A Tale of Two Cookies

Welcome to the match-up you've been waiting for. The most exciting cookie battle since last Christmas. In the left corner, weighing in at a svelte 2.5oz and loved by grandchildren everywhere, Grandma's Grand Finale Cookies. They are the only good thing every inspired by a Bush. In the right corner, weighing in at a muscular 3.5oz and trained by the best at Momofuko Milk Bar, the upstart, the challenger, Hertzberg's Anything Goes Cookies. Who will win? Whose cookie will reign supreme?

Grandma's Grand Finale

These are seriously f-ing good.

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups quick cooking or rolled oats
• 1-1/4 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped almonds
• 3/4 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Combine the butter, brown sugar, and sugar in a large bowl and beat them with an electric mixer set at medium speed for about 2 minutes or until creamy and well blended. Add the egg, orange juice, and vanilla extract and beat them in thoroughly. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, coconut, almonds, and raisins. Scoop blobs of dough about 2 inches in diameter and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 15–18 minutes or until browned. Makes 3 dozen

Hertzberg's Anything Goes

These are salty and crunchy.

• 2 sticks butter, at room temperature
•  cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup large 60% cocoa Ghirardelli chocolate chips, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped Fairway chocolate covered sea salt caramels
• 2 whole Graham crackers, broken into large pieces
• 1/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3 teaspoons ground coffee (not instant)
• 2 cups Cape Cod potato chips, whole
• 1 cup mini-pretzels
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup corn flakes (or Rice Krispies)

Combine the butter, sugars and corn syrup in the bowl of a stand mixer (use paddle attachment or regular beaters if you don’t have one) and beat the ingredients on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat for 7-8 minutes at medium speed. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat at low speed just until a dough forms. Add the chocolate chips, caramels, graham crackers, oats and coffee and mix on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated. Add the potato chips, pretzels, coconut and corn flakes and mix at low speed until just incorporated. Place mounds of dough (about 1/3 cup) onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving plenty of room for the cookies to spread. Pat the tops of the mounds slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (up to 1 week). Be sure to bake the cookies when they are cold, not room temperature. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°. Bake the cookies for about 18 minutes, or until browned at the edges and beige-yellow in the center. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet. Makes about 20-24 cookies. (HT Momofuko and Oprah)