Call me old fashioned, but this cookie and me were destiny. I wasn’t looking for the perfect iced oatmeal cookie, but it found me. It stared up at me from Pinterest with a look that said “I may look like just an average oatmeal cookie, but I’m special.” It was the holiday season, so I figured oatmeal cookies would ship well and be enjoyed by anyone with a soul (conveniently, I only ship cookie gifts to those with souls). From the elegant simplicity of the recipe to the first test bite, to the icing droplets, this cookie saw right through me and it won me over.
I already have a go-to oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, but that’s like comparing apples and oranges. Those cookies are thick and chewy and the raisins are pops of sweetness. These iced oatmeal cookies are thin — soft in the middle with crisp edges — and the icing melts in your mouth adding just the right amount of sweetness to the cookie – like a perfectly glazed donut. See, donut, it knew my weakness.
I liked these so much it was hard to give them away, but they are great cookies to gift; they’re sturdy enough to hold up in the mail or a gift bag, they stay fresh for several days and you can decorate with sprinkles according to the season/holiday/occasion.
You know those people who you try to give cookies for the holidays and they’re respond “No! No way! No cookies! Our house is so full of cookies. Oh my God you’re going to make me fat.” Give those people these cookies and remind them that they’re oatmeal cookies. Oatmeal! You can eat them for breakfast. They’ll be hoodwinked too… “Oh, they’re just a plain oatmeal cookie. Perfect, there’s no way I’ll binge on these while watching Love Actually on TNT.”
Have you fallen in love with these yet? Here’s the boom box over the head part: they are so easy to make. There are no fancy ingredients here, plus you use melted butter, which means you don’t have to remember to take the sticks out of the fridge to soften (that is baking gold in my book). Because they’re made with melted butter, the dough starts out pretty thin and sticky, but firms up quick when left on the counter or put in the fridge . Don’t worry, they still turn out delicious.
The only part that might be tricky is the step where you grind the oats in a food processor. Do you have a coffee grinder? You could use a coffee grinder to grind the oats.
I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but I bet these would be amazing dipped in coffee.
Now I’m picturing the poor souls who don’t have a food processor or a coffee grinder chopping the oats by hand with a knife. These cookies are so softy, spicy, sweet delicious that you just might consider that option, but don’t do that. Call me and I’ll mail you some ground oats… if you have a soul. Put a food processor on your Christmas list in the meantime.
Old Fashioned Iced Oatmeal Cookies
By The Novice Chef
Ingredients
Cookies:
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
5 tablespoons milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F and butter two cookie sheets. Set aside.
In a food processor, pulse oats until partly ground. You don’t want a fine powder, you want a coarse meal. Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the melted butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix in the dry oat mixture, stirring until thoroughly combined.
Drop dough by (heaping) rounded tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 14-16 minutes, rotating halfway through, until browned. Let cookies rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cookies are completely cooled, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Generously frost each cookie and allow the glaze to harden completely before storing. I dipped the tops of the cookies in the icing, rather than using a knife.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Adventures of a Hungry Redhead 
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