When it comes to cookie recipes, one thing I have yet to fully master is the aspect of a recipe that makes the cookies chewy or crispy, cakey or crunchy.  I realize that it is likely a combination of ingredients that determines these factors, but it perplexes me.  I often have attempted recipes that claim “chewy” but come out crunchy.  Is it my fault, or the recipe’s fault?

I think it’s a combination of the two.  From my limited experience I would assume that a combination of the fat choice (butter, oil, shortening) along with the number of eggs, has a large effect on the texture of a cookie.  More eggs would be more cakey, and the softer the fat, the softer the cookie.  I’ve even heard that using melted butter rather than typical room temperature butter, will make cookies softer.  Also over-mixing the batter leads to developing too much gluten, which leads to harder cookies.

All this being said I tried a “chewy” oatmeal cookie recipe from Martha, because if there’s one type of cookie that I love to be “chewy,” it’s an oatmeal cookie.  Her original recipe only called for dried cherries, but I swapped those out for chocolate chunks, walnuts, and craisons.  While not quite as chewy as one of those classic large oatmeal cookies at a local bakery, I think this recipe lives up to the chewy title.

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Yields about 40 cookies depending on size, adapted from a Martha Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup AP Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup craisons
• 3/4 cup chocolate chunks
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.  Set aside.
3. Use an electric mixer to beat together butter, brown sugar, and honey until fluffy.
4. Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Add flour mixture in gradually.
5. Add in oats, chocolate, craisons, and walnuts.  Mix until just combined, try not to over mix.
6. Use an ice cream scoop to portion out equal cookie dough balls about 2 tablespoons each.  Bake 10-15 minutes until golden brown.  Allow to cool completely.