Easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

There’s nothing better than the smell of freshly baked cookies on a blustery Saturday afternoon.  This past Saturday was perfect for staying inside, cozying up with some thick socks and baking a batch of warm, delicious oatmeal cookies.

So, as a slew of Modern Family episodes played in the background, I decided to browse through the ingredients I had in the apartment to see what I could whip up without having to leave my warm, cozy apartment.

I came upon a bag of coconut palm sugar, which is similar to brown sugar, but it’s made with coconuts.  You can use it as a brown sugar replacement, and is delicious in tropical desserts, like pineapple upside down cake.  It was the only form of brown sugar I had in the house, so I decided to use that to make my oatmeal cookies.

This recipe for oatmeal cookies is not specifically designed for coconut palm sugar, so if you have light or dark brown sugar, you can use that.  In fact, I would recommend it.  While I do love the coconut sugar, it doesn’t have that dark, molasses taste I love about regular brown sugar and, as a result, my cookies ended up being a tad bit bland…but they still satisfied the craving!

These delicious morsels cook up to be thick and soft, almost like cake cookies.  Don’t like oats?  Omit them for a delicious spiced cookie that would go great with chi tea.  This is a wonderful recipe that’s perfect for those who like to experiment with flavors.  Add some ginger or chi spice to the batter and drizzle them with a sweet lemon glaze when they’re done.  Ohh, the wheels are turning now…

Easy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup coconut palm sugar (or packed brown sugar)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins

Directions:

1.  In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves.  Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Add flour and mix until combined.  Stir in oats and raisins.
3. Drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.  Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
   

Every Monday is a “Reci-bee” post, where I share my favorite recipes, recipe collections, and cooking and baking hints and tips.