Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

When I was a kid, I used to be so disappointed when my mom would make oatmeal raisin cookies. I so fiercely pined for the rich, gooey, chocolate chip cookies that I saw in Nestle Tollhouse commercial only to find that my mom had tainted perfectly lovely cookie dough with dried fruit and gritty oats. Looking back on it now, I understand that my mom was concerned about feeding us nutritious food so that she could instill good eating habits in her children and so we could grow up to be strong and healthy, but, at the time, it felt like a travesty.

Now I quite adore oatmeal raisin cookies. I suspect that many of you still feel a little wary of cookies that contend to have some health qualities to them, but I find them deeply satisfying and believe that they can be perfect cookies in the right moment. I love the rich, molassesy flavor of the brown sugar, the hearty chew of the oats, the tart sweetness of warm raisins, and the woodsy smell of cinnamon. I love oatmeal raisin cookies that are thick, chewy, not too sweet, and that taste heavenly piping hot from the oven with a glass of ice cold milk.

Now I'm not trying to win any cookie converts here. If you are sworn against oatmeal raisin cookies, I have no doubts that I can do little to persuade you otherwise. But, if you like oatmeal raisin cookies, even if you just like them a little bit or only sometimes, you will love this recipe. This recipe yields the type of oatmeal raisin cookies that all oatmeal raisin cookies, and I daresay, ALL cookies aspire to be. They are warm, comforting, make your house smell heavenly, and bring back nostalgic smiles to peoples faces. The recipe, as do many fabulous recipes, comes from Smitten Kitchen, and if you follow the recipe's very simple instructions, these cookies are hard to mess up. Is it possible to say that these cookies are perfect? I think you'll have to be the judge of that.

Note: I have MANY Christmas cookie recipes to share, but alas, I left my camera at my parents' house over the holidays. Updates coming soon.