Oatmeal Cookies

Hello hello my lovelies! I hope you will all have (or had depending on time zones) a wonderful Valentines Day! Anybody do any baking?:)

I am finalllyyyyyy on my spring break, and to say I’m happy would be quite the understatement! However, I, unlike practically everyone else I know, will not be going down to Mexico or Dominican for spring break. Instead im stuck here in good old Ottawa, with expectations of at least another 10 cm of snow this week. *sigh*

However, I will definitely not be letting that bring me down. No siry bob. I’m really planning on getting lots of baking and cooking done so that I can use em up for those weeks when I have 3 essays due and no time to bake. Ugh, speaking of essays I will probably have to start them... though you and I both know procrastination is the solution to all problems ;)

I’ve also started commenting on a lot of people’s blogs. I get a bit peeved when I see I have over a thousand hits but only one comment! :( But then I realize that its karma. I read soooo many different blogs a day, and even if I love the content, I never comment….so… I WANT GOOD KARMA, thus the extra commenting-ness.

Alright, on to these oatmeal cookies, I *love* these cookies. I know, I know, just another oatmeal cookie don’t be such a hypocrite! But honestly, these oatmeal cookies converted me from despising the very thought of oatmeal to being obsessed with them! This time I did things a bit different and chopped up some Hershey's 80% Dark Chocolate into it...SO GOOD.

I found this recipe over 2 years ago and it is very dear to me, which is another reason for me to have this blog – to keep hold of my favorite recipes. I can’t tell you how many of them I have lost over the years and been devastated when I cant find them. But by posting it in my blog, not only can I share it with everyone else, I hope that one day my blog will become my go to online recipe book! Wo0t!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe

(source: Cuisine Magazine)

Ingredients:

Whisk together and set aside

* 2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Cream wet ingredients

* 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

* 1 cup sugar

* 1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

* 2 large eggs

* 2 teaspoons vanilla

Then stir in

* 3 cups oats (not instant)

* 1 1/2 cups raisins ***I always mix in about 3/4 cups of chocolate chips and 3/4 cup of raisins, but this time I shopped up a 100gr packet of Dark Chocolate and it was BEYOND amazing :)

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Whisk dry ingredients; set aside.
3. Combine wet ingredients with a hand mixer on low.
4. To cream, increase speed to high and beat until fluffy and the color lightens.
5. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until no flour is visible.
6. (Over mixing develops the gluten, making a tough cookie.) Now add the oats and raisins; stir to incorporate.
7. Fill cookie scoop with dough.
8. (Use a #40 cookie scoop; it measures 2 tablespoon of dough) Press against side of bowl, pulling up to level dough.
9. Drop 2-inches apart onto baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.
10. Bake 11-13 minutes (on center rack), until golden, but still moist beneath cracks on top.
11. Remove from oven; let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Overall Rating: 6 1/2 stars! (which is really good in my books! *see my rating system on the side*)

As I mentioned I really like these cookies and I tell you, you eat one...you will reach for another, and another, and another...! Don't shy away from this recipe because of the 6.5 stars though! 6.5 is the highest I'll give to an 'ordinary' dessert such as oatmeal cookies and brownies. This cookie is really chewy and moist, be careful to bake JUST until it turns a bit golden, even if its a bit gooey on the inside. when it cools it will be amazing! (but if you let it get too brown when it cools it'll be a bit more crispy)