Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Cookie Throw Down Number 1!

As I made the Lemon Pecan Sandies, I decided to make shortbread again for my vegetarian friends at work (and anyone else who preferred them!)

As I've been making these cookies and varying recipes and techniques, I thought what I would love to do if I had a bakery is put up 2 versions of cookies and let people give their feedback on them on which they thought was best.

Well I don't, and won't have a bakery, but I have a willing audience of software folks at work that are more than ready to sacrifice themselves in trying cookies.

So this weekend I decided to see what the real difference was between using the "Old Fashioned Oats" that I prefer and the "Quick Cooking Oats" that recipes seem to always call for.  Oatmeal Shortbread would be the battleground.

Sadly there is no Oatmeal Shortbread recipe that comes close on allrecipes.com.  All of those were HEAVY on the oatmeal, when the cookie I do just has 1/3 cup with the flour just reduced a little.  I think most late 80s and beyond versions of The Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book have this as a variation on their Shortbread recipe if you want to find it.

So I whipped up 2 batches of Oatmeal Shortbread and set up my trial at work.

Hands down the preference was for the ones made with Old Fashioned Oats.  The cookie was crunchier, that was preferred, and had a stronger oatmeal taste that give these cookies a fantastic flavor.  As I always say, the Old Fashioned Oats have more "umph!" So I'll be sticking with the Old Fashioned Oats from now on!

Next Throw Down I'll post pictures.

Happy Baking!


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