Originally published on December 28, 2014
Oatmeal raisin cookies aren’t your typical Christmas cookie. They don’t include any icing or chocolate, and you don’t roll them and cut them out into cute holiday shapes. But, when people heard that I spend many afternoons baking cookies at this time of year, I actually had quite a few requests for oatmeal raisin. Being that this is my very favourite type of cookie, I was happy to oblige. But I did want to do something different with them, just to make them a little more special than your average oatmeal raisin cookie. I mean, it is still the holiday season, after all.
My plan was to also add chopped pecans to them. But after all the cookies had already been spooned onto baking sheets, with some already in the oven baking, I realized I had left the nuts on my cutting board and not one had made into my cookies. Not one to give up so easily, I decided to make a second batch, this one with pecans in them. But, when it came time to make that second batch, I realized I had very few raisins left. Still deciding to forge ahead with the task at hand, I instead used some toasted coconut along with pecans, honey, and the handful or so of raisins. I was left with a culinary dilemma of the best kind – I couldn’t decide which batch I liked best! The moral of the story here is to use whatever sweet treat you have on hand. Butterscotch and chocolate chips work, as does candy such as M&M’s, or even small bits of fruit, like bite-sized pieces of apple.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup raisins, chocolate chips, or other sweet treat
1/2 cup nuts such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds (optional)
1 cup boiling water, if using raisins
Directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two (or more, depending on how many you have) baking sheets with parchment paper.
2.) If you’re using raisins, place them in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them sit for 10 – 15 minutes, until they are soft, plump, and reconstituted a bit. Then, drain and set aside.
3.) Mix the softened butter, the brown sugar, and the white sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high until the three ingredients are thoroughly mixed and starting to become light and fluffy. Add the honey and beat on high again for two more minutes.
4.) Turn the mixer to medium and add the eggs. Beat until the eggs are fully incorporated.
5.) Turn the mixer to low and add the vanilla extract, salt, and baking soda. Mix well.
6.) Add the flour, half a cup at a time, making sure that everything is fully blended and incorporated after each addition. Don’t worry about being exact here. The main reason the flour needs to be added slowly is so that it doesn’t fly out of the bowl and end up all over you and your counter while you’re trying to incorporate it.
7.) Keeping the mixer on low, add the oatmeal, then the nuts and sweet treats.
8.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl, remove the bowl from the mixer, and give it a final stir by hand.
9.) Wet two tablespoons (so that the mixture doesn’t stick) and use one to scoop some of the mixture out of the bowl. Use the other spoon to scrape down the back of the first one, releasing it from the spoon. Continue with the rest of the mixture, placing about 12 tablespoons on each baking sheet, giving you one dozen for every sheet.
10.) Bake for 9 – 15 minutes, depending on how large you’ve made your cookies. The cookies will be done when they are fairly brown on the bottom and just beginning to brown on top.
11.) Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
12.) Serve and enjoy!