2 fer Cookie Quest Monday!

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Thank you if you have been following along in my quest for the perfect Oatmeal Raisin Cookie!

     Not only is it Cookie Quest Monday, but this week I will be talking about two versions of the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie that you will love! Here is the backstory:
     Last week, my friend Lori sent me a message that had an idea she thought I should try in my Oatmeal Cookie Quest.  She suggested browning the butter first.  She says that she never makes cookies without doing this now because it enriches the flavor so much.  She also increases the brown sugar and decreases the white sugar..  Well, of course, I had to try it!
The First Attempt-Not Bad! 
      I began with the basic recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies on the side of a store brand of oatmeal! It called for all butter and 2 cups of flour with 3 cups of oats.  I browned 1/2 of the butter first, then I poured it over the other half and melted it, as per Lori's instructions.  Then I added 1 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 c. white sugar. This recipe called for 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.  I liked that extra cinnamon as most recipes call for just 1 tsp.  I also added about 1/2 tsp of nutmeg.  The dough was a little on the dry side, but it tasted wonderful with that browned butter in it, plus the extra brown sugar.  When the cookies came out, they were slightly puffy.  They deflated a little as they sat.  What I loved about these cookies was that the outside was crispy with a chewy inside.  They also held up to the milk test.

Do you see how they are a little bit of a thicker cookie? Some members of my family love that about them.

You can see the crisp outside and the chewy inside. YUM

  While I really liked this cookie, I kept thinking that it could be better.  I had loved the flavor of last weeks cookie fromBaked by an Introvert.  I decided that I would take elements of my favorites so far and come up with the best cookie yet.  Here is the final recipe! 

Terrific Oatmeal Cookies-Browned Butter Method

  As soon as these cookies came out of the oven, I knew they were going to be amazing.  They just looked right! You know what I mean.  Look!

These are just out of the oven. Look at them! That is what Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are supposed to look like!

  The amazing thing is that I used the same sized cookie scoop for both of these recipes, here is how they look side by side. 

The cookie on the left is the recipe I came up with, the one on the right is the first browned butter trial. The difference is size is because the one on the right stayed thicker, a little more cake like, but not too bad.

•    Really, let's talk about the texture of these cookies. They have a crisp outside and a chewy inside, helped along with that little bit of molasses.  
  
• The flavor, the intense brown sugar, buttery, rich flavor.  It has that cinnamon flavor with just a background hint of nutmeg.
  

     To my mind, this is the best cookie yet! I don't know if it passes the Grandma Test, but I love it.  My husband is no help, he loves them both and won't commit.  I think he is afraid I will stop making him oatmeal cookies every week.  The rest of the taste testers were split on the decision. I am starting to decide that when all of my husband's family gets together for Thanksgiving, I am going to bring my 3 favorite recipes and see which one they think is the closest to Grandma's.  But, the reality is starting to set in that what they loved about Grandma Bonnell's  cookies  is the wonderful memory that I can't really compete with. (Not that I mean to compete, I just want my husband to like my cookies, which he does!) Maybe one day my family will look back and feel like my cookies or something else I have done was  that memorable and it will warm their hearts to remember it.  

Both cookies stood up to the milk test.

Thank you, Lori, for the wonderful idea and inspiration!