocolate chip cookies.

Can you believe that in 28 years of my life I had never made chocolate chip cookies? I had never really made cookies except for around Christmas time as I got older. I’ve been making quite a few cookies lately since I got a Martha Stewart cookbook from a book sale. Side note, I love book sales.

Anywho, I had a request for chocolate chip cookies. I looked to Better Homes & Gardens and I looked to Martha Stewart for help. Their recipes were different of course so I decided to make them and see which would be my go to chocolate chip cookie.

One can look at the recipes to see the differences. The Better Homes recipe uses shortening which I think hinders it being moist or crisp, it was in-between. Martha’s cookie uses more butter and less brown sugar to produce a thin and crisp cookie.

The end result was quite pleasing. They both tasted delicious in different ways. The Better Homes cookie had that classic chocolate chip cookie taste. It wasn’t soft but wasn’t crisp.  It is a good recipe for a reason, but not good enough. The Martha cookie tasted more like brown sugar, more molasses like, even though it has less brown sugar. The Martha cookie won this contest for it tasted delicious right out of the oven, cooled and crisp, and even over the next week.

Better Homes and Gardens Recipe:

Prep: 25 minutes  Bake: 8 minutes per batch

Oven: 375F  Makes: about 60 cookies

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2.5 cups all-purpose flour

1 12oz pkg (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces

1.5 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl beat shortening and butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, and baking soda. Beat until mixture is combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Stir in chocolate pieces and, if desired, nuts.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375F oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to a cookie rack and let cool.

Martha Stewart Recipe:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg white

12oz semisweet chocolate chunks (about 2 cups)

1. Preheat the oven to 375F, with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

2. Add the vanilla, whole egg, and egg white. Beat on low speed until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 1 minute.  Add flour mixture in two batches; mix until just combined. Mix in chocolate.

3. Shape 2 heaping tablespoons of dough at a time into balls and place about 1.5 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden brown, about 18 minutes. Transfer parchment and cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Better Homes on the left, Martha on the right. Size does not matter but taste does. Martha wins.