New-York-Daily-News-ooh-look: Hello Cookie: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ta dah! The 'Hello Cookie' project presents: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

First up, these are not the most attractive cookie ever baked; their rustic shape, however, is a good indicator to the healthy stuff inside – rolled oats, raisins, and – chocolate?

The provenance of oatmeal raisin cookies can be traced back to the American brand, Quaker Oats, with the recipe for the cookies first being found on their oat containers in the early 1900s. they are also a very easy cookie to make, so are suitable for beginner bakers.

After reading up on the best way to make this cookie, I found that chilling the dough (after it has been mixed, or even after it has been rolled into balls) will ensure that the cookie doesn’t flatten during baking, resulting in a thick, chewy cookie that is bursting with oaty, raisin-y goodness.

And what about the chocolate? Well, I had some dark chocolate chips lying around, so I added just under ½ a cup. Walnuts and/or cranberries would also be a tasty addition.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Makes 45

Ingredients
½ cup (113g) butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar (or mixture of brown sugar and white sugar)
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cups rolled oats (quick oats are fine, but do not use instant oats, as it is too fine in texture)
¾ cup raisins

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until there are no more lumps.
3. Sift in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and mix until combine.
4. Stir in the oats and raisins (and choc chips, if desired)
5. Roll teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls and place 3cm apart on a lined baking sheet. The entire tray can be chilled for about 10 minutes, if you like.
6. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown (do not overcook, as you want them soft in the centre).
7. Cool on trays before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.