Crispy oatmeal cookies

From the moment I saw these cookies on America's Test Kitchen (ATK), I was craving them. ATK is one of my favorite programs on public television. Of course, most of their recipes are non-vegan, but I love watching their shows on desserts. They usually have some tips and tricks and I always learn something new. This recipe promised a thin and crispy oatmeal cookie, and it did not disappoint! All I did was switch out the butter and egg for their vegan counterparts. Now, don't get me wrong, I do like a soft and chewy cookie like an oatmeal raisin or oatmeal chocolate chip, but this cookie will make you see oatmeal in a whole new avatar. The recipe did not call for any additions like nuts or dried fruit and I am glad I kept it that way. It just lets the flavor of the oatmeal shine. To substitute for the egg, I used some egg-replacer and flaxseed. Egg-replacer usually adds crunch to baked goods, so it was my first choice here. To add more body, I added some flaxseed as well.

Ingredients (for 24-28 cookies)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (don't substitute the instant kind)
1 and 3/4 sticks vegan butter ( I used Earth Balance)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 tsp egg-replacer + 1 tbsp flaxseed + 3 tbsp water

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with silpat/parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the egg-replacer, flaxseed and water and whip vigorously with a fork. You could do this in a food processor too. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and set aside. The next step is to cream the butter and sugars. Ideally, the butter should be at room temperature. I put the butter in a large glass bowl and microwaved it for 15 seconds and it softened up beautifully. Now, add the sugars and using either a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars for a minute or so. Add the egg-replacer mixture and vanilla extract and mix for 30 seconds. Now, add the flour mixture slowly and mix. Lastly, add the oats, 1/2 cup at at time and mix until well-incorporated. Now, place well-rounded tablespoons of the dough on the baking sheet. Press down on the dough gently with a fork to flatten a little.  These cookies spread a lot, so make sure there is enough room on the sheet. I used an 11"X17" sheet and baked nine cookies on it. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes until golden brown on the edges. Let the sheet cool on a wire rack. Cool the cookies completely in the sheet and then transfer to an air-tight container. If you are going to be using the same cookie sheet again, make sure its cool before baking the next batch. Also, these cookies are best baked in one batch. I refrigerated part of the dough and they didn't spread as much the second time around.