Very Good

Growing up, I was the baker child in the house.  I had three sisters, all capable of making cakes and cookies, but I loved doing it enough that I assigned myself the job of baker every Saturday.  

I would go through my mom's old and stained cookbooks, many of them Company's Coming oldies, like 150 Delicious Squares. I loved trying new recipes, even though the family liked the tried and true ones.  

Once I thought to make a white cake for Sunday.  Too bad for me the oven wanted black cake.  The bottom element stopped working and the top one went in overdrive and instead of white cake, I had made 'crow' cake, as my sister nicely dubbed it.

Anyway.  Being a mom and having a working husband means I can't only sew these days.  I also have to bake.  We all like a tasty snack so now and then.  

I thought I would share my favourite cookie recipe.  

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

I learned from my mom and labelled recipes from okay to very good.  This one is very good.

Mix the margarine and sugars together, beating them until they can be beat no more.  Really.  You have to whip as much air as possible into the mixture for truly chewy cookies.

Beat in two eggs and vanilla, again mixing and mixing really well.

Then add oatmeal.  Not instant oatmeal, but at least quick.  If you don't have quick, only old fashioned, the kind that takes quite a while to cook, just throw some in the blender, give it a few pulses, and measure out two cups.

Mix it really well.  I use my beater for this part yet. 

Add 2 1/2 cups of flour and some baking soda and cinnamon.  If I continue to use my mixer, I end up with a pretty white counter.  My counters are black, so it gets pretty messy looking.  So instead, I use my hands for this part.

Then throw in some raisins.  Mmmmm. 

You can also add walnuts, but I really don't like the taste of them together with raisins.  That and my one year old spits them out.  

Because I am lazy and should much rather run after my kid than spend my time watching and baking tray after tray of cookies, I press the whole works into a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350° then another 5 minutes with foil over top.  This will keep the edges from getting too crispy while letting the middle bake.

What you end up with is a beautiful pan of oatmeal raisin goodness.

Very goodness.

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 cups quick cooking oatmeal

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1+ tsp cinnamon

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Cream margarine and both sugars together in a large bowl. Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add vanilla. Mix

Stir in oatmeal.

Add flour, baking soda and cinnamon.  Mix well.

Add raisins and walnuts.  Mix well.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet, spacing them about one inch apart.

Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes until just lightly browned.  Remove to waxed paper.