Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 150 g old-fashioned rolled oats
- 5 g baking soda
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 3 g ground cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 170 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1cm cubes
- 150 g dark brown sugar
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, cold
- 10 ml vanilla extract
Glossy Vanilla Icing
- 120 g confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 20 ml whole milk
- 2 ml vanilla extract
- 1 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 286 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- 40 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 27 g
- Sodium
- 300 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 62 mg
- Potassium
- 66 mg
- Calcium
- 43 mg
- Iron
- 0.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 7 mg
- Phosphorus
- 40 mg
- Zinc
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 114 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 9 mcg
- Water
- 13 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In a mixing bowl, aggressively whisk the flour, oats, baking soda, sea salt, and ground cinnamon until completely uniform.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold cubed butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until combined but still slightly chunky. Do not over-cream, as retaining small butter pieces ensures a gooey center.
Add the cold eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, mixing on low speed just until the moisture is absorbed.
Pour the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix on the lowest speed or fold by hand until no streaks of dry flour remain.
Divide the dough into roughly 75g portions. To create the signature crags, break each dough ball roughly in half, then lightly press the smooth flat bottoms together so the jagged, torn edges point upward.
Place the shaped dough on a plate or tray and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. This solidifies the butter and hydrates the oats to prevent excessive spreading.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Space the chilled dough balls 5 centimeters apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. The cookies should have deeply golden, crusty edges while the centers still look pale and underbaked.
Allow the cookies to rest on the hot baking sheet for 10 minutes to gently finish cooking the centers, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cookies cool, whisk the sifted confectioners' sugar, whole milk, vanilla extract, and sea salt in a small bowl until a smooth, thick, glossy glaze forms.
Lightly dip only the very tops of the completely cooled cookies into the icing, allowing it to coat the highest crags while leaving the deep crevices bare. Set aside on the wire rack until the icing hardens.
Chef's Notes
- Using cold butter and a brief mixing technique leaves small pockets of fat in the dough, which release steam and create lift, contributing to the craggy crust.
- The tearing and stacking technique is a bakery secret. By exposing the rough interior of the dough to direct oven heat, you maximize the textural contrast and create the perfect landscape for icing to grip.
- Baking at a slightly higher temperature of 200°C sets the exterior quickly before the center has time to fully bake, guaranteeing the desired gooey interior.
- Do not skip sifting the confectioners' sugar. Lumps in the glaze will ruin the glossy, smooth finish that contrasts beautifully with the rustic cookie.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight container to maintain moisture.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze un-iced in a single layer before transferring to a freezer-safe bag.
Troubleshooting
Cookies spread flat and lost their craggy texture during baking.
Cause: Dough was not chilled adequately, or the butter was too warm and over-creamed.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked, but ensure remaining batches are fully chilled before baking.
Prevention: Start with properly cold butter, mix only until just combined, and strictly enforce the 1-hour chilling time.
The icing is runny and sliding entirely off the cookies.
Cause: Icing ratio is off or the cookies were still warm when glazed.
Fix: Whisk an additional 15g of sifted confectioners' sugar into the icing to thicken it, and wait for cookies to cool completely.
Prevention: Ensure cookies are completely cooled to room temperature before glazing.
Cultural Context
Iced oatmeal cookies are a beloved staple of American bakeries and mid-century packaged snacks. This artisanal reinvention preserves the nostalgic flavor profile of oats and cinnamon but drastically elevates the texture, transforming a uniform disc into a rugged, multi-textural confection ideal for the holiday season.
