These are the softest, lightest, deliciously moist oatmeal cookies I've ever made. This is a perfect recipe for those times when you have just a small bit of buttermilk left to use-up. The original recipe called for raisins and walnuts-I substituted chocolate chips for the walnuts.
From Better Homes and Gardens Cookies and Candies, 1966
You Will Need:
1 cup shortening (I used butter)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cup AP flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarb)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg (I thought that was a bit much, so I used half)
3 cups quick cooking oats (I had these because I'm blind and bought the wrong cannister, but you could use regular oats too)
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (the recipe specified California walnuts, but I think you'd be OK to use what you have. I substituted chocolate chips).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets.
Cream shortening and sugar until light. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Stir in buttermilk. Sift dry ingredients (except oatmeal, nuts and raisins). Stir into butter mixture. Stir in oats, raisins and walnuts. Drop from tablespoons 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake about 8 minutes (mine took closer to 12, but ovens vary). Cool a minute on the pan, then carefully remove to a rack. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
I found it helpful to keep the yet-to-be-baked sheets in the fridge, along with the extra batter. This seems to help keep the cookies from spreading too much.
Oatmeal cookies are my all time favorite. I am always on the look out for a good recipe. Next time I have buttermilk, these will be on the top of the list to make.
ReplyDeleteHi, I know this is over a year after you initially posted this, but I was looking online to see if anyone had baked "Buttermilk Oatmeal Cookies" from the cookbook Granny's Drawers by Karen Harris, and this is the exact same recipe. I was wondering, because the dough looked more like cake batter after mixing it, if it needed to be refrigerated. I also had issues with it spreading a bit, and I am currently storing what's left of the dough in the fridge to chill. Good to see you had success with chilling the dough. I omitted the raisins, added a bit of vanilla and 1/2 cup chocolate chips as well as about a 2/3 cup cocoa powder for more of a "Buttermilk Cocoa Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie".
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting your process!
Hi Emily. You know, I had completely forgotten making these (I bake quite a bit), so you did me a favour reminding me to try them again.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to look for the Harris book, as I've never heard of it.
Thank you for letting me know how it went with the recipe.