Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

After my disastrously failed attempt to make key lime pie, I've been craving something sweet for the past few days - but what to make? Obviously I can't make a pie since my pie pan is in a million pieces, but there are cakes, cookies, breads.... In the end, I decided to make oatmeal raisin cookies - although I made about a dozen cookies without raisins, since Scott doesn't like them.

This recipe is very easy to make, and lends itself well to variations. For example, this recipe doesn't call for any nuts, but adding ½ cup chopped walnuts along with the raisins would be a great addition. I like to soak the raisins for 15-30 minutes before adding them to the dough - it makes the cookies moister, and the raisins less prone to drying out. If you wanted a more adult (and less “traditional”) version, I'd recommend soaking the raisins in dark rum!


Directions:
¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg at room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
¾ cup (4 ounces) raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until soft and creamy. Then beat in both sugars, followed by the egg and vanilla.
3. With the mixer on the lowest speed, slowly incorporate the dry mixture. Then add the oats in three portions. Mix in the raisins by hand.*
4. Coat baking sheet with a light layer of non-stick spray (e.g., PAM) and place the dough on the sheet (about 1 tbsp dough per cookie), about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes, and then pay close attention for another 2-4 minutes - take cookies out when they are a golden-brown color, or longer if you want them crispier.
5. Remove cookies from tray and cool on a cooling rack. Once completely cooled, cookies can be kept in an airtight container for a little over a week.
   *if using walnuts, add them along with the raisins and mix by hand
   

What do you like to add to your oatmeal raisin cookies? Chocolate chips, craisins, molasses? I'd love to hear about your own variations!