Soft Oatmeal Cookies with Raisin & Nuts
Submitted by Crys
Soft oatmeal cookies loaded with raisins and chopped nuts, warm with cinnamon and allspice. Old-school drop cookies with chewy centers and crisp golden edges.
YIELD
60 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
30 minSoft oatmeal cookies studded with raisins and chopped nuts, spiced with cinnamon and allspice. The texture sits squarely in the chewy camp thanks to a splash of milk in the dough, which keeps the centers tender even after the edges crisp up.
Don’t skip the rolled oats in favor of instant. Old-fashioned oats hold their shape and give that hearty, almost nubby bite that defines a proper oatmeal cookie. Instant oats dissolve into the dough and you lose the texture entirely.
Cream the butter and sugar until genuinely light and fluffy. Three to four minutes with a stand mixer, longer by hand. That aeration is what keeps these soft instead of dense.
Drop heaping teaspoonfuls two inches apart on greased sheets and pull them when the edges have just browned but the centers still look a touch underdone. They keep cooking on the hot pan and set up perfectly soft.
Pro Tips
- Toast the nuts in a dry skillet for a few minutes before chopping. It deepens the flavor and keeps them from going soggy in the dough.
- Plump the raisins in hot water or a splash of rum for ten minutes, then drain and pat dry. They stay juicy instead of leathery after baking.
- Cool on the sheet for two minutes before moving to a rack so the bottoms don’t tear.
Variations
- Swap raisins for dried cranberries or chopped dates for a different sweet-tart angle.
- Use walnuts, pecans, or a mix; pecans give a softer chew, walnuts a sharper crunch.
- Add a quarter teaspoon of nutmeg or a tablespoon of orange zest to the spice mix for extra warmth.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Grease some cookie sheets.
Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, and beat until thoroughly blended. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until light and fluffy, then stir in the oatmeal.
Stir and toss together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice, and add them to the first mixture along with the milk. Beat until completely mixed. Stir in the raisins and nuts.
Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonsful onto the prepared cookie sheets, placing them about 2 inch apart, and bake for about 12 minutes, or until the edges are brown.
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