Giant Oatmeal Cookies

Forget scooping individual cookies. This recipe presses the entire batch of dough into two massive discs on baking sheets, bakes them whole, then cuts them into wedges like a cookie pizza. You get thick, chewy slices with a soft center and slightly crispy edges.

The brown sugar does more than sweeten. It adds moisture and that characteristic chewiness you get from molasses. Combined with rolled oats, you end up with a cookie that’s dense and substantial, not thin and snappy.

Pressing the dough to ¾-inch thickness is key. Too thin and the center overbakes before the edges are done. At that thickness, the outside sets and browns while the inside stays soft and slightly underdone, which is exactly what you want.

Chef Tips

• Press the dough with damp hands to prevent sticking. Keep the thickness even so the edges don’t burn while the center catches up.
• Pull the cookies at 17 minutes and check. They should be lightly browned on top but still soft when pressed in the center. They firm up significantly during the 5-minute cool on the sheet.
• Let them cool completely before cutting into wedges. A sharp chef’s knife or pizza cutter works best.
• These make great gifts or party contributions. Just slide the whole disc onto a board and let people break off wedges.

Variations

• Use white chocolate chips and dried cranberries instead of semi-sweet chips and nuts.
• Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the flour mixture for a snickerdoodle-oat twist.
• Swap the nuts for toasted coconut flakes for extra chew and tropical flavor.