Why aren't my cookies the same???

How much flour is in the recipe?

Not having the cookbook to hand, but I think the basic recipe called for 2 cups of all purpose flour & I doubled the recipe.  I weighed the flour out according to your handy conversion chart.   So maybe with this recipe, it would have been better to just use what it called for without converting - may try that next time.

I put a bit more baking powder in it than the recipe called for, which could have been the culprit.  And I had no idea on the thing about the eggs here - to use medium eggs instead of large ones.  We had medium eggs on hand, so I used them plus an extra spoonful or two of more egg.  So there's that too.

The cookies do taste nice, but are puffy - just not my idea of an oatmeal cookie.  I put the (UK) luxury mixed (dried) fruit in them -- so they are studded with a mixture of raisins, sultanas, glace cherries, etc.

Here's Quaker oats cookie recipe:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups of Quaker Oats (Quick)
1 cup raisins (optional)

Directions 
"Preheat oven to 350° F. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla extract; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Slowly stir in oats. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute on sheet, remove to wire rack.
BAR COOKIES: Bake 30 to 35 minutes on ungreased 13 x 9-inch metal pan.
[HIGH ALTITUDE: Increase flour to 1¼ cups.

Could this be why my pancakes NEVER turn out fluffy?  Should I just try adding more flour?  I always use a basic recipe from Joy of Cooking or similar (flour, sugar, butter, milk, egg, baking powder, vanilla) but they are always much flatter than I prefer.

Here's Quaker oats cookie recipe:

That's it, thanks!!

Not having the cookbook to hand, but I think the basic recipe called for 2 cups of all purpose flour & I doubled the recipe.  I weighed the flour out according to your handy conversion chart.   So maybe with this recipe, it would have been better to just use what it called for without converting - may try that next time.

I put a bit more baking powder in it than the recipe called for, which could have been the culprit.  And I had no idea on the thing about the eggs here - to use medium eggs instead of large ones.  We had medium eggs on hand, so I used them plus an extra spoonful or two of more egg.  So there's that too.

Last Christmas I had a terrible time with sticky gooey dreadful cookie dough using the amounts called for in my (US) recipes. It may not matter so much with drop cookies as with rolled cookies, but maybe split the difference?

I imagine the extra baking powder and egg would contribute to the puffiness, as well.

I imagine the extra baking powder and egg would contribute to the puffiness, as well.

Yeah, I thought that extra egg made things 'cake-like'. I know when brownie mixes give you the option of 'cake-like' it means adding another egg.

Yeah, I thought that extra egg made things 'cake-like'. I know when brownie mixes give you the option of 'cake-like' it means adding another egg.

I definitely think using large eggs AND the flour conversion/strong flour have made my cookies more cake-like in the past.

Could this be why my pancakes NEVER turn out fluffy?  Should I just try adding more flour?  I always use a basic recipe from Joy of Cooking or similar (flour, sugar, butter, milk, egg, baking powder, vanilla) but they are always much flatter than I prefer.

Try doubling the amount of baking powder.  The baking powder here is not the double acting that we have in the States.