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I made two different recipes of oatmeal cookies recently. The first recipe I used was from the pastry flour bag and was tasteless and lacking texture. The second batch was from Alton Brown’s cookbook: I’m Just Here for More Food: Food x Mixing + Heat = Baking. This is not just a cookbook, but a text for learning the how and why of baking. Chef Brown’s understanding of the importance of baking technique made a far superior cookie.

Both of these recipes had basically the same ingredients, but in different quantities and with different techniques.  The better of the two did not spread out all over the pan, but held a good shape and had a great texture.  I even tried adding an egg to the egg-less flour bag recipe, but it couldn’t rescue the taste, texture or shape. 

Now, of course I couldn’t follow the recipe in I’m Just Here for More Food directly.  Instead of white flour, I used whole wheat pastry flour and not being a fan of raisins, I added very finely chopped walnuts instead.  I also added a few chocolate chips to half the batch, but I have to admit, the chip-free cookies were just as good (and I’m a huge chocolate fan).  I baked them to crispy. 

I’ve made other recipes from this cookbook with great success.  If you had to buy one baking book, I’d suggest this one.  Even as a whole grain baker, I find the recipes easily adaptable.  In my opinion, I’d rather start out with a tasty recipe with a good technique and adapt it to be whole grain than fumble around with a second rate whole grain recipe. 

Note:  There are other oatmeal cookie recipes by Alton Brown printed on the web, but I haven’t seen this particular one.  I don’t think it’s kosher to reprint it here, so you’re just going to have to go check the book out for yourselves.  I highly recommend the library if your cookbook shelf is as stuffed as mine.