Easy Oatmeal Raisin-Chocolate Chip Cookies
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A big batch of these fragrant, warm, sweet and tasty Easy Oatmeal Raisin- Chocolate Chip Cookies comes out of my oven every Christmas season. I prepare the cookie dough first then freeze it. When I’m ready to bake, out come the oven mitts, the baking pans and the mix I made myself.
What makes these cookies so hard to resist? I have been told by friends and family that they are chewy, sweet, and addictive. One cookie isn’t enough. They are devoured in no time.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
The recipe itself is a basic cookie recipe which you will recognize if you’re an avid baker. If you’re a newbie in the kitchen, it is just as easy to follow the process I outlined below.
You can make the dough ahead and freeze it. This is what I often do and when I cut the baking steps in stages, life is more manageable especially during the busy holiday season.
You can also bake the cookies ahead and freeze them, till you’re ready to serve them. Or else till you’re about to wrap them in colorful tins to give as gifts.
Use Regular Oats To Make This Recipe
The core ingredient of this cookie recipe is the oatmeal. I used regular, traditional Quaker Oats mixed into the flour and other ingredients.
The origins of the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie goes back to Scottish oatcakes which later transitioned from porridge to baked goods, during the Victorian times. From cookbook sources, the first recorded oatmeal cookie appeared in the late 1800s with Frannie Merrit Farmer who popularized the oatmeal raisin cookie, using oatmeal, and adding other sweet ingredients like raisins, chocolate chips and savory nuts. The cookie recipe gained popularity and over the years, international adaptations evolved, using unique ingredients from around the world.
Ingredients Needed
Basic baking ingredients are staples in this recipe like all-purpose flour, baking soda, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, raisins and chocolate chips. The main ingredient are the oats. I use the traditional Quaker Oats for this recipe and no other brand works for me.
Oats provide a versatility, as much as its known nutritional benefits. And when baked, one notices a rich, nutty flavor with each bite. There is also that hefty texture to the cookie which oats uniquely give.
Like I always suggest, be sure to use freshly-purchased ingredients or those that have not yet reached their expiry date. Butter that’s been sitting half-unwrapped on your refrigerator shelf for so many months will not work and might even cause a strange, rancid flavor to your baked goods. Use newly-purchased butter for any baking project. Same with the eggs, flour and other ingredients.
This cookie recipe is versatile. Aside from the raisins and chocolate chips, one can experiment and add spices, dried fruits and nuts for a unique, yet classic oatmeal raisin cookie.
The Process of Baking
The baking process for this recipe is easy and straightforward. If you’ve baked before, you know to prepare the oven beforehand, by pre-heating it.
Then, mix the ingredients well. Use the electric mixer if need be to incorporate everything evenly.
Once the dough is ready, divide them equally in drops of tablespoons on the pre-lined baking pan. And off it goes into the preheated oven for a few, quick minutes.
When you’ve mastered this recipe, you’ll find yourself baking it again and again. These are delightfully sweet, chewy, rich cookies that are great for snacks, the lunchbox treats, for dessert, for gifts, or whatever a cookie does to make your day.
Easy Oatmeal Raisin- Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- Mixing bowls – Large and small
- Baking sheets
- Mixing spoons
- Rubber spatulas
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Cookie rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup softened unsalted butter, room temperature; like Kerrygold
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 whole large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt (iodized)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon hot water (for dissolving baking soda)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; like King Arthur
- 2 cups oatmeal, like the classic Quaker Oats; (do not use the Instant variety)
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (unsalted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350 F.Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- In the bowl of the cake mixer, combine the sugars and butter. Cream the butter and sugars till fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the hot water. Mix well till there are no lumps.Add this dissolved baking soda, together with the eggs, and vanilla to the creamed butter mixture. Mix on medium speed till incorporated.
- Add the flour to the mixture and mix well till well-combined and dough is smooth.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a large cooking spoon, mix by hand the oatmeal, chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts into the dough. Keep mixing till these last ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls on the lined baking sheet. Leave a space of about 2 inches per drop to give space for the cookie to spread fully.Bake at 350 F for 13 to 15 minutes.When done, remove from the oven. Let the cookies rest on the counter, then when they are firm enough, using a spatula, remove and cool on a cake rack.The cookies will be slightly soft and look wet in the center. As they cool, the cookies dry up and have a chewy texture.
To Store Cookies:
- Keep the baked cookies in a covered container in the refrigerator. These keep for about 1 week refrigerated.To freeze, wrap the cookies in plastic wrap, and aluminum foil, and keep in a covered freezer-friendly container. They can keep frozen for 1 month.
Cook's Commnets:
- When my schedule is hectic, I cut the baking stages to make life more manageable. I mix the cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it in a tightly-covered container. This keeps for 1 to 2 months. When ready to bake, I thaw the dough in the refrigerator, then drop them by tablespoonfuls on the baking sheet.Tip: To give as gifts:, arrange the cookies in decorative tins or plastic containers. I often add a written list of ingredients in the container, just in case of food allergies.
Nutrition
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