Cookies and photo by sugarpie © Sarah Phillips
Comfort dessert food at its best – jumbo oatmeal raisin cookies are THE best! Fresh from the oven, I like to pile them in a stack, curl up in a comfy chair, and polish them off, one by one. All of my woes seem to melt away, and who likes to count calories, anyway?
COOKIE RECIPE HELP

“A cookie worth making”, as reviewed in the Chicago Tribune, April 21, 2004. “If sweet and chewy translates to cookie bliss, this recipe from “Baking 9-1-1” is a perfect treat. The high oven temperature causes the cookies to puff and set on the outside before the inside sets completely, making a thicker cookie, writes author Sarah Phillips, who also advises not to overbake these treats.
When we made them in the test kitchen, tasters marveled at the crispy exterior that yielded to a soft and flavorful interior…”

mom2kate, Premium Member, Says: “…but seriously, these oatmeal cookies can stand on their own. this is probably the best oatmeal raisin cookie recipe I've ever had! And everyone else who tried these cookies said the same thing.”

 

INGREDIENTS
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon into measuring cup and level to top rim)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant)
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Position the oven racks in the lower and upper third of the oven. Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

2. Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until softened. Beat in sugars until well blended.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.

Beat in vanilla. Add in the flour, slowly at the side of the bowl, with the mixer running on low. Blend 5 seconds with the mixer on low, until ALMOST incorporated. The batter will be thick.

Unlatch the mixing bowl from the mixer. With a large rubber spatula, fold in the oats, raisins and nuts, untill incorporated.

3. Drop by rounded tablespoonful onto ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheets 2 inches apart. (For smaller cookies, drop by the teaspoonful.)

Bake until lightly browned and edges are set, 12-15 minutes.

4. Cool cookie sheets on a wire cake rack 1-2 minutes. Gently remove the cookies from the sheets to the rack; cool completely.

STORAGE
Store in an airtight container for a few days, or more. The cookies can be frozen for a month or more.

Nutrition information per serving:
160 calories, 37% of calories from fat, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 25 mg
cholesterol, 24 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 82 mg sodium, 0.9 g fiber

Recipe by Sarah Phillips, Baking 9-1-1, Simon and Schuster, 2003