I’ve been acting kind of like a spaz lately, and my photographer has been really good about it. (If you dig what he did here, here, here, here, here and here then I highly recommend him for your own project! He’s available for hire here.) He’s also really appreciative of my baking and inevitably ends up eating some of what he shoots for me. So when it was time to make something for another post and he asked me what I was baking I had been feeling kind of listless, and I shot back out, “Oh, whatever you want!”

Readers, he took me literally.

And it actually ended up being a fun experiment. His request was oatmeal cookies like the kind that his mom used to make-crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and so addictive you have to eat them by the handful.

It was a tall order because I realized I had never actually made oatmeal cookies; like straight-up, honest-to-goodness oatmeal cookies. I was a little nervous (especially after the first batch came out a little too crisp) but once I perfected the baking time these were the perfect consistency. They’re not too sweet but they’ve got the slightest salty bite that makes them mouth-watering.

My photographer gave them two thumbs up. Then he took the lovely picture you see above. I’m not sure which he enjoyed more- shooting the cookies or eating them.

Classic Oatmeal Cookies (makes 48)
(adapted from here)

1 c. butter, softened

1 c. white sugar

1 c. packed brown sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 c. quick cooking oats

In a medium-sized bowl, cream together butter and both sugars. Add eggs and stir. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and add to wet ingredients, a little bit at a time, until fully combined. Mix in oats. Cover and let chill for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Roll dough into balls roughly the size of walnuts, and place 2 inches apart on pre-greased cookie sheets. Use a fork to gently flatten each cookie. Bake for 8-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

B’s Tip: If you prefer a chewier oatmeal cookie, bake for only 8 minutes and transfer to wire rack while still hot. Use a clean spatula and be careful- they may still be puffy and a little fragile!

The best part about adding yet another basic recipe to my repertoire is a chance to make it my own, and I’m already thinking about my next batch now that I’ve perfected my technique. Dried fruits, nuts, chocolate chips; or maybe all of the above. These cookies would taste good no matter what.

Happy baking!

B

Baking with B appears every other Monday on the Keeping Busy with B Blog. Find out why I like baking so much here. For more of my baking, click here. And for even more recipe inspiration, check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.