Paula Deen's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

Paula Deen's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

I was delighted when Chefmikey (see end of post) came out to visit us on Tuesday. With his culinary classes and his full-time job we don't get to see him as often as we'd like these days. Anyway, when ever he comes out this way he likes to stay up late and bake cookies (and trash my kitchen). But the last couple of times he did this the end result wasn't very good and I ended up tossing them after he left. So when he wanted to make cookies this time I asked him nicely, in that way that mother's have, not to and explained why. And he said, in that way that cocky young way culinary students have, "That sounds like a challenge to me mom". Uh boy. My response? "Don't trash my kitchen!" So after much bluster and fury he brought a warm batch of these to Manly and I and we flipped! The brown butter icing is what really takes these over the edge. To die for and these will not be getting tossed into the trash (and he more or less cleaned up after himself). The only amendments he made to this recipe was to use craisins instead of the raisins and he added chocolate chips because, why wouldn't you? One warning about the icing: Don't make it until all the cookies are baked. It is very hard to keep it at the right consistency if you try to ice each batch as you go. If you've been looking for a knock out oatmeal cookie this is definitely it. Enjoy!

Recipe: Paula Deen's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Makes about 5 dozen

Ingredients

    * 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
    * 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
    * 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
    * 2 eggs
    * 1/2 cup buttermilk
    * 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
    * 1 teaspoon baking soda
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 1 teaspoon baking powder
    * 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    * 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
    * 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    * 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
    * 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
    * 1 cup raisins
    * 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
    * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    
    * Brown Butter Icing, recipe follows

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease 1 or more cookie sheets. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until mixture is light in color. Add buttermilk. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in oatmeal, raisins, walnuts, and vanilla, blending well. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with Brown Butter Icing.

Brown Butter Icing:
    * 1/2 cup butter
    * 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    * 3 to 4 tablespoons water

In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle on warm cookies.

Yield: enough to ice 5 dozen cookies

P.S. This is Chefmikey at 2 years old after he pulled a bag of flour of the kitchen counter onto himself! Ah sweet irony!