Cookies are dangerous. Cookies are sneaky. Bad bad cookies.

They are not like a cake where you usually eat one slice, or two if you really lose control but then you might feel guilty about that second helping.

With cookies, you take one.

then another one.

then another…

and just another last one…

and, no guilt feelings.

Right?!

I am personally a cake person (Guilt feelings included. Rarely.). My husband is a cookie guy. This is why I gave him as a gift for his birthday a “20 cookies punch card”. Does anyone remember? It was waaaay back in October.

Anyway, so far I only baked 5 cookie recipes for him and now he is finally claiming the rest. So, for the first time in our lives – can you believe it? – I made, and we ate, oatmeal cookies. Oatmeal cookies just didn’t sound “right” to me before. But after tasting them, I can’t remember why.

I baked the recipe from the new Barefoot Contessa cookbook “Back to Basics”. As this was my first time baking these cookies, I made the recipe as is. Next time I think I’ll cut down the granulated sugar by 1/4 cup.

Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies by Ina Garten
Makes 30-40 cookies

1 1/2 cups pecans
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup granulated sugar (3/4 cup nest time)
2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 cups raisins (I used a mixture of raisins, dried cranberries & currants)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Chop coarsely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and the salt together into a medium bowl. With mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and pecans and mix just until combined.

Using a small ice-cream scoop (I used a 2-inch scoop) or a tablespoon, drop 2 inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with a damp hand.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.

Categories : Cookies, Recipes