Magnolia Bakery Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I walked past Magnolia Bakery in Manhattan last week with great regret. Not because I indulged—but, rather, because I didn’t. I was in a hurry, so I was forced to resentfully trudge past. My one consolation: the Magnolia Bakery cookbook waiting on my bookshelf at home. Limited by the contents of my pantry—a paltry supply, at best—I opted to test-drive Magnolia's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

With some hesitation.

I'm a bit of a cookie snob. I’m fiercely loyal to my mom’s deliciously crispy oatmeal cookies—I have to be, since she so lovingly allowed me spoonfuls of the dough as a kid—but my real soft spot is for soft cookies. Magnolia didn't fail me. 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Adapted from: The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

What you need

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temp

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 ¼ cups rolled oats*

1 ½ cups raisins

*I love to experiment with flavor combinations in my cookies, so I often use sweetened instant oatmeal. This time, I added Quaker Chocolate Chip Oatmeal. My favorite combo: Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal, with a touch of real maple syrup drizzled into the dough. Keep in mind, instant oats lend less texture than old-fashioned oats do.

Warning: You won't be able to eat just one.

Put it all together

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream the butter (make sure it’s soft!) with the brown sugar until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one by one, then stir in the vanilla. Add the oats and flour mixture, and mix well before adding the raisins. Refrigerate dough for half an hour.
4. Roll dough into 1” balls, and place on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper. Bake for 14-17 minutes. (Hint: The shorter the baking period, the softer the cookies.)
5. Cool on the cookie sheet for a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack.

The results

I, admittedly, love all things sweet. So, as standard protocol, I have at least one male and one female review my baked goods.

Her review: "I like that it's not too sweet. It's a smoother texture than the typical oatmeal cookie, but I can still taste the oatmeal's flavor and chewiness."

Rating: 3.5/5

His review: "Buttery. I can taste the raisin, but I can't detect the oatmeal."

Rating: 4/5