Old Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

In December, I donated a large tin of cookies per month for one year to my firm's United Way Silent Auction. This month, the selected recipe was Old Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, from Cook's Illustrated.

2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups raisins (optional)

Adjust oven racks to low and middle. Preheat oven to 350. In bowl of electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix flour, salt, baking powder and nutmeg together, then stir them into butter-sugar mixture with wooden spoon or large rubber spatula.



Stir in oats and optional raisins. Form dough into 2" balls and place on parchment paper covered cookie sheets.





The parchment paper is not mandatory, but makes the job much easier. If you do not use the parchment, make sure you let the cookies cool for at least 2 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Bake 22-25 minutes, until edges of cookie is golden brown. The rest of the cookie will still be very light in color. Halfway during baking, turn cookie sheets from front to back and also switch them from top to bottom. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.



They are crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle, and big! I made a double batch since they're TLMM's favorite cookies, and she said they were the best she has ever tasted. Her mom and dad also love these cookies and if you are a frequent reader you know that they are the cookie gurus!

So the next time you get a hankerin' for some old-fashioned oatmeal goodness, this recipe is easy and rewarding- and your family will love 'em...and the eggs.