I had a craving last night. A cookie craving. Which isn't so unusual for me, but the type of cookie gave me pause. Oatmeal Raisin. I have never liked Oatmeal Raisin cookies. They are usually cake-y, and cooked raisins are among my least favorite things. But, nonetheless, I had a craving. And what does a dessert junky with no will power like me do? Fulfill the craving of course.
Earlier that day I had watched a re-run of Paula's Home Cooking and she had made some "after school snacks" including these cookies. (That's probably where the craving started.) Any-who I looked up the recipe and started my late night baking (hence the bad lighting in the step by step photos). I tweaked it a little, but not much.
While I was baking the cookies I remembered that I needed to bring the dessert for the PTO meeting today so I decided to bake the whole batch (instead of freeze most of it as per usual), and also to make big cookies (about 4 1/2 inches across instead of the usual 2 1/2 inches).
When these cookies were done I was ever so grateful that I had the crazy craving. They hit the spot perfectly. They are my favorite texture - chewy. They are lightly spiced with cinnamon and just a sprinkling of the usually offending raisins. They were a huge success at the meeting and with the guys at the fire station (I couldn't leave them around the house, I would eat them all for sure.) The six that I had were divine, and if I hadn't wisely given the rest away I would have finished them off myself. I'm definitely keeping this recipe and making it again and again - whenever I get the insane notion to bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookies again, that is. :)
Here's how I made them:
The butter (2 sticks) and the sugars (1 cup brown and 1/2 cup white) went into the bowl of my stand mixer.
After the butter and sugars become one, I added two eggs.
While the mixer was running, I then added 1 tsp salt
a rounded tsp of cinnamon (maybe 1 1/8 tsp)
1 tsp baking soda
and 2 tsp of vanilla.
I scraped down the bowl, and continued to mix again. I was doing other things while making these cookies so the mixer was probably running for 5-10 minutes with all the a fore mentioned ingredients.
I forgot to mention this earlier, but I put some raisins (3/4 cup) in a bowl with some hot water, and let them soak.
While the mixer was running, I put 1 1/4 of pecans into a dry pan to toast over medium heat on the stove. They are done toasting when the nuts are hot and you can smell them. Stir them frequently and don't let them burn!
Back to the mixer - I added 1 1/2 cups of flour to the mixer, while it mixed on low. (Adding only 1/4 cup at a time so as to not completely cover myself and the kitchen in airborne flour.)
Once all the flour was incorporated, I scraped down the bowl again.
I drained the raisins,
and added them to the cookie dough.
Then I roughly chopped the toasted pecans,
and added them to the dough as well.
Last, but certainly not least, I turned the mixer on and added 2 cups of rolled oats. (I only ever use the old fashioned kind.) Again, only 1/4 cup at a time.
When everything was mixed well, it looked like this. (I scraped down the bowl one last time.)
I used my "big" scoop this time (big to me, medium to everyone else). It's probably 2 inches across. Make sure to line your cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. And give them plenty of room to spread. 3 inches apart is best.
After 10 minutes in a 350F oven they came out looking like this:
On the next bach I thought I would try baking them for 9 minutes and see how they turned out. This was them. They are a little under done in the center, and brown around the edges. Strangely enough, though, they cooled just as flat and dark as the first batch. And I couldn't tell much of a textural difference between the two.
This is the whole batch (minus the handfuls I ate while making them, and the couple the hubby had).
Here's the recipe:
adapted from Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
1 1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
3/4 cup to 1 cup raisins (to taste)
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups old-fashion rolled oats, uncooked
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
Add 1/2 cup hot water to the raisins. Allow the raisins to sit on the counter for about 10 minutes. Drain the raisins and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and the sugars and beat until very creamy. Add the eggs, and beat again until mixed. Keep the mixer running and add the vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. With the mixer on low, add the flour 1/4 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides. Add the raisins and pecans. Mix on low again and add the oats until fully combined. Scoop out about 2 inch scoops of batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave plenty of room for the cookies to spread. Bake until the cookies are cooked in the middle, about 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven. Cool on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an air tight container.
3/4 cup to 1 cup raisins (to taste)
2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups old-fashion rolled oats, uncooked
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
Add 1/2 cup hot water to the raisins. Allow the raisins to sit on the counter for about 10 minutes. Drain the raisins and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and the sugars and beat until very creamy. Add the eggs, and beat again until mixed. Keep the mixer running and add the vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. With the mixer on low, add the flour 1/4 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides. Add the raisins and pecans. Mix on low again and add the oats until fully combined. Scoop out about 2 inch scoops of batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave plenty of room for the cookies to spread. Bake until the cookies are cooked in the middle, about 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven. Cool on the baking sheet for about 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an air tight container.
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