The Ultimate Oatmeal Cookie

Nothing beats homemade cookies, especially store bought cookies. Yes, they are purchased already cooked for you, saving the precious time and money it takes to make your own cookie dough, heat the oven, and bake them, but are they really worth it? In my opinion, all store bought cookies do not live up to the cookie name, and they are definitely not worth it in any way. Besides the fact that they are relatively dry and flavorless, you never know when these cookies were “baked”, and you don’t know the quality of the ingredients used. On top of that, you never get to experience warm, gooey cookies that just came out of the oven, or scrape the rest of the cookie dough out of the bowl to enjoy raw (I know all of you do that, don’t deny it). You also never get to enjoy the delightful scent that flows through your house after baking a batch of cookies, a scent that could never be recreated by simply burning a cookie-scented candle. While I do enjoy an occasional Chips Ahoy! cookie, nothing beats homemade cookies in my heart.

Homemade cookies never fail to put a smile on my face. Mouth-watering and delicious, they come in a small, rich, and flavorful package, and even better, there are thousands of variations, so you never run out of fresh ideas for a new, tasty cookie. Having always loved traditional chocolate chip cookies, I decided to spice up my cookie life with a new, fresh cookie. Utilizing the internet, I went on a search for something new, different, and maybe even a little crazy; a cookie that had a name longer than necessary because it had so many delicious ingredients in it. The cookie I found: Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Craisin Chocolate Chip cookies, or as I like to call them, The Ultimate Oatmeal Cookies. Scrumptious, I know. Originally, the recipe I came across was a simple and quite boring oatmeal craisin cookie, but thanks to my ever-so-present sweet tooth, I decided to spice them up and add more “toppings” as I like to call them. As a result, these cookies came out better than I could have ever imagined, and were a huge hit with all of my family and friends. In fact, people would not stop asking for more!

The Ultimate Oatmeal Cookie

Time: 30-45 minutes

Makes: 4 Dozen

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups quick cooking oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup raisins

2/3 cup craisins

2/3 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Procedure:

1. Beat butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla for 5 minutes in Kitchen Aid
2. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
3. Add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time
4. Mix in raisins, craisins, and chocolate chips
5. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 11-14 minutes at 350 degrees F. Enjoy!