The solution: After literally months of testing, our final recipe was in fact still very close to the Quaker Oats recipe that had gotten us started, but we had discovered four simple changes that made a significant difference in the end result. First, we substituted baking powder for baking soda. The baking powder gave the dough more lift, which in turn made the cookies less dense and a bit chewier. Second, we eliminated the cinnamon recommended not only in the Quaker Oats recipe but in lots of other recipes. By taking away the cinnamon, we revealed more oat flavor. Third, we made our cookies really big, doubling the amount of dough most recipes recommend dropping onto the cookie sheet. We had learned that small cookies tend to be dry; by increasing size, we got more moisture and more chewiness. Fourth, we increased the sugar in our cookies, and this made a huge difference in terms of texture and moistness. Sugar makes baked goods both more tender and more moist because it helps the end product retain water during baking. In addition, by encouraging exterior browning, sugar promotes crispness. In the end, we had gotten even more out of our new oatmeal cookie recipe than we’d hoped for.

BIG CHEWY OATMEAL-RAISIN COOKIES

Makes 16 to 20 large cookies

If you prefer a less sweet cookie, you can reduce the white sugar by one-quarter cup, but you will lose some crispness. Do not overbake these cookies. The edges should be brown but the rest of the cookie should still be very light in color. Parchment makes for easy cookie removal and cleanup, but it’s not a necessity. If you don’t use parchment, let the cookies cool directly on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened but still firm
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups raisins (optional)

1. Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of electric mixer or by hand, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time.

2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg together, then stir them into butter-sugar mixture with wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Stir in oats and optional raisins.

3. Form dough into sixteen to twenty 2-inch balls, placing each dough round onto one of two parchment paper–covered, large cookie sheets. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. (Halfway during baking, turn cookie sheets from front to back and also switch them from top to bottom.) Slide cookies on parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

DATE OATMEAL COOKIES

Substitute 1 1/2 cups chopped dates for the raisins.

GINGER OATMEAL COOKIES

Omit raisins and add 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger.

CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

Substitute 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips for the raisins.

NUT OATMEAL COOKIES

Omit raisins, decrease flour to 1 1/3 cups, and add 1/4 cup ground almonds and 1 cup walnut pieces along with oats. Almonds can be ground in food processor or blender.

ORANGE AND ALMOND OATMEAL COOKIES

Omit raisins and add 2 tablespoons minced orange zest (remove zest with peeler, being careful to leave behind any white pith) and 1 cup toasted chopped almonds (toast almonds in 350-degree oven for 5 minutes) along with oats.