Basic Whole Grain Cookies

Recipe By:

King Arthur Flour

Yield:

24

Ingredients:

½  cup butter
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract*
1 large egg
¾ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons orange juice, optional**
2 cups chips, nuts, and/or dried fruit, optional***

 Directions:

1. Beat together the butter, sugars, salt, baking soda, baking powder and vanilla until well combined.

2. Add the egg, beating until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Beat again until smooth.

3. Add the flour and oats. Beat to combine.

4. If you’re making cookies using chips, nuts, etc., beat in the orange juice, then the add-ins.

5. Cover the cookie dough. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled: at least several hours, or overnight.

6. When you’re ready to bake, heat oven to 375°F****. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

7. Drop balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2″ apart.

8. If the cookie dough has been refrigerated, bake the cookies for 13 to 14 minutes, until they’re a very light golden brown, and a bit darker around the edges. For unrefrigerated dough, bake for about 11 minutes.

9. Remove them from the oven, and cool right on the baking sheets.

 Notes:

*When I made them with no floaties, I put in triple vanilla and they were very buttery and the extra vanilla flavor was wonderful. They got lots of good comments from the appreciative crowd in the ED.

**If you’re making plain cookies, without add-ins, omit the orange juice.

*** 2 cups of floaties for this much dough is twice too much for me. I put in a cup of Heath chunks and they were very flat and flimsy. They stuck to the parchment so badly it was nearly a catastrophe. I had to cut the parchment and take them to the hospital like that. People had to pull them off the paper in pieces to eat them. They are better plain or with chocolate chips.

****375°F for 13-14 minutes is too long for my oven. I would use 350°F or cook for no more than 10-11 minutes. Watch to make sure they are brown around the edges but not over done.