Source: King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking
Yield: 50 cookies
Baking Temperature: 350F
Baking Time: 13 to 17 minutes (see Variations)
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (9 3/9 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons (2 ounces) dark corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups (4 5/8 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) traditional whole wheat flour
2 cups (9 to 12 ounces) dried fruit: diced dried apples, chopped dates, dried cranberries, raisins, chopped dried apricots or the dried fruits of your choice
1 cup (3 3/4 ounces) chopped pecans or walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
Cream the butter, sugar, corn syrup, baking powder, salt, spices, vinegar and vanilla. Beat in the egg. Add the oats, flour, dried fruit and nuts, and stir to combine. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the cookies, reversing the pans midway through (top to bottom, bottom to top), until they're beginning to brown around the edges but are still soft in the center, 14 minutes. Remove them from the oven and transfer them to a rack to cool.
Variations: For a soft, puffy (rather than flat and chewy) cookie, grind 1/3 cup of the oats in a food processor before adding to the dough.
Baking time makes a difference: 14 minutes in the oven yields a cookie that's crisp at the edges and soft in the center. A minute or so less in the oven makes a cookie that's soft from edge to edge; 2 to 3 minutes more, a cookie that's more crisp than chewy.
To make 16 bake-sale-size (4-inch) jumbo cookies, drop the dough by 1/4-cupfuls onto the baking sheets. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20 to 22 minutes.
