Carl is really cool. I was happy to make him these sugar-free cookies (or low-sugar, actually, because I used the hybrid brown sugar/sucralose stuff). They aren’t bad—I’d say they’re even good for what they are.
A little information on low-sugar baking that I picked up from baking these cookies:
1) These cookies didn’t spread as much as the sugary ones. After the first batch came out of the oven I realized I’d have to hand-smush the cookies flat if I wanted them to have a more traditional oatmeal cookie shape and not look like shambly little disappointment piles.
2) If you bake these long enough to brown attractively, they will be dry and nasty. I subtracted a full two minutes from the lowest recommended bake time of the recipe (I ended up using the Quaker Oats recipe again. I decided to use the Martha Stewart recipe when I have to make Oatmeal Raisin in the future.) You could do a light honey wash or even a fake brown sugar wash if you absolutely need the cookies to look golden brown. I did not do this to my cookies, but I’m pretty sure it would work.
Something else I’ve noticed with this cookie is that people are walking by with a stack of two or three cookies in their hands like little cookie hoarders. Uhh, they aren’t magically butter-free or calorie-free, people.
Sugar-free Oatmeal Cookies: Not as good as cookies made with real sugar, but better than no cookie at all.
Out of Five Stars:
Recipe: ★★★★★
Skill in Execution: ★★★★
Taste of Finished Cookie: ★★ (This rating is based solely on my opinion. I’ve been told a few times already that they are “just as good as normal cookies” and “you can’t even tell a difference!” To which I say “Great! I’m glad you like them.”)
