What would you do to find the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies or whatever your heart desires? Consult an obscure cookbook? Experiment with endless variations? Take the modern route and see what the bloggers are cooking?

How about looking on the back of the bag of your star ingredient? “No no, if a good recipe were so readily available, surely everyone would be able to cook well,” you say. Besides, back-of-the-package recipes often trick you into buying other products from the same parent company. For example, to make “authentic” Philadelphia cheesecake, you must use Honey Maid graham crackers. Nice try, Kraft.

But think about it. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like the classic Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie. The Hershey’s chocolate cake recipe on the back of every cocoa package produces a delicious, moist cake. All pumpkin pie recipes that I’ve seen are only slight variations from the one on Libby’s pumpkin label (15 oz. of pumpkin puree, 1 1/2 cups of dairy, two eggs and sugar and spice to taste). Manufacturers know that back-of-the-package recipes better be good, or you won’t be buying their product anytime soon.

The M&M oatmeal raisin cookie recipe is no exception. I’ve seached high and wide for a good oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. I was convinced that it simply didn’t exist. In my cookies, the chunk of chocolate interfered with the chewiness of the oats. It was a completely different mouthfeel. I figured only raisins could go with oatmeal because both were chewy.

It turns out a trusty oatmeal chocolate cookie recipe was right under my nose, er, in my hands.

M&M Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

adapted from the M&M Gift Jar Cookie Mix recipe on every Mini bag

Ingredients:
1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (169g) firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 teaspoon (3.75mL) vanilla extract
3/4 cup (169g) whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups (281g) uncooked oats (quick or old-fashioned is fine)
1/2 teaspoon (2.5mL) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2.5mL) salt
1/2 teaspoon (2.5mL) ground cinnamon
1 cup (225g) M&M’S® Chocolate Mini Baking Bits
1/2 cup (113g) raisins
1/2 cup (113g) chopped toasted walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla until well blended.

In a medium bowl combine flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; blend into creamed mixture.

Stir in M&M’S® Chocolate Mini Baking Bits, raisins and nuts.

Roll into 1-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or just until edges begin to brown. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks. Store in tightly covered container.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Notes:

• As usual, I reduced the butter. The original recipe called for 1 1/2 sticks, but you won’t miss it.
• Also as usual, I swapped out all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour for health reasons. I think whole wheat flour gives the cookies a heartier flavor and texture.
• To reduce spread, refrigerate the batter for at least one hour to solidify the butter and let the flour/oats soak up moisture. If chilling for more than a couple hours, roll the dough into three or four logs and slice off a chunk to bake. By then, it will be too hard to spoon. The logs can also be frozen, double-wrapped, to satisfy later cookie cravings.
• The dough was uber flavorful for my tastes. Next time I will use 3/8 tsp salt and 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar. It’s all a matter of taste though. Nic at The Baking Sheet thinks salted butter (which already has 1/2 tsp of salt per stick) plus 1/2 tsp salt per 2 cups of flour is perfect.
• Why use unsalted butter if you’re adding in salt anyway? First, unsalted butter is often fresher than salted butter. Second, you get to control the flavor. Regular butter is often too salty for cookies.