Memories and healthy recipes for your dinner table.

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

The oatmeal cookie is one of my favorite fall treats. The spiciness whispers autumn. In this particular version, cinnamon has been replaced with nutmeg for a nice subtle flavor. This recipe comes from the  Baking Illustrated Cookbook.

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
16 tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups raisins, optional

Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt together in a small bowl.
Either by hand or with an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.
Stir dry ingredients into the sugar mixture. Add the oats and raisins.
Roll two tablespoons of dough into a ball and place on prepared baking sheets at least two inches apart.
Bake until the cookie edges turn golden brown, 22-25 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking time. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Transfer to wire rack. Do not over bake. The edges should be brown but the rest of the cookie should be light in color.

Variations:
Substitute 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg for the grated if in a pinch.
A less sweet option: reduce sugar by 1/4 cup.
Date Oatmeal Cookies: Substitute 1 1/2 cups chopped dates for the raisins.
Ginger Oatmeal Cookies: Add 3/4 tsp ground ginger to the flour and omit raisins.
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies: Omit the nutmeg. Substitute 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips for the raisins.
Nut Oatmeal Cookies: decrease flour to 1 1/2 cups and add 3/4 cup ground almonds. Add 1 cup chopped walnuts with the oatmeal.
Orange and Almond Oatmeal Cookies: Omit the raisins. Add 2 tbsp minced orange zest and 1 cup toasted chopped almonds (toast nuts in 350-degree oven for 5 minutes) along with oats.