Well, I know that the trick to getting chocolate chip cookies to stay fluffy and not spread out too thin is to let the dough chill. But don't let it break you, maybe this recipe was just supposed to be something else. Happy mistakes! Cookie crust for a pie, perhaps.

Is the flour amount right? That doesn't sound like much, even with the oatmeal. What was the batter like?

I hate to say this.....but they were meant to be that way....that kind of recipe, lots of butter, oats, little four is sometimes called lace cookies,,,,I love them! Have been served them made into tuilles around a spoon.
Ya done good!! Sounds perfect to me!!

Chi83, I thought the flour amount didn't sound right either, but I don't bake very much (can you tell) so I figure if they test their recipes..... The batter was thick, not overly so, but of course very oatmeally.

ynnej, the crumbs are usable and all of the cookies didn't crumble too badly but Bob loves oatmeal cookies and I'd like to try the recipe again if I could figure out what was wrong.

Thanks.

jude

LindaC, that thought crossed my mind but the name of the cookies threw me off.

Thanks.

Google it....there are all sorts of similar cookies....very little flour, lots of butter, oatmeal maybe pecans, maybe coconut...maybe some coco in the batter...
They spread out like crazy and can be hell to remove from the cookie sheet,,,,but they are yummy!
Just don't over bake....they need to be chewey.

Gotcha! Next time, space further apart and bake for less time. My oven does bake fast. I just didn't realize they were lace cookies.

jude

there may not be enough flour, but it's not that far off in ratio to the oatmeal cookies I always bake. Here is my recipe for Quaker Oatmeal Cookies, the original one that was on the box years ago until they "improved" it, for which I will never forgive them. I had to canvass all of my family and friends who bake to get the old recipe back. Pffft.

Anyway, here's that recipe:

Quaker Oatmeal Cookies
3 cups quaker oats, (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
Heat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheet. Combine oats, flour, salt and baking soda. In large bowl, beat together shortening, sugars, egg, water and vanilla until creamy. Add dry ingredients, mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. For variety you can add shopped nuts, raisins, chocolate chips or coconut.

As you can see, there are 3 cups of oats instead of the two in your recipe, but the 1 cup of flour remains the same, as does the one egg and the 3/4 cup of fat. So, the oats to flour ratio is 3 to 1 in my recipe, and 4 to 1 in yours, which may or may not have thrown that off because you notice that my recipe has 1/4 cup of water and yours does not.

If I were inclined to try those agian, which I might be if you like the flavor well enough, I'd add a bit more flour, but not a lot. you know what your usual oatmeal cookie dough looks like, so I'd probably target that as my "goal" and see how they come out. And I don't think I'd do a whole batch at once, either. I'd take a portion of the batch, add some flour, bake one. If it helped, great, if not add a bit more, and bake one. Repeat endlessly until you run out of dough, or the cookies are perfect, or you just can't stand it any more, LOL.

Annie

The melted butter/oatmeal might contribute too. I imagine the oatmeal soaked up most of the butter. Maybe try a traditional cookie base with creaming the butter/sugar? I know that's the whole "toasted oatmeal" part of the cookie though so...

Jude, I once had a "lace" oatmeal cookie turn out the very same way. I really wanted cookies instead of crumbs, so I just didn't make that recipe again! LOL!

Teresa

I agree with Lindac, the recipe is a lacy oatmeal cookie, not a traditional oatmeal cookie recipe. You really do need to leave them on the cookie sheet for 5-minutes to "set" before removing them from the cookie sheet, as the recipe indicates. I also love this type of oatmeal cookie. I make an eggless Almond Oatmeal Cookie that sounds very similar, that is a family favorite.

So rather than trying to alter the recipe or dissecting it for what "went wrong" (which was nothing, this is the type of cookie it is intended to produce), choose another recipe that has the alchemy for the type of cookie you are looking for. This is where knowing how to "read" a recipe can come in handy, as well as reading up on the alchemy of cookies. The ratio of ingredients will be a good indicator. Puffy cookies will have more flour; chewy cookies equals more eggs, fat and sugar.

-Grainlady

I make an Oatmeal Cookie that spreads out, but holds together. Looks to me like you need more flour. My recipe has 1 1/2 cups of flour and 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal.

You can toast the oatmeal for any recipe.

Ann

Good advice, you all. I really liked the taste of the cookies and after reading all your comments, if I make them again, and I very well may, I will space them farther apart and take them out of the oven sooner. I did let them cool before I removed them from the pan, though.

Annie,thanks for your recipe, which I will save and AnnT I will check out your recipe.

Teresa, doesn't it make you feel a little better when someone else has the same results you did? Not exactly "misery loves company" but something along that line.lol

jude

I just love Clarizon Cookies and maybe you would like these, too. The difference is that you toast the oatmeal in the butter before baking. Don't make a whole lot at once because these are one cookie that does not improve with age. I don't use any of the optional stuff, either. They are puffier than Lace Cookies.

Prepration:

2 sticks butter
3 c. quick-cooking oats
2 lg. eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
Nuts (optional)
Raisins (optional)
Chocolate chips (optional)

Melt butter in saucepan. Add oatmeal. Let cook for about three minutes, stirring occasionally, until oats begin to have a toasty-nutty smell. Remove from heat. Beat egg and sugar together until very light and frothy. Fold or stir together egg and oatmeal mixtures. Drop by teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading onto greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes until delicately browned. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

I'm sorry, I made a mistake in my first post. Mine takes 1 cup of flour to Jude's half cup, but also adds 1/4 cup of water. my ratio is correct, however.

Dedtired, no flour at all?

Annie

Nope, no flour. They are quick, easy and delicious.

Oh my! Another variation, and I'm gonna be busy. I made 2 cookie recipes before Christmas that had browned butter and I'm lovin' it. Pam, the lace cookies had you toasting the oatmeal in butter also.

Sadly, I'm baking more in the last 6 months than I have in years and I sure don't need the calories...I think I've developed a sweet tooth, which I never really had, in my advanced age. Problem is, bread is still one of my favorite foods.

jude

shoot, just stick those babies on my thighs with butter. It all goes straight there anyhow! You just keep on keepin' on and you'll get oatmeal cookies just like you want.

Oh Jude, me too. Baked goods and bread (which I guess is a baked good) are my downfall. Keep your chocolate, candy and ice cream, just lead me to the bakery.

My sentiments exactly, Pam!

Funny you posted this. I made the same recipe last night!

Mine came out fine but I did chill the dough. Once you cook the oatmeal in the browned butter, that mixture is pretty hot.
It does say to let it cool. I didn't do that so I went ahead and put the dough in the fridge.

I almost used the wrong butter quantity. Did you use 1 1/2 sticks?

I used this recipe because I saw it on the GW link below. Check out the comments!

Here is a link that might be useful: Toasted Oatmeal cookies

Dawn, I did use 1 1/2 sticks of butter. As I said, mine were too close together and I either need to bake them for a shorter time or reduce the temp, or both, because my oven does cook fast. We love the taste of them. The browned butter, plus the toasted oatmeal is a wonderful combination.

jude