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Article on Cake Mix Doctor Website

Barbara's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Recipe written by Anne Byrn October 06, 2008

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Makes about 6 dozen cookies.
Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 1 hour
Bake: About 8 minutes

 

This recipe comes from Barbara Anderson of Dataw Island. These wonderful oatmeal cookies are the best I have ever tasted. There are two secrets—soaking the raisins for ten minutes in warm water so they plump up and refrigerating the dough so they cookies hold their shape while baking. Better pour the milk now because these disappear quickly.

1 cup raisins
1 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, not packed
2 large eggs
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1. Place the raisins in a small bowl, pour the warm water over them, and let soak until plump, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl and stir with a fork to combine. Set the flour mixture aside.

3. Place the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy and lighter in color, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well on medium speed after each addition, 10 to 15 seconds. Turn off the machine. Dump the flour mixture into the bowl and beat on low just until the dough comes together, about 30 seconds.

4. Drain the raisins. Stir the raisins, oats, and pecans, if desired, into the dough until just combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.

5. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375° F.

6. Spoon and roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake the cookies until they are lightly browned but the centers are still a little soft to the touch, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. Scrape the baking sheet and let it cool, then repeat the process with the remaining cookie dough.

Tote notes : The best way to tote these cookies is to arrange them in a deep box, tin, or plastic tub in single layers separated by waxed paper. This cushions the cookies so they won’t break and they won’t stick together.
You can also arrange the cookies on a tray and bring it covered with plastic wrap.

Plan ahead: Bake the cookies a day or two in advance and store them, covered, at room temperature. Or, you can prepare the dough a day ahead and refrigerate it, covered, then bake the cookies in the morning, before you’re ready to go.


 
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Serious Eats Recipe Newsletter: January 28

 

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Welcome to the January 28, 2009 issue of the Serious Eats Weekly Newsletter.

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This Week's Best Recipes on Serious Eats

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Featured Recipe

Nicole Rees, author of Baking Unplugged, calls this dish "anytime" bread pudding because she loves to serve it for breakfast or brunch. It makes sense, really: It's hard to eat very much of this beautiful dessert at the end of a big meal, but you can afford to take a heaping serving on an empty stomach.

Rees includes instructions for a sour cherry and amaretto version, perfect for your next champagne brunch.

ANYTIME BREAD PUDDING

- makes 9 servings -

Adapted from Baking Unplugged by Nicole Rees.

Ingredients

2 cups milk
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
4 large eggs
1 (1-pound) artisan bread loaf, preferably sourdough, cut into 1-inch squares (about 6 cups)

Procedure

1.  In a medium saucepan, heat the milk with raisins over medium heat until the milk is very warm but not boiling. Pour into a large bowl and whisk in the cream, sugar, rum, vanilla, and nutmeg. Whisk in the eggs until smooth. Stir in the bread chunks, making sure that all the pieces are submerged. Let stand at room temperature, covered, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid is absorbed, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Alternatively, you may place the bread-custard mixture into the prepared baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, place a plate on top of the plastic wrap, weight down with a few cans, and refrigerate overnight. Allow to warm up for 30 minutes at room temperature before baking.)

2. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 9"-square baking dish. Spoon the bread mixture into the baking dish and cover with a sheet of butter aluminum foil. Set the baking dish in a shallow roasting pan. Place the roasting pan in the oven; pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the side of the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center is a little wobbly in the center when juggled. Remove the foil and bake for 20 minutes more. Do not overbake—bread pudding will set upon cooling. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold.

Sour Cherry Amaretto Bread Pudding

Substitute 1/2 cup sour dried cherries for the raisins, reduce the vanilla extract to 1 1/2 teaspoons, add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, and substitute 1/4 cup amaretto for the dark rum.

Last Week's Recipe

Last week's Recipe Newsletter recipe was for Braised Wings with Coconut Curry Herb Sauce.

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