A misunderstanding led to the greatly evolved oatmeal cookie we all love
When I was first on my own, I made my mother’s oatmeal cookies several times but they were never quite the same as hers. Although they tasted great, they didn’t look right or have the same texture; they were flatter and not as moist.
What’s the secret mom?
I asked Mom how she kept her oatmeal cookies so moist and she said she always put in an apple. Next time I made the cookies, I chopped one up and added it to the dough. Still not quite the same but pretty good.
A big laugh
Well, I baked up a big batch and brought her some, and when she tasted them she was surprised at the texture and asked me what I did to her cookies! I told her that I had chopped up the apple, as she told me, but did I do it right, should I have minced it finer, or chunkier perhaps? She laughed so hard, tears in her eyes, and when she finally caught her breath said she meant to just place an apple in the cookie jar to keep cookies, or cakes, or anything else like that, fresh!
A good idea
A wonderful misunderstanding, but a happy one since after that, she tucked an apple in the cookies herself. She even included it in her recipe card, which I needed her to rewrite for me since in a series of about six moves in a few years I had misplaced the original. I adored that she kept the apple, obviously approving.
Still not quite right
The cookies I made over the years still were not quite like my mom’s in texture. Mine came out more flat, less chewy. It took a while for me to realize that she must have tucked her formed cookies in the refrigerator to chill before baking. Bingo! That did the trick. One of those little things not mentioned in the bare-bones recipe cards of the time.
A hodgepodge
I also experimented over the years with different additions since there are a few raisin haters around: chocolate chips, crystalized ginger, nuts, dried cranberries, all kinds of little treats. Personally, I love them stuffed with chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, and ginger. Go big or go home!
Hedging bets
Mom used all shortening or ‘oleo’ and I decided on butter, with a bit of non-hydrogenated shortening just in case it was an important addition. I didn’t even try to make these healthy, just left then as a treat to be enjoyed now and then.
More flavor please
My most recent twist to the recipe is the addition of dark rum rather than water. Boy does this add a ton of flavor and make these humble little cookies taste like the holidays. If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can add water and some rum extract. I also took a few minutes to toast the oats to bring out more oat flavor. A simple step that makes a big difference. Because it can take over, I also decreased the nutmeg a bit, and added some cinnamon.
Like mom, that apple became one of the special ingredients in the family oatmeal cookies, along with the rum and toasting the oats first, a special flavor one doesn’t expect! Shh, don’t tell anyone, we’ll keep it our secret.
Sylvia’s Oatmeal Apple Rum Raisin Cookies
- 1 cup raisins, soak in dark rum
- ½ cup butter, or non-dairy butter
- ¼ cup shortening, non-hydrogenated look for Spectrum
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 egg or egg replacer
- 1/4 cup dark rum or water (the alcohol bakes off)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 chopped apple
- 3 cups old fashioned oats, toast them first
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Add about a third of a cup of dark rum to the raisins in a small deep bowl and let them soak for a half hour. You will use the rum in the recipe, it won’t go to waste.
Grease two cookie sheets, or line with parchment. To toast the oats, place in a dry stainless-steel skillet over medium high heat and keep them moving until starting to toast and fragrant. Immediately decant into a cool bowl to stop cooking.
Combine butter and sugars, mix well to fluff, then add the egg, rum, vanilla and mix thoroughly with the electric mixer. Add apple and stir with a wooden spoon.
Combine all dry ingredients and add to the moist mixture with the spoon. Drop onto greased cookie sheet with a cookie scoop or tablespoon.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (or 325 convection fan, which is what I used, 180 C.) and pop the sheets in the refrigerator while the oven heats up.
Bake until just brown around the edges, 10-12 minutes depending on oven, check at 10 which is what mine took.
Remove from the oven and let cool a couple of minutes, then place on a rack to cool.
You can also add raisins, or chocolate chips, I often add both, but always love the chocolate chips! Makes 3 dozen plus a few more. They keep quite a while in the cookie jar, and freeze beautifully.
And if you want more luscious cookie recipes, please head over to Staci Troilo’s blog for her popular annual cookie exchange! A delightful assortment of holiday wonders await.
Fifth Annual Cookie Exchange
‘Through family recipes, we taste the past and savor the future.’ – Maya Angelou
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Thank you, Dorothy, for the lovely ideas.
Joanna
You are very welcome!
🫠💞☕️☕️Aww!
Great with a cuppa!
A wonderful story, thanks for sharing
Thanks Sheree!
I love the story behind this. I like to add those kinds of things to my recipe cards.
My grandmother’s oatmeal cookies were the best. Her secret was adding peanuts along with the raisins. I always thought I’d prefer cranberries to the raisins. Now I want to add apple and rum!
Thanks for sharing these, Dorothy.
Thanks Staci! So good! I’ll add a link to your luscious cookie exchange!
That was cute….and I always love a story behind a recipe. I’m working on a blog for next week with one of those vague recipe cards I inherited too….
There’s always a bit of guesswork involved!
Definitely trying this recipe. Tempted to add orange zest.
Go for it! These cookies can take a lot of extras! Sort of like mulled wine.
I say this cookie is healthy enough for breakfast!
Here, here!
These sound incredible and I love the misunderstanding – cements the recipe as a classic for all time! I will be sharing this with a brief overview and then a link back to this story for the recipe!
Oh, thank you so much John! I’ll save you a cookie, or four!
Apple AND Rum. Talk about perfect pairings! 🍃🍎🎄🥃🍃
A match made in cookie heaven!
Boom! 💥
Baking is an exact science and any minor adjustment or alteration can make such a big difference. This recipe is a little similar to the Australian Anzac biscuit (or cookie)- https://forestwoodfolkart.wordpress.com/2020/04/24/anzac-biscuit-traditions/
I am going to try putting my cookie trays in the fridge before baking. Who would have thought that could make a difference to the size and the spreading, and most importantly the texture. I also am a bit confused as to what the apple in the jar does? Does it make the biscuits softer or chewier (ie more moist) or absorb the moisture so they stay crisp?
The recipe is quite similar! I love the addition of the coconut!
The apple in the jar is intended to keep them fresh, more moist. They are still crispy at the edges, depending on the cooking, but don’t turn into hard little rocks.
Will you do much baking during the holidays?
Ah, yes the coconut is different. I will try adding an apple to the jar next time I make the Anzac version – which will probably be next April 25~ the day called Anzac day – although I feel in my climate the biscuits tend to go soft – not hard over time. The humidity perhaps? I wish I could keep gingerbread crisp as the days pass. I have even baked them twice over sometimes to crisp them up again.
You’re right, you probably don’t need the apple, maybe some rice grains to absorb the moisture!
Ah, rice grains might work. Thanks!
It gets really humid here in the summertime and I know some folks put rice in their salt shakers to keep things from clumping.
Yes. I put the rice grains in the salt here too. However I find the pink Himalayan salt clumps far less and that is what I use now.
Oh, that’s good to know! Thanks Amanda.
Some recipes are all in the details! Lovely story and I love oatmeal cookies!
Thank you Jan! I’ll save you a cookie, or two!
Looking and sounding delicious. I love oatmeal cookies, and would enjoy any of the additions you mentioned. Happy holiday baking, Dorothy.
Happy baking to you too my friend!!!
Loved the story behind this recipe, Dorothy, lol! I also like the idea of adding apples to oatmeal cookies and have to wonder why I’ve never come across something like this before. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you Teri! At the time, it seemed reasonable to me, and it was a lucky thing because they really add to the cookie! Mom must have thought so too!
A definite treat, Dorothy, but who can stop at one?
A lovely story. I can see your mum throwing her head back and laughing uproariously. Must have been quite the sight. And yet, that little exchange added taste and delight to future batches!
I think about this story every single time I make these, and usually start laughing, or crying, or both!
The sweet story behind these wonderful cookies is just the best!!! Adding a little rum sound festive and interesting! And the recipe in your mother’s handwriting – priceless!
Thank you Mary. Those recipe cards are my treasures, even the badly splotched ones! Maybe especially those.
Those are the best ones!
Such a great story! Some of the best recipes started with a misunderstanding, so you’re in good company! The addition of apple and rum definitely elevate the cookies to another level. 🙂
Thanks Ronit! They are really tasty.
A great story behind the recipe and I will be adding an apple(to the biscuit tin) as well as the cookies 🙂 x
It really works!
I don’t see an apple in your cookie jar!?
Good spy! Oops!
There’s always a good story behind Mother’s baking and that is a good one. Don’t have any of my Mum’s recipes – she seemed to make them up as she went along!?!
Anyway, your Oatmeal cookies sound nice and as my husband loves Rum and Raisin Ice Cream there is always a jar of Raisins soaking in Rum in the fridge, so I’m set there. Those Raisins are so strong they practically make your eyes pop! Shall enjoy making your and your Mum’s Oatmeal cookies.
Mary :))
I hope you love them too! I love the idea of keeping the raisins marinating in the fridge! A great idea. I do brandied cherries every year and always have a big jar in the pantry. When they are at least three years old, they get really good!
They look delicious!
Thank you! One of our favorites!
Randy loves oatmeal raisin cookies…I think I should give these a try and see what he thinks!
My husband absentmindedly took a bit from the cookies yesterday, and a few seconds later exclaimed “Wow, that’s one good cookie, any more samples?”
That story gave me such a good laugh, D. I was also reminded of my mother’s cookies, which she made from her own recipe and shared that recipe with no one. They were the simplest cookie, but so tasty and perfect for dunking in a cup of coffee. After mom passed away, my sister and I discovered her recipes and decided to give her special cookies a try. No matter how many times we tried, the cookies never tasted like hers. We are convinced that mom left out one of the ingredients!
I bet she did! Or maybe she just measured haphazardly, like tossing in three times the vanilla called for (my mom did this all the time!)
Oh, I’m sure that’s what happened. Even when we played around with the amount of vanilla or sugar, the cookies just didn’t taste the same as when mom made them. Who knows? Maybe they’re not meant to. 😊
Like my mom’s pork cutlets. Never got those right!
Well, Amanda got ahead of me to say we Aussies would immediately compare this with our beloved ANZAC biscuit. Yours look lovely and the tips and the story were greatly appreciated – thanks!
Thanks Eha! Love hearing the translations from my Aussie friends!
Adding rum is an upgrade I didn’t know I needed. Thank you!
It’s a really good one. Originally, I was just plumping up the raisins, but decided not to waste the rum and used it instead of water. Glad I did!
Fabulous recipe thank you Dorothy and I love all the additions and the apple story lol.. clearly led to some innovative baking.. ♥
Thank you Sally! I laugh about it every time I make them!
Sometimes it is not the recipe, it is the procedure. Your evolved cookies sound great.
Thanks Karen! They came out really tasty!
I need these now! Yum!
They keep well, especially with the apple, so I’ll save you some.
I knew I could count on you! 🥰
You had me at rum! Your story made my day, I never heard of putting an apple in cookies, only bread.
Of course, cookies sometimes don’t stay around long enough to go stale!
Love the story of how these cookies developed!
Thanks! They are really good!
I do love a good, chewy oatmeal cookie!!
You’d love these!
😋
They are so good! The rum really takes them on a most delightful turn!
Writing any kind of instructions is complicated, because we assume other people know exactly what we mean… The recipe and the anecdote are fantastic. Thanks for sharing them!
So glad you stopped by! Next time, I’ll save you a cookie!
Nice Post Thanks
You are most kindly welcome!
A happy and delicious misunderstanding 😋 I love the addition of dark rum too 😋
Thank you! The rum adds that wonderful taste of holiday.
What an interesting story about adding the apples, Dorothy! I like the addition of rum!
Thank you! Both the apples and the rum are now essential ingredients!
I loved this post; I too try to replicate my mom’s recipes, sometimes hitting the mark but sometimes not so much. And I have tried to make a gf version of these oatmeal cookies and I am inspired by your recipe to try again using your version. Many thanks.
Thanks Angela! Good luck! I’ve had some pretty good luck with the King Arthur GF mix when making cookies. I’m sure you have tried them all!
These cookies look yummy! The apple and rum flavors sound delicious together! 🙂
Thank you, it’s a lovely combo!
Awesome Post Thanks
Thanks so much! I’ll save you one next time.
Excellent Post Thanks
Thank you for stopping by!
Shortening and butter do act differently. I don’t think Shortening is as scary as it used to be. If I sub i always add an extra tablespoon of butter per cup…shortening has more fat. I’m guessing if a richer butter like kerrygold is used we might not need it. Don’t we live in a wonderful time where we can get all kinds of ingredients? I’m convinced that when we substitute butter in these older recipes, they often turn out drier. And that’s because they need more fat. It made a huge difference in my grandmother’s gingerbread when I use just a little bit more butter! The cookies sound absolutely loaded and so delish! I loved hearing the story of how you transformed them.
Thanks Molly! You are absolutely right about the shortening/butter differences. Butter has a lot more water and less fat. I tried subbing butter for one of my mom’s biscuit recipes and they were nothing like hers, and not in a good way.
We have amazing ingredients available. I found an organic, non-hydrogenated (no trans fats) shortening and it works great in my mom’s pastry recipe. Good to have on the shelf, but I haven’t made her biscuits with it yet!
Happy 2026! ❤️
Happy New Year to you too!